Microphone mute capability (button?)

I am running parallels 7.0.15107. I am trying to access some means to mute the internal microphone. There seems to be no button available to do this. When I go into Windows Control Panel and navigate to Speech Recognition there are numerous options to set up and configure a microphone. However the only input device that I see available is LineIn (parallels audio controller). I encounter the same lack of microphone choices when I right-mouse click on the volume control icon in the task bar and select input devices. Nothing. Only LineIn. What am I doing wrong and how can I set up a mute option for the internal mic on the Mac?
Thanks.
Eddie

 

Hi Eddie,

What kind of microphone is it you are trying to setup?
If it is a usb Microphone please make sure that the mac recognizes it first then start your vm select it in the list of USB
devices, allow the drivers to install and then restart your vm. You can then go to Control Panel>Sound>Recording (Your newly installed mic should appear in this list)>select your mic as input device.

As for Muting the mac internal mic go to System Preferences>Sound>Input>Internal Microphone_Built-in>Then select the lowest level for Input Volume on the slider control (just remember to put it back when you want the built in mic).
But with a mac, if you install a mic, and then select the newly installed mic, that mic overrides the the existing internal mic.

 

Thanks kat.
I'm not trying to install any USB mic. I"m just trying to mute the internal mac mic so that it doesn't interfere with another app that I'm running where sound captured by the internal mic would interfere. I did find the sound 'input' setting you mentioned. I'm assuming that the lowest setting will, essentially, mute the mic. I wonder why there isn't a 'mute' button to click in there? It would have been nice if the apple folks had provided a shortcut key to adjust the internal mic setting in similar fashion as they have for adjustment of audio output sound.
Thanks for the headsup on my inquiry. Much appreciated.
Eddie