Sound Issues
 

The basic problem I have is that I cannot seem to get my computer to use a microphone. I've tried several old ones and a new one, none work. I can get the onboard sound card to play sound, but not read in a microphone.

So I went and bought an inexpensive sound card at walmart to see if that would work. Long story relatively short, I get no sound and no mic from the sound card. I uninstalled the drivers and such for the onboard sound and disabled it in BIOS, but the add on sound card still will not play anything. And I have installed most all the software that came with the card, including the drivers and playback software ( I'm not letting the AOL demo anywhere near my harddrive).

I have an Asus A8R-MVP Motherboard and the sound card is a SoundBlaster Audigy SE Model: SB0570. And I'm running Windows XP MC

I have no idea whether there is some setting within my system that is causing this or if I just happened to buy the f'd up card on the shelf.

dumb question, is the microphone in channel muted?

No, it isn't, I checked that and every other possible sound setting I could find, I even checked every port on the sound card to make sure I wasn't in the wrong one.

Please know that there are two functions to Windows Volume Control. Go to it (right click the speaker in the tray, or Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Advanced) and select Options > Properties.

Select "Recording," making sure that "Microphone" is selected to display. Verify that Microphone is NOT muted, and that the checkbox for "Select" is enabled beneath it (and no other inputs).

If you want an echo ( to hear yourself ) make sure also that under Playback > Microphone it is unmuted.

If that doesn't work, try selecting "Line in" under Recording, rather than Microphone.

Furthermore, how are you verifying that you aren't recieving input? What program are you using to record?

I've made sure that the mic is selected in the Sounds and Audio Devices, as well as with the master volume control in the tray. I've not gotten any input from a microphone using Ventrilo, the Creative software that came with the soundcard, or the windows tester.

And I've also tried using "Line in" instead of the Microphone channel

And you're certain that you're selecting it under Recording and not Playback?

Absolutely postive. I think all audio equipment hates me...

Do you have the Creative Volume Control that looks like this?

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4...7181543ie9.jpg

If so, make sure it says microphone in the REC column... right click to change it.

LAST EDIT...

After searching google and the asus site... it seems that the particular board that you have has been plagued by sound problems.

Maybe flash the bios if you haven't done that yet... other than that I am stumped.

Are you using Skype?

Wow, amazing what you don't find while your searching BEFORE you buy a motherboard....

Sorry its been a few days since my last response, I've been out of town. Basically I've said "screw it". I'm formating my external hardrive, loading windows onto it, and running my old laptop from it (the laptops hard drive crashed). I know the laptop can run sound and a mike, I'm just gonna use my main computer for music and gaming, and the laptop for Ventrilo.

Thanks for all the advice. I would flash the BIOS, but I'd really rather not mess with the BIOS too much unless it becomes unavoidable.

Nope, the name sounds familiar but I'm drawing a blank on it.