Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250

I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the microphone
supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
at max volume.

I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
badly.

I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a bit
of response.

Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?

Tom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
In the beginning when men cursed and beat the ground
with sticks, they called it witchcraft. Now they call
it golf.

Will Rogers.

dell's have had a bad reputation for the problem you describe in earlier
computers. only with a better addon soundcard will it work better.
you can check previous threads in the NG for more details.
i dont recall all the issues.



Tom wrote:
> I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the microphone
> supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
> have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
> at max volume.
>
> I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
> badly.
>
> I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
> pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a bit
> of response.
>
> Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?
>
> Tom
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
> In the beginning when men cursed and beat the ground
> with sticks, they called it witchcraft. Now they call
> it golf.
>
> Will Rogers.

I don't recall Dell shipping mics with desktops, but regardless, you
might need an amplified mic.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom [mailto:nobody@nothing.com]
> Posted At: Saturday, July 26, 2008 2:17 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250
> Subject: Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250
>
> I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the microphone
> supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
> have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
> at max volume.
>
> I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
> badly.
>
> I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
> pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a bit
> of response.
>
> Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?
>
> Tom
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
> In the beginning when men cursed and beat the ground
> with sticks, they called it witchcraft. Now they call
> it golf.
>
> Will Rogers.

Tom Scales wrote:
> I don't recall Dell shipping mics with desktops, but regardless, you
> might need an amplified mic.
>
>

All of my desktops came with mics. Just a standard electret powered from
the card.


--
Steve W.

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:16:45 -0500, Tom <nobody@nothing.com> wrote:

>I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the microphone
>supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
>have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
>at max volume.
>
>I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
>badly.
>
>I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
>pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a bit
>of response.
>
>Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?
>
>Tom


I agree with Tom Scales about the powered mic. Many many years ago I
had a problem with a mic and after switching to a powered mic, problem
was solved.

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:23:29 -0500, RnR <rnrtexas@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:16:45 -0500, Tom <nobody@nothing.com> wrote:
>
>>I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the microphone
>>supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
>>have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
>>at max volume.
>>
>>I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
>>badly.
>>
>>I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
>>pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a bit
>>of response.
>>
>>Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?
>>
>>Tom
>
>
>I agree with Tom Scales about the powered mic. Many many years ago I
>had a problem with a mic and after switching to a powered mic, problem
>was solved.


Oops, I see Tom S. mentioned an amplified mic and I'm not sure if he
meant powered mic or not as I never heard that term amplified mic. As
I said in my first post, I had a problem with a mic and went to a
powered mic and that solved it for me but this was a long time ago.
Unfortunately I don't remember what my problem was.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: RnR [mailto:rnrtexas@gmail.com]
> Posted At: Saturday, July 26, 2008 9:28 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250
> Subject: Re: Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250
>
> On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:23:29 -0500, RnR <rnrtexas@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:16:45 -0500, Tom <nobody@nothing.com> wrote:
> >
> >>I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the
> microphone
> >>supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
> >>have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
> >>at max volume.
> >>
> >>I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
> >>badly.
> >>
> >>I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
> >>pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a
bit
> >>of response.
> >>
> >>Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?
> >>
> >>Tom
> >
> >
> >I agree with Tom Scales about the powered mic. Many many years ago
I
> >had a problem with a mic and after switching to a powered mic,
problem
> >was solved.
>
>
> Oops, I see Tom S. mentioned an amplified mic and I'm not sure if he
> meant powered mic or not as I never heard that term amplified mic. As
> I said in my first post, I had a problem with a mic and went to a
> powered mic and that solved it for me but this was a long time ago.
> Unfortunately I don't remember what my problem was.

Powered is probably the right term.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I have been reading up on
powered microphones and find that some "experts" claim that any
microphone plugged into a sound card is "powered" if it has two bands
on the plug. That describes my microphones, and they do not produce
anywhere near the volume needed. Additionally, I am reading about USB
microphones. Presumably they would be powered as all USB devices are.
So if you can dig back into your memory banks, what is a powered
microphone? One with a battery installed? A USB mic? Other?

Thanks,

Tom

"Tom Scales" <tjscales@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RnR [mailto:rnrtexas@gmail.com]
>> Posted At: Saturday, July 26, 2008 9:28 PM
>> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
>> Conversation: Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250
>> Subject: Re: Problem with Microphone supplied with Dimension 8250
>>
>> On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:23:29 -0500, RnR <rnrtexas@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:16:45 -0500, Tom <nobody@nothing.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >>I have just been experimenting with Skype and find that the
>> microphone
>> >>supplied with my Dell Dimension 8250 does not pick up my voice. I
>> >>have run through the test in Contro Panel and it fails even when set
>> >>at max volume.
>> >>
>> >>I tried another microphone(Jensen JMP-13) and it performed just as
>> >>badly.
>> >>
>> >>I tried the Jensen on my Notebook(Inspiron 1501) and it too did not
>> >>pick up a voice spoken in a normal range. A huge shout did get a
>bit
>> >>of response.
>> >>
>> >>Would a more expensive aftermarket microphone work?
>> >>
>> >>Tom
>> >
>> >
>> >I agree with Tom Scales about the powered mic. Many many years ago
>I
>> >had a problem with a mic and after switching to a powered mic,
>problem
>> >was solved.
>>
>>
>> Oops, I see Tom S. mentioned an amplified mic and I'm not sure if he
>> meant powered mic or not as I never heard that term amplified mic. As
>> I said in my first post, I had a problem with a mic and went to a
>> powered mic and that solved it for me but this was a long time ago.
>> Unfortunately I don't remember what my problem was.
>
>Powered is probably the right term.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

Worrying about tomorrow spoils today while
doing nothing for tomorrow.