Re: Weird microphone issue

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> Problem is that I'm able to use an old (crappy) labtec microphone, but the
> two different headset microphones I tried, don't pick up a thing.
> I've tried the headsets on another computer so I know the headset mics are
> working.

You're probably missing the DC bias aka bias voltage aka plug-in power.  You can get a battery box to overcome that issue.  Not that missing it is a bad thing.  Many use a battery box with the mic going to the line input to avoid the high background noise of the bias based mic port.  It's the bias voltage that lets you use a pair of headphones as a mic for some mic ports.

http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-batterybox.html

One of many options.  They tend to run much more than the mics because they don't get mass produced.  You could get an Art Tube MP and an SM57(used) for about the same money.  Plus cables and adapters.  My old laptop didn't work with mono plugs, but did with stereo plugs.  I have an old radio shack mic with it's own plugin power / battery.  Which has a mono plug which didn't work on that machine.  But plugging in a pair of headphones did work.  Over the ear headphones anyway.  The in ear ones don't produce enough of a signal to be of use.

> Hardware:  ALC888 on a Shuttle XPC SN68SG2 using the snd-hda-intel driver
> with a model=6stack-dig option.
> All the other functions on the soundcard that I've tried are working.

My MCP61 uses the snd-hda-intel module and does have a bias voltage.  And works with either mono or stereo plugs.  And can actually record stereo with a stereo plug.  Unlike my newer laptop that takes either stereo or mono, but only records mono.  As opposed to my old laptop that only took stereo, but only recorded mono.

Make sure to enable all of your mixer settings.  Mic + Mic Boost + Capture.  There may be more than one, even if you only have one mic port.  <Tab> <Tab> in alsamixer to show all mixer settings.  You might also need to normalize what you recorded to hear what got recorded.  Mic Boost does some of that, but IMO introduces more background noise than you get from it's gain.  Using audacity or sox to normalize might work a little better for you.

- James

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