Volume dropping when microphone is being used

chain
chain Member Posts: 10 New User
in 2016 Archives

My volume keeps dropping whenever the microphone is activated. An easy way to reproduce this problem is by opening the Recording tab in volume settings (which activates my microphone).

 

I've tried the common fix of changing the setting in the Communications tab to "Do nothing" but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Also tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Realtek driver.

 

Using an Acer Aspire VN7-791G.

Answers

  • philetus
    philetus ACE Posts: 4,759 Pathfinder

    Seems like Samsung has been doing this since 2013 along with this and the EU said it will become industry standard if Computer MFG's want to sell computers there.

    audio warning screenshot.png

  • chain
    chain Member Posts: 10 New User

    Surely there must be a way to stop it?

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    right click speaker icon near clock and date

    choose Recording devices

    right click the microphone

    choose Properties

    choose Advanced tab

    untick Allow applications to take....

    click on apply

    close all the audio windows

    check if Volume still drops

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • chain
    chain Member Posts: 10 New User

    Yup still happening unfortunately. Tested once using only Spotify and once using only Chrome to play music.

     

    Note that the volume doesn't visually drop on my computer, just the audio output drops and I'm not sure how to describe it but the output sounds different as well.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    Have you tried a windows refresh?
    In my opinion it's a software issue.
    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • chain
    chain Member Posts: 10 New User

    This is a pretty new install of Windows, only a month or so old. Happened on the old Windows as well. I think it has something to do with the Realtek driver. If I uninstall the Realtek driver the sound still works until I restart my computer and this issue doesn't occur in that time. Also if I disable the Microphone in Recording devices this issue doesn't occur. It it possible that this is a "feature" of the Realtek driver?

     

    Edit: I don't know much about audio but maybe this occurs to stop echoing?

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    chain wrote:

    Edit: I don't know much about audio but maybe this occurs to stop echoing?

    can be, have you already check on Realtek control panel?

    on my laptop is HD audio manager and on Microphone array tab has some effects to turn ON/OFF or double clickin the Microphone on windows recording devices.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • sharky25k
    sharky25k Member Posts: 473 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon

    Hi,

     

    I suspect it is more related to other issue. I think many people from here remember that if you enable Hey Cortana in W10 your volume will be low. Why? Because Cortana is actually listnening, using your microphone. What's happening? Well, simple. When the microphone is on for some reason dolby audio turns off.

     

    So I think that the volume drop comes from this issue. When you use your microphone your dobly turns off. Unfortunately I don't know any fix for this.

    Unfortunately, neither Acer, neither realtek, windows or dolby did not make any fix... so you are stuck with this problem.

     

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    If Cortana is the issue, you can try to disable it and check if this fix the issue.
    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • chain
    chain Member Posts: 10 New User

    What sharky25k said makes perfect sense. 100% sure use of the microphone is disabling Dolby which is why the sound changes. I can confirm this by going to the Dolby tab inside speaker preferences and turning Dolby Digital Plus off and the issue happens.

     

    I don't have Cortana enabled but I can see why it would cause the same issue because it permantly has the microphone on.

     

    I don't seem to have any Dolby programs installed, I guess it is installed as part of the Realtek driver? I am going to keep doing research but if what sharky25k said is correct then there is no fix Smiley Sad

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    Yes, dolby is part of realtek drivers.
    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    I just tried on my laptop and i can't reproduce it, Dolby stays ON even using Voice recording.

    I have realtek drivers and windows 10 too.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • sharky25k
    sharky25k Member Posts: 473 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon
    IronFly wrote:

    I just tried on my laptop and i can't reproduce it, Dolby stays ON even using Voice recording.

    I have realtek drivers and windows 10 too.


    Hi,

     

    Good for you. This is known from august last year and still there is no fix. I did not tell that Cortana is the problem, I told you that whenever microphone is on, Dolby is off for some reason. When you use "Hey Cortana" the microphone is always on for example. The fact that I started with Cortana is because I found out of this bug by using Cortana.

     

    Put a music on the background from youtube or whatever source. Now try to test this. Go to Cortana (if you did not disable it completelly) And start her.  Now push the microphone button to speak to Cortana. Tell her something... whatever. Did the sound volume go down while she was listening? Yes? Then you have the confirmation of the bug.. No? I am curious what version of the driver you use. Btw I am using a VN7-591G.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    i have a S7 and i'm using this drivers:

    http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Driver/Audio/Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.7534_W10x64_A.zip?acerid=635730680246088359&Step1=ULTRA-THIN&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE%20S7-393&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

     

    i can't use Cortana on my region because i use a different locale language Smiley Sad

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • chain
    chain Member Posts: 10 New User

    Can you tell the difference when Dolby is on or off? Play some music and then go to Playback devices > Speaker properties > Dolby and turn it off and see if you notice the difference.

     

    This is the driver I'm using: http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Driver/Audio/Audio_Realtek_6.0.1.7553_W10x64_A.zip?acerid=635763357276004980&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=ASPIRE&Step3=ASPIRE%20VN7-791G&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

     

    Do you have any additional Dolby software installed?

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer
    There's an hugee sound difference when turnin ON/OFF Dolby on my system.

    I have just realtek Dolby software, nothing else.
    I'm not an Acer employee.

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