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[bearrfoot]

I have tried two identical motherboards (AsRock N68PV-GS running Win XP. The Sound s/w is Realtech HD Audio, loaded from the AsRock MB setup CD. Neither of these MBs will provide sufficient audio level from the mic input to allow Skype to work. I have tried two different headsets with mics, and two separate stand-alone mics. All will provide signal entirely thru the Skype test call, which I can verify by tapping on the mic with a pen, but only enough signal from normal voice to barely hear a sound on the replay, with all gains set up to maximum. Some time ago I had a very cheap Sonic HP-259 headset with mic connected up to one of these MBs, which worked fine, as long as it lasted, but it's long dead now.

I expect all the 4 mics I now have are working normally and are compatible with normal MB mic input levels. Is it possible his MB/Realtech combination requires some special high-output microphone...?

Would plugging in a generic PCI sound board provide a solution....?

Thanks...!

[VogelCS]

Would plugging in a generic PCI sound board provide a solution....?

It might but is probably is not necessary. Try this and let us know what you get:

1. Click the Start Menu then click Run.
2. Type "mmsys.cpl" in the "Open" field without quotes then click OK.
3. Click the "Audio" tab along the top of the window.
4. In the "Sound Recording" section, click the "Volume" button.
   Wait for a second dialog box, labeled "Recording Control" to pop open.
5. Increase the microphone's volume then click OK until all the dialogs go away and test.

If this is ineffective, and I suspect it will be, do this:

1. Click the Start Menu then click Run.
2. Type "mmsys.cpl" in the "Open" field without quotes then click OK.
3. Click the "Audio" tab along the top of the window.
4. In the "Sound Recording" section, click the "Volume" button.
   Wait for a second dialog box, labeled "Recording Control" to pop open.
5. Click the "Advanced" button at the bottom of the "Mic Volume" section.
6. Click to place a check mark in the "Microphone Boost" setting.

Now click all the OK buttons again and retest.

[bearrfoot]

Thanks Vogel, but no luck....

I am running Win XP SP3 32-bit. The windows don't come up exactly as you described.

When I get the "Recording Control" box, the "Advanced" button in the microphone section is shaded (inactive). There is no "Microphone Boost" setting. However, the "Select" box in the Microphone section of the "Recording Control" box is checked, and the MIc volume bar is all the way up.

I do the Skype echo sound test and tap on the microphone and can hear the tapping weakly in the playback, so there is continuity of thesignal flow thru the system, but just not enough gain from the mic input.

I also bumped the mic input level to the max in the Skype software. No help.

I did install a separate sound board and get the same result. Am I gonna have to build an audio preamp and glue it in there somwhere....?