How to remove background noise from a microphone on a PC

Audio has become a fundamental piece in our computers and laptops, either for the reason that you want to improve the quality of your Zoom or Teams video calls, or to broadcast with quality on your Twitch channel or in the recording of a podcast.  

There are several ways you can guarantee the best audio quality, from simple adjustments to your equipment to investing in the purchase of quality equipment. Here are some simple ways to improved the quality of your voice.

Wear headphones 

The easiest way to improve sound quality for video calls is to connect a headset to your computer or laptop. The main reason why you should do it is because it eliminates the sound that returns from the video call, the one that sometimes gets coupled. 

Another advantage of using headphones is that many come with built-in microphones, so it is very likely that they are of higher quality than those integrated in your laptop, which sometimes even pick up the sound of the keys when they are operated. 

Reduce noise in your room or living room

In this sense, it is also important to eliminate any other strange noise that may be disturbing your conversation. Therefore, be sure to turn off the television or any other source such as fans or air conditioning systems.

Use a dedicated microphone

Let's face it, most of the microphones and webcams that come standard on computers are pretty basic. Adding a dedicated standalone mic can go a long way to giving you that extra bit of quality. 

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on professional-grade microphones to upgrade your existing setup, as a cheap USB microphone may at least allow you to speak directly, reducing the natural reverberation in the room. 

We already have a special ranking of the best microphones for podcasts and streaming , with which you can obtain excellent quality. However, not everyone needs such a professional solution for their day to day. 

In fact, there are a whole series of solutions on the market that for just over € 20 will allow you to considerably improve the quality of your voice in conversations. This is the case of the EIVOTOR microphone with base and USB A connection. 

You can also take a look at the special of the best headphones with which you will not only improve the quality of your voice in communications, but also, you will be able to enjoy complete immersion when you use them with multimedia content together with your PC. 

Regarding the more expensive microphones, you should bear in mind that you will find them in two modes: dynamic and condenser. As a general rule of thumb, condensers will give you a richer-sounding voice but pick up more background noise. 

On the other hand, dynamic microphones are more focused on capturing sounds coming from the same direction, so they will end up picking up less ambient noise if you are in a noisy place. 

Adjust microphone levels in Windows

Microsoft offers under Windows 10 environment some different settings that you can try to adjust the sound quality to the maximum. They are easy to use once you know where to find them. Don't worry, we guide you through the whole process.  

Open the 'Start' menu and do a search for the word 'Control Panel'. Select the result of 'System and security' and navigate to the option of 'Hardware and sound'. Click on Sound and go to the 'Record' tab. 

 

Select the 'Levels' tab and check how the input is configured. If you have an external microphone, it will be time to select it and put it to the test. With 'Microphone boost' you can increase the intensity of the signal through software. 

Now, if you have too much volume, it may be causing digital distortion, which reduces the final quality of your audio. It is time to test the best quality of your voice signal. 

Try adjusting the 'Microphone' and 'Microphone Boost' settings to see if you elevate your results. Ideally, you want to increase the level of the 'natural' signal input (through the microphone option) while you reduce the audio - enhanced software .

If you also see a tab titled 'Enhancements', you can also explore the settings here, paying particular attention to the 'Noise Suppression' option, which can be very useful for cleaning a signal.

Hopefully, with these settings that we have explained to you, you will have achieved that the audio quality improves substantially the next time you start your audio recording or video call software through your PC or laptop.