Logitech C920 audio quality changed

[astroengineer]

I am using Logitech C920 for recording Video and Audio. The Audio quality was great until last week, and I recored 12 videos with stunning audio quality. But for the last couple of videos, the quality of Audio is not that great. I am not sure what has changed in my recording set up. Will windows automatic updates cause such audio quality issues? I tried restarting the machine, plugging the cam in the different USB port, change the distance of the microphone. But nothing helped. 

Did anyone face such issues?

[Naeem-Malik]

Please share some audio samples of good quality audio and the problematic audio? 

I personally don't believe that the C920 microphone is very good, I have been using an external microphone for several years. 

[astroengineer]

Sure. Thanks 

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@Naeem-Malik wrote:

Please share some audio samples of good quality audio and the problematic audio? 

I personally don't believe that the C920 microphone is very good, I have been using an external microphone for several years. 

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Here is the good quality audio, 

Here is the mediocre quality audio,

[Naeem-Malik]

Your voice is distorted in the second video. 

Have you changed the room in which you record? Did you move the camera around?

I believe it is not the microphone, it is the environment. 

[astroengineer]

Yes, the voice is distorted in the second video.

I didn't change the room nor the recording setup. 

[Naeem-Malik · Accepted solution]

Look at the microphone settings in control panel, make sure that the correct mic is selected. Do make sure you don't raise the recording volume very high in settings. 

Also, try putting a few pillows or blankets on the wall behind your head and on the wall right in front of you when speaking. 

[astroengineer]

Adjusting this microphone level in the control panel helped.

The distorted audio was recorded when the Microphone level is selected as 100%.

Now I changed it to 75% and recorded below audio, I can't find distortion,

[Naeem-Malik]

Ok, dont crank up the gain too much. 

[TechTakeCare]

It sounds like the MIC is covered with something.

Do you use mesh while talking? Is that still a thing in the second video?

[astroengineer]

No. I don't use Mesh while talking. 

[DanielEvans]

Both audio in both videos were clipping due to excessive gain / volume.

The second more so.

The last video you posted eliminates clipping entirely from what I can hear.

That major problem was a stroke of luck, since you fixed a more subtle, underlying problem which you previously had.

That clipping would have been apparent in headphones.

[Pino]

My 2 cents: never use the webcam as a microphone, there are too many variables, starting with the USB port (which is a hub!) and drivers updates. It also suffers from your PC CPU workload. As I said, too many variables.

The best way is to ger a condenser microphone with phantom power supply. Amazon has a wide choice of quite cheap options. I use a BM-800 like this one:

https://www.amazon.in/StarCart-Professional-Microphone-Adjustable-Suspension/dp/B07Z2TH6YP/

And the power supply, like this one:

https://www.amazon.in/InnoGear-I229-Supply-Condenser-Microphones/dp/B00KAPGLQC/

Plug the mike into the mike input... stay away from USB ports 🙂