Do You Need A Mic For Discord? (Explained)

 

If you are a passionate online gamer, you should consider joining Discord.

It is one of the biggest platforms for online gamers to enjoy games and connect with like-minded people.

However, many people get confused about which device they should use for communication on Discord, or whether a mic is even necessary for Discord.

 

Do You Need A Mic For Discord?

 

Yes, you will need a microphone to communicate with people on Discord.

Although you can use Discord on speaker, a channel won’t let you in because noise repetition will disturb other gamers.

When you are using speakers along with the gameplay, the speakers can also catch the game’s sound.

This can create too much disturbance.

It is better to buy a top-quality mic with excellent noise-catching features.

The mic will only catch your voice and filter out the rest of the noise around you, which will allow other gamers to enjoy and focus on the game.

 

How To Configure Your Mic On Discord

 

Configuring a mic and headset allows you to enjoy the game and join voice chat without distracting others.

However, the steps to configure a mic on Discord are different for a phone and a computer.

 

For Computer:

1. Connect your mic to the device.
2. Access Discord from your computer.
3. Go to the Voice Channels from the header at the top.
4. Search for relevant voice channels you want to join.
5. Join the channel.
6. Once you are in the channel, click Settings from the bottom of the channel.
7. From the left menu, click Voice & Video.
8. Tap Voice Activity by scrolling down the menu.
9. You can adjust the volume according to your desire.

Once you have taken these steps, you can access the channel through your microphone.

 

For Phone:

1. Connect your mic to the device.
2. Open the application.
3. Tap the three-dots menu at the top to access the menu.
4. Click Voice Channel and search the dialogue box for the channel you want to join.
5. Scroll to the bottom and tap Connect to the Voice.
6. Tap the three dots menu at the top of the screen.
7. Scroll down and click Voice Settings which opens a new page.
8. Click the Input Mode option located at the top.
9. Tap Voice Activity (this will activate the voice).

Once you follow all the steps, your microphone will be configured.

Leave the settings to return to the server’s home page.

 

How To Fix Mic Working Issue In Discord (10 Major Issues And Fixes)

 

Suppose you have successfully configured the mic.

It was working for some time but suddenly stopped.

What do you do now?

It can be quite annoying for the mic to stop working.

Fortunately, there’s a fix for this issue.

Let us take a look at some of the major mic-related issues on Discord and how to fix them.

 

1. Log Out And Log Back In

With Discord, long-time usage of the app can actually cause the application to hang.

The hang could be the reason your mic isn’t working.

Before checking out the mic or any other errors, it is better to restart the application by logging out.

We highly recommend that you also restart your device for better compatibility and clarity.

Once you restart the application and the device, you need to log in again and configure the mic.

If the issue was because of the application or the device, it will be immediately resolved.

 

2. Discord Might Not Have Permission

Most people don’t give audio access to Discord, which can cause the mic to malfunction.

After connecting the mic, when you open the Discord app, the application asks you for permission.

Once you deny that, the application will not be able to access the device’s audio.

This can result in a mic and speaker issue.

The easy way to fix the issue is by running the application as an administrator.

For this, you need to right-click the application and click Run as Admin.

However, this can be pretty frustrating as you will have to access it as an administrator every time.

To fix this issue permanently, you need to uninstall the application and reinstall it again.

Once the application is installed, configure the microphone, and allow the audio access once the app asks for permission.

 

3. Update The Audio Driver

The audio driver of your phone might be outdated, which can cause irregular functioning of the mic.

Check for updates whether you are using the application on your phone or the computer.

Sometimes, if your Windows or your device are not updated to the latest version, you can experience microphone issues.

Keep an eye out for updates or check your device’s latest update status.

 

4. Wrong Mic Selection

Selecting the wrong mic is not a common issue, but some people still face it.

Whenever there are two or more audio inputs to the computer, the Discord application might get confused.

This can result in a wrong mic selection, and you will see a “mic not connected” error even if you have configured it correctly.

Take the following steps to solve the issue.

1. Enter User Settings located at the bottom menu.
2. Tap Voice & Video from the left menu.
3. Click the dropdown from the Input Device option located at the top of the menu.
4. Tap the device you want to use for your mic.
5. Repeat the configuration process.

After following these steps, the application will start accessing the mic and you will start hearing the sound.

 

5. Allow Automatic Input Sensitivity

If you are using an outdated version of the mic, you might face connectivity issues.

This is because your device may fail to detect the mic.

To resolve this, you must check Discord’s input sensitivity feature.

This will allow the application to detect any sound coming from the mic, no matter how low it is.

To allow automatic input sensitivity, follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Access the settings of your Discord application.
2. Enter the Voice & Video settings.
3. Scroll down and turn on the Allow Automatic Input Sensitivity option located just below the Push to Talk option.

These steps will allow the application to access any sound detected via an external mic.

However, the sound quality won’t remain the same.

 

6. Reset Voice Settings

Some people don’t realize whether their device and application are running on default settings or not.

This leads to the failure of various functions, including the mic feature.

Checking the settings and resetting is an excellent option if you are unsure about it.

 

For The Device

1. Access the control panel by searching it in the start menu.
2. Go to Audio Settings from the main page of the control panel.
3. Click the Reset Setting option present at the bottom of the dialogue box.

 

For Discord

1. Access the settings from the bottom of the application.
2. Go to Voice and Video present in the left menu bar.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Reset Audio Settings located at the end of the page.

 

7. Disable Exclusive Mode On The Window

The device you use plays an integral part in the overall app performance.

Since the mic is an external device, your Windows computer should come with relevant settings that relate to sound settings.

These settings will allow Discord to access the mic easily.

One of the most important settings is the enabled exclusive mode.

This setting is not enabled when you have no history of using Discord.

To configure the setting on your device, follow these steps.

1. Search for Settings in the Start menu.
2. Go to Volume Settings.
3. Tap Options located at the bottom.
4. Click Device Properties located at the top of the new dialogue box.
5. Select Microphone Array from the drop-down and click Advanced.
6. Tap Ok for the dialogue box that appears.

This will enable the exclusive mode on Windows, and Discord will now be able to access the microphone connected to the device.

 

8. Use Push To Talk

If the Voice Activity option does not work well for your microphone, you can choose the Push to Talk option.

This option pushes Discord to access the external mic regardless of the mic’s condition.

Discord has a built-in feature of neglecting voice from any mic that does not have a good noise cancellation feature or doesn’t detect irrelevant sounds.

Once you enable the Push to Talk option, the default settings will be deleted, and Discord will connect the mic regardless of the sound it will produce.

To enable the Push to Talk feature, take the following steps.

1. Click Settings located at the bottom of the menu.
2. Click Voice & Video located at the top of the audio setting in the left menu bar.
3. Scroll down and check the Push to Talk option (make sure to uncheck the Audio Availability feature).

 

9. Check If The Application Has Access To Use Your Audio

Some devices have advanced security features, and they don’t allow any third-party software to use the audio or visuals.

This can be a reason your mic isn’t functioning properly.

To check out the settings and get them fixed, take the following steps.

1. Go to Settings on your device.
2. Click Privacy.
3. Select Application Permission.
4. Scroll down to the bottom and access the Microphone Settings.
5. Click Change from the drop-down menu and turn on the Audio Allow feature.

Once you have configured these settings, Discord will be able to configure your mic.

 

10. Disable Quality Service On Discord

As discussed before, Discord has a default setting of taking only high-quality inputs by neglecting low-quality ones.

This means if your mic is not of good quality, it won’t connect with the app.

Turning off the quality service feature on Discord is the last option if your mic is still not working.

To turn off the quality service option, take the following steps:

1. Click Settings.
2. Enter Voice & Video settings.
3. Scroll to the bottom and un-check the Enable Quality of Service High Packet Priority option.

This setting will allow Discord to access the sound quality no matter how poor the quality is.

Why Is My Mic Sound Too Low On Discord?

 

There can be two significant reasons your mic might sound extremely low to other users.

1. Poor quality of the mic
2. Discord audio settings

The mic quality plays an important part when you are streaming in Discord.

If you are using a poor-quality microphone, Discord might not even allow you to enter a voice channel.

However, if you still manage to enter a channel, people will get annoyed with the quality of voice coming from your side.

For this reason, we highly recommend you use a top-quality mic.

The settings on your Discord application can also be a reason for the low sound.

When you initially configure a mic, the settings are all set to default.

Some mics work fine with these settings, but some might cause issues.

If you face any issues with the default settings, take the following steps to fix them.

1. Click Settings from the bottom menu of the application.
2. Enter Voice & Video settings from the left menu.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and click Voice Activity.
4. From the drop-down menu, adjust the sound of both the incoming and outgoing voices according to the requirements.

 

How To Enhance Your Voice Quality On Discord

 

Some people don’t love the sound quality, although they have an excellent mic and good-quality sound.

They want some additional magic like echoes and bass to enjoy the superb quality.

For these users, Discord provides some advanced settings that let the user edit everything from echoes to the loudness of the sound.

To enable this option, go to the advanced sound settings by accessing the Video and Audio settings.

When you click the Advanced sound setting, several options will appear.

You can check or uncheck them according to your requirements.

Let us understand the functions of these features.

 

1. Noise Reduction

The noise reduction feature allows the application to cancel any irrelevant noise that is audible in the background.

We suggest you check this feature since it balances any unnecessary sound.

 

2. Echo Cancellation

We highly recommend you keep the echo cancellation option un-checked if your headphone and mic have too much echo and bass.

The feature is best for ordinary microphones as it adds value to the existing sound and enhances its quality.

 

3. Automatic Gain Control

This is one of the best features provided by Discord as it allows the microphone to adjust according to the sound.

If the sound suddenly increases during the game, it lowers the quality of the sound and vice versa.

 

4. Quality Of Service

The quality-of-service feature enhances the microphone’s sound quality and transmits sound perfectly, no matter what the quality of the sound is.

Use this feature if you think it works best for your situation.

 

Conclusion

The microphone is an important requirement for streaming on Discord.

If you plan to join an audio, video, or text channel, you should have your mic ready before joining the channel.

The mic helps you communicate well with other users, and it lets you enjoy the game and have a better experience.

You can also enhance the sound features to enjoy a different vibe.