No matter whether you are a gamer, a working professional, on just a casual user, if you own a PC, you need a mic. It is impossible to imagine communicating with anyone via PC without a good pair of headphones and a mic.
But, it is not practical to carry heavy computer peripherals all the time. Headphones and dedicated microphones are too bulky to carry while traveling.
How to use earbud mic on PC?
Earbuds can be considered a great option for communicating when our primary audio input devices are unavailable. So, here is a guide that explains how you can use your earbuds’ mic on a PC as a communicating device.
Connecting earbuds via the 3.5 mm jack to use as a mic on PC
Probably the most common and preferred method of connecting the earbuds to a PC is via the 3.5 mm jack. The reason why this method is most commonly used is that almost every entry-level or mid-range earbud uses this connector.
The 3.5 jack uses analog communication to send audio signals between the computer and the audio input/output. In the case of speakers on headphones, the audio signals are sent from the computer to the output device, whereas, in the case of mics, the signal is sent from the input device to the computer.
That’s enough theory for now. Let’s see how we can connect your earbuds to your PC via this port. We have to take a few things before getting started.
If you are using a laptop, then it should have a combo audio jack. A combo audio jack is capable of transmitting and receiving the audio signals using a single 3.5 port.
If you are on a PC, then it will most probably have two audio jacks. One for connecting speakers/headphones and the other for connecting mics. In that case, you will have to buy an audio splitter. The device can be purchased for a few bucks and can be used to split the audio connector of your earbuds for connecting to the headphone jack.
No matter what way you pick, the next steps will remain the same.
Step 1: Plug the earbuds in the appropriate 3.5 mm jack.
Step 2: Go to the Desktop.
Step 3: Search for ‘change system sound’ settings in the start menu and open it.
Step 4: In the window that opens, go to the Recording tab and find the mic that you just connected.
Step 5: Right-click on the Microphone icon and click on ‘Enable’.
Notice the green tick that shows up in front of the enabled microphone. This signifies that the microphone is connected and ready to use.
Now we have to change the privacy settings to enable our desktop applications to access the earbud’s microphone.
Step 6: Open the Windows Settings.
Step 7: Open the ‘Privacy’ tab to get to the privacy settings.
Step 8: On the right side, click on the Microphone tab and Change the earbud’s access setting to allow the PC to use its mic.
Step 9: Don’t forget to turn on the ‘Allow apps to access your microphone option and the ‘Allow desktop apps to access your microphone’ option that can be found by scrolling down in the same Microphone privacy settings tab.
Step 10: That’s it. The long process of configuring the earbud’s mic on PC is done. You can open the inbuilt Windows application called ‘Voice recorder’ to test out your mic by recording your voice.
You can also connect wireless earbuds by following the same steps. The only difference between these devices is in the way they connect. One connects via the 3.5 mm jack, whereas the other connects via Bluetooth. Just turn on the Bluetooth earbuds and connect to them from Bluetooth settings on your PC and follow the steps mentioned in this article to use their mic.
Best software to record audio from PC
Software can really do wonders when it comes to post-processing the audio. Good software paired with modest earbuds can let you record very impressive audio. Here are the three best software that you can use to record audio from the earbud’s mic:
- Windows 10 voice recorder
Windows 10 voice recorder is the best-inbuilt recorder that one can think of. It comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and works just fine for most recording needs. For beginners that don’t require all the bells and whistles that come with premium audio mixing software, this is the way to go.
- Audacity
Audacity is freeware that lets you do a lot more than just record audio. It can be used to apply effects on it, join two or more files, reduce noise, and a lot more. The software is quite complicated to use but offers very advanced features. Audacity is so good that it manages to give other audio editing software a run for their money.
- Adobe Audition
Adobe Audion brings a lot of different features for professional users. The software is not free but is definitely worth getting for advanced audio mixing. It is compatible with other applications that are a part of Adobe Creative Cloud and streamlines the workflow if you use Adobe’s other software for video production.
Final words
Earbuds can not only be used for video conferencing and voice chat in games but for recording audio clips too. When we tested our earbuds’ mic on a PC, we realized that these devices could actually be great alternatives for expensive microphones. The quality of the audio clips recorded via earbuds after processing a bit via Audacity is astounding.
Unless you wish to record music or have professional needs, you can get your work done with cheap earbuds too.