Voice Over Microphone Sometimes Unintelligible

Hi,

I've used Skype for a while and recently started using Zoom too. 3 times in the last 2 weeks (maybe 1/3 of the times I've used these 2 apps) when I connect the other people on the call say my voice is garbled so badly that they can't understand me at all. It's happened with both applications and I can't correlate it with anything else that's going on. Twice the term Mickey Mouse has been used, but Mickey can be understood and I can't. Twice when this has happened (the other time I didn't try to fix it) I've tried restarting the application and when I reconnected it worked fine.

My mic is in my LogiTech C310 camera. Any time I test the mic there's no problem, and except for this problem the voice quality is fine. My desktop PC is pretty fast and I have Verizon gigabit FiOS which I connect to via Ethernet. I don't run anything that would suck up network, CPU, or any other resources when I run these 2 applications. My Windows version is 1903.

I've looked at Windows Settings and verified that access to the mic isn't denied, access by desktop applications (whatever they are) is enabled, and on the same screen the list of applications includes the two applications with the correct time of last access. I use ESET AV and verified that access by both Skype and Zoom is allowed. I used the Device Manager to update drivers for the C310 but it says I'm up to date. I've looked at both support sites but most suggestions are specific to one application (e.g. reinstall Skype) but since the problem happens with both apps I've mostly ignored them.

Any ideas how to fix this? The fact that it's interment doesn't help.

Thanks,
Mike

Audio distortions generally mean that you are clipping (i.e. recording audio at a too high level). Turn down the recording volume.

Ken and SandyT,

I'm connected via wired connection to my router (CAT-5 as I recall) which is connected via Netgear Gigabit switches to my Verizon FiOS router. Speedtest.net tells me ping time is 3 ms and the speed both ways is over 94 Mbps. I get that result every time I test with no intermittent problems that I've found. I've always found FiOS internet to be rock solid.

I'm think everyone hears my garbled voice but I'm not sure. What happens is that someone says I'm unintelligible, no one objects that I sound ok to them, I reconnect, and all is well. I tried to ask the first time this happened with maybe 8 people if anyone could hear me but no one responded, apparently because they couldn't hear my question.

I just played the radio for 10 minutes recording through the mic with Audacity, replayed looking for problems, and couldn't find any. The level shown in the graph for the recording was uniform over the 10 minutes and nowhere near clipping.

Not sure how to set the mic recording level. However when it's working correctly it sounds fine and no one complains that it's too quiet, too loud, or distorted. There are engineers and scientists listening sometimes and I think some of them would have recognized clipping.

Mike

Mickey Mouse (other people call it chipmunk sounding) sounds like you got a helium voice or slight sped up, so something like 44.1 kHz to 48 kHz? Same C310 webcam.

Audio sounds like I'm talking to a chipmunk. - Hangouts Community

Ken and SandyT,

Re what it sounds like to others, I don't really know since I can't hear it. All I can say is that they used the words garbled and Mickey Mouse, and that they apparently couldn't understand me AT ALL.

Don't think this it a QOS issue with out landlines. With my stupid fast FiOS service it's hard to see how there would be any significant limitation, and as I recall no one was on the phone anyway.

I'll try a different mic to see if that helps.

Thanks,
Mike

MikeA01730 said:

Ken and SandyT,

Re what it sounds like to others, I don't really know since I can't hear it. All I can say is that they used the words garbled and Mickey Mouse, and that they apparently couldn't understand me AT ALL.

Don't think this it a QOS issue with out landlines. With my stupid fast FiOS service it's hard to see how there would be any significant limitation, and as I recall no one was on the phone anyway.

I'll try a different mic to see if that helps.

Thanks,
Mike

You can do a Skype test and hear it yourself.

Ken and SandyT,

Guys I KNOW I can do a mic test with Skype. Every time I do one my voice sounds great. The worst part of this problem is that the problem is intermittent.

I've attached a test recorded using Audacity.

Mike