Mic Not working in Win 8.1
- Thread starter Richard3
- Start date
Looran@Parallels
Parallels Support
Hi Richard3,
Please follow the steps outlined on the below KB article:
http://kb.parallels.com/114055
Thanks,
Looran
Please follow the steps outlined on the below KB article:
http://kb.parallels.com/114055
Thanks,
Looran
Hi All,
Please try the steps as provided below which may help you in resolving the issue :
1. Start virtual machine.
2. Take a Snapshot (virtual machine -> Take Snapshot).
3. Press "cmd"+"R" combination, type 'regedit' and Return (Enter) to run Registry Editor.
4. Locate and highlight 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\C lass\{4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}' key and look for 'UpperFilters' value in the right box.
5. Highlight 'UpperFilters' value and delete it:
6. Expand 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\C lass\{4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}' key and check every subkey for 'KS' value. If you find it, delete it.
7. Re-install Parallels Tools (in Parallels Desktop menu bar: Virtual Machine -> Reinstall Parallels Tools) and reboot your virtual machine.
Also: - Start -> in the search box type "Control Panel" -> in View by choose "Small icons" -> Sound - Browse to "Communications" tab - Select "Do Nothing" - Press "OK" -
In the recording tab -> Right-click Microphone -> Properties -> switch to Volume tab and set it to 100% -In the Lync options also set Microphone vol. to the maximum.
Thanks,
Maheeshwar
Please try the steps as provided below which may help you in resolving the issue :
1. Start virtual machine.
2. Take a Snapshot (virtual machine -> Take Snapshot).
3. Press "cmd"+"R" combination, type 'regedit' and Return (Enter) to run Registry Editor.
4. Locate and highlight 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\C lass\{4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}' key and look for 'UpperFilters' value in the right box.
5. Highlight 'UpperFilters' value and delete it:
6. Expand 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\C lass\{4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}' key and check every subkey for 'KS' value. If you find it, delete it.
7. Re-install Parallels Tools (in Parallels Desktop menu bar: Virtual Machine -> Reinstall Parallels Tools) and reboot your virtual machine.
Also: - Start -> in the search box type "Control Panel" -> in View by choose "Small icons" -> Sound - Browse to "Communications" tab - Select "Do Nothing" - Press "OK" -
In the recording tab -> Right-click Microphone -> Properties -> switch to Volume tab and set it to 100% -In the Lync options also set Microphone vol. to the maximum.
Thanks,
Maheeshwar
Followed these steps exactly and zero audio inside Parallels from the Mic
Tim Callaghan
Bit poster
I have exactly the same problem.
Uninstalling the Parallels Audio Controller and scanning for hardware gets the levels bars working in the OS and in the Lync Audio test. But, as soon as the system actually tries to record anything, no sound is recorded and levels won't register. The only way to get levels to register is to uninstall the device again.
Anyone got a fix. It might be refund time
Tim Callaghan
Bit poster
Very quick and minor update. But recording from sound recorder internally on Windows 8.1 was fine. It's only when activating the test call from Lync that the sound recording dies. I'm going to try adjusting the default communication device settings in case it's something to do with that.
Tim Callaghan
Bit poster
More updates.
After much researching and time wasting last night, I discovered some more about the symptoms although not fixed. What is happening, is that auto-mic levels is kicking in via Microsoft Lync. When I click my fingers near the microphone and make the audio clip Lync brings the mic level down just one notch. That one notch translates to moving from 100% to 40% and below in the system recording devices control panel. I thought the driver was failing, I was wrong, it's just it lowers the levels so low it doesn't pick up any audio.
There is no way to stop Lync from adjust mic levels automatically, although it is possible in Skype and a few other applications. However, I wasn't happy that the reduction in levels had such a huge impact on the sensitivity. It should be linear and not just fall off a cliff. So I've decided to test in VMWare Fusion 6.
Importing the VM into VMWare Fusion was very pain less, and I can confirm that the audio level bug is not present as it is on Parallels. When audio clips, the levels are brought down, but that relates to a linear scale with the levels in the recording devices properties and the varying levels works as it should. So it makes me think that the audio driver in Parallels for the mic input is all or nothing. It needs setting high or it falls off a cliff, rather than a linear sensitivity.
So in general I've found Parallels quite buggy across the board, which is a shame. I really didn't want to go with VMWare as they've messed me about on my account meaning my VMWare 5 purchase from 12 months ago can't be upgraded. I suppose each supplier has their problems, but Parallels issues means the solution is unusable for me.
After much researching and time wasting last night, I discovered some more about the symptoms although not fixed. What is happening, is that auto-mic levels is kicking in via Microsoft Lync. When I click my fingers near the microphone and make the audio clip Lync brings the mic level down just one notch. That one notch translates to moving from 100% to 40% and below in the system recording devices control panel. I thought the driver was failing, I was wrong, it's just it lowers the levels so low it doesn't pick up any audio.
There is no way to stop Lync from adjust mic levels automatically, although it is possible in Skype and a few other applications. However, I wasn't happy that the reduction in levels had such a huge impact on the sensitivity. It should be linear and not just fall off a cliff. So I've decided to test in VMWare Fusion 6.
Importing the VM into VMWare Fusion was very pain less, and I can confirm that the audio level bug is not present as it is on Parallels. When audio clips, the levels are brought down, but that relates to a linear scale with the levels in the recording devices properties and the varying levels works as it should. So it makes me think that the audio driver in Parallels for the mic input is all or nothing. It needs setting high or it falls off a cliff, rather than a linear sensitivity.
So in general I've found Parallels quite buggy across the board, which is a shame. I really didn't want to go with VMWare as they've messed me about on my account meaning my VMWare 5 purchase from 12 months ago can't be upgraded. I suppose each supplier has their problems, but Parallels issues means the solution is unusable for me.
Tim Callaghan
Bit poster
Hmmm...I've been experiencing issues in Fusion too 
. I really wish one of them would work. It would be ironic if VBox worked better than both.
Anyway. How do I engage support on this? To repeat, here's the issues.
Main issue: Levels on the microphone are not linear, there's a huge drop off between 100 and 90. At 90 levels are almost nothing. By 80 a blue whale could sound off full blast and it would pick up nothing. This clearly isn't right.
Secondary issue: Microsoft Lync auto adjusts the levels on each audio call. It trims back mic levels to 30 and rises up incrementally, sometimes up to 60-ish, sometimes 80-ish. Either way, because of the issue above, sound is never picked up. It's like switching the mic off. I can't currently find a fix to stop Lync from auto-adjusting levels!
I think this is going to be very difficult to fix to be honest.
. I really wish one of them would work. It would be ironic if VBox worked better than both.Anyway. How do I engage support on this? To repeat, here's the issues.
Main issue: Levels on the microphone are not linear, there's a huge drop off between 100 and 90. At 90 levels are almost nothing. By 80 a blue whale could sound off full blast and it would pick up nothing. This clearly isn't right.
Secondary issue: Microsoft Lync auto adjusts the levels on each audio call. It trims back mic levels to 30 and rises up incrementally, sometimes up to 60-ish, sometimes 80-ish. Either way, because of the issue above, sound is never picked up. It's like switching the mic off. I can't currently find a fix to stop Lync from auto-adjusting levels!
I think this is going to be very difficult to fix to be honest
.Tim Callaghan
Bit poster
Further update. Do support actively monitor these forums by the way, participation seems very low.
Anyway, the sensitivity issue is still a problem. However, if I set the Lync application internal slider to 100% then levels don't dip significantly down, perhaps 90% at most, which is reasonable. Therefore, that's a good work around for me.
However, there is now another issue. When using the internal microphone there's a very noticable echo on the other end for the person I'm talking too. Now typically loudspeaker mode is done by using noise cancelling to remove the speaker output from echoing back around to the remote party. One thing to note though, is that the current Macbook Pro and Macbook Airs come with dual microphones which are used for noise cancelling purposes (ironically)...although I suspect you'd need the drivers to be able to tap into them, so I suspect this is what's causing the echo.
Help anyone, anyone, anyone, anyone?
Cheers.
Anyway, the sensitivity issue is still a problem. However, if I set the Lync application internal slider to 100% then levels don't dip significantly down, perhaps 90% at most, which is reasonable. Therefore, that's a good work around for me.
However, there is now another issue. When using the internal microphone there's a very noticable echo on the other end for the person I'm talking too. Now typically loudspeaker mode is done by using noise cancelling to remove the speaker output from echoing back around to the remote party. One thing to note though, is that the current Macbook Pro and Macbook Airs come with dual microphones which are used for noise cancelling purposes (ironically)...although I suspect you'd need the drivers to be able to tap into them, so I suspect this is what's causing the echo.
Help anyone, anyone, anyone, anyone?
Cheers.
I've set Lync internal slider to 100% and it still picks up nothing!
Does Lync for Mac work for you?
Does Lync for Mac work for you?
Properties change fix
I might have found a fix for this:
1. Open Sound control panel > Recording > Parallels Audio Controller Microphone > Properties
2. In Enhancements I checked "Disable all enhancements"
3. In Advanced I unchecked the Exclusive Mode
I don't know if 3 was important but it's the setting I used when I could finally hear myself on a Lync test call with the built-in mic.
I'm using Win8.1 on Para8 with Lync 365.
I might have found a fix for this:
1. Open Sound control panel > Recording > Parallels Audio Controller Microphone > Properties
2. In Enhancements I checked "Disable all enhancements"
3. In Advanced I unchecked the Exclusive Mode
I don't know if 3 was important but it's the setting I used when I could finally hear myself on a Lync test call with the built-in mic.
I'm using Win8.1 on Para8 with Lync 365.
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I'm using Win10 on Parallels 10 and your solution seems to be working here, too. Thanks for sharing it!
Maria@Parallels
Problem solver
Thanks a lot for sharing!