I have an ES 15. I am trying to fit an external mic without success.

Willr

I am trying to fit an external mic without success. I have disabled the onboard mic and have been through the Sound Settings time and again. I have a headphone/mic splitter for the jack at the back but this makes no difference. The external mic is a camera boom mic that works beautifully in an old HP laptop which has separate mic and headphone sockets but which has a noisy fan which ruins the recording of some acoustic guitar pieces that I'm trying to put down. Where next please, this is driving me mad!!

Willr

JackE

The splitter must have a 4-element OMTP (or PC where the mic's ground sleeve is reversed with the microphone ring) Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve plugged into the laptop as shown below. The splitter's mic & speaker/heaphone output jacks must also be internally exactly the same as the old HP laptop  What is the model name and number of the splitter? Jack E/NJ

Willr

Hi Jack

The splitter has a 4 section jack. Maker is Koopoo, a cheap one off the net. I don't need it with the HP where the mic works fine in the separate mic jack.

Will

JackE

If you mean this model, it won't work. This is actually a stereo splitter that has a 3-element TRS plug, not a 4-element TRRS plug that's needed tor the mic. It may look like a 4-element because of the step in the sleeve, but it's not. Jack E/NJ

JackE

Here's what you need. Jack E/NJ

Willr

Hi Jack
Thanks so much for your input and time. In fact  my Koopao splitter is not the one you show. Mine has the 'tip' plus a three section shaft. The one you show is a twin headphone set, mine is headphone and mic. On the basis that it was really cheap and might therefore be rubbish I will try out the one you suggest, which I have seen, and hope it might do the trick.
Thanks so much for taking the time to be interested.
Will

JackE

OK. Good luck. Let us know if it works out. Jack E/NJ

Willr

Hi Jack

I have tried a new TRS to TRRS adapter but without success, again without the mic being recognised in the Sound Settings. External mic does not show up in the system.  I do wonder if the TRRS jack plug is defective but have no way of testing this. I could try a mic with only a TRRS jack attached or, perhaps, a mic with a usb connection to by-pass the jack plug altogether. Any thoughts either way?

I have to say that I have tried several ways to put my query to Acer but emails wont connect, they are not taking calls and helplines make no progress. At the moment you are my only hope!! No pressure!

Will

JackE

>>>camera boom mic>>>

Is this a coil, condenser or electret mic? Newer laptops might only work with the latter two. You can test the jack's mic function either with a cheap headset. Jack E/NJ 

Willr

Hi Jack

It is a condenser mic. I think I will check out the jack plug with a cheapie mic and see where we get to. Will keep you posted. Thanks again.

Will

JackE

Get the whole headset since it'll have the correct TRRS plug to allow its mic to work. Jack E/NJ

Willr

Will do. Will let you know how it goes. Thanks.

Will

Willr

Hi Jack

As you suggested I bought a headphone/mic set with trrs jack but this had no effect, so I am assuming the jack plug is defective for trrs jacks. Fortunately the headphone/mic came with a usb and this does work!! I have now contrived to place the mic inside my guitar and this records sufficiently well for my purposes. Thanks so much for your help. The combined unit is however a bit cumbersome. If I were to cut off the headphone elements, just leaving the mic and its lead, would that bog it up completely or would the mic still work? It seems to me that it should but, having got to a point where I can record, I hesitate to try a fairly drastic adaptation!

Thanks again

Will

JackE

>>>I hesitate to try a fairly drastic adaptation!>>>

I'd hesitate even more.

As for the jack. if you peer inside with a flashlight, there should be two sping sliders visible whose purpose is to press against the two center ring-ring sections of the plug when inserted. The deeper ring is for the right speaker. The one closer to the outside is for the mic which may not pressing hard enough against the mic ring. You might be  able to use a toothpick or some other small non-metallic tool to bend the slider toward the center pin of the jack to make it press harder again the mic ring. Jack E/NJ

Joe9844

Acer computers are usually configured to combine both laptop's internal mic and headset mic under the same "mic array" name. When you disabled the internal mic, you probably disabled the headset mic also.

1) give OS permission to use the mic under privacy setting
2) make sure Realtek HD Audio manager or Realtek Audio Console set to "headset"
3) make sure you use the correct Y splitter (for headphone and mic)
4) lightly tap your headset mic and see if the signal meter jumps.

Willr

Hi Joe
Many thanks. I will check these out.
Will

Willr

Hi Joe
No luck with the checks. I've come to the conclusion that the trrs jack plug in the laptop is defective, as the same mic works with a usb. Unfortunately it's not the mic I want to use but will do as a stand in for now. Thanks for taking the time to help out.
Will

Willr

Hi Jack
No joy with slider. Managed to bring it forward a touch but to no avail. I will stick to the headphone/mic usb connection, which does work, but take your advice not to doctor the headphone wiring. Thanks again.
Will