Microphone & Skype Problem

The sound setting for Skype are IN Skype and NOT IN the computer sound settings. Skype>S Button (bottom left)>Options>Sound Devices. You will need to experiment with the different settings.

Skype+Pulseaudio=Not Good.

...use Alsa or whatever

This is not a option for the 32bit version I am running...there are no sound
options at all! in fact, all I can do is call and do a voice check, there
are no other options that I have found, and on my version, that button on
the bottom left doesn't exist.

On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 2:52 PM, arochester <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #142969 on ubiquity in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> arochester proposed the following answer:
> The sound setting for Skype are IN Skype and NOT IN the computer sound
> settings. Skype>S Button (bottom left)>Options>Sound Devices. You will
> need to experiment with the different settings.
>
> Skype+Pulseaudio=Not Good.
>
> ...use Alsa or whatever
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

What may have helped with me:
1. Log into your Skype account. 2. Click on the blue icon at the bottom left and choose 'Options'. 3. In the left panel choose 'Sound Devices'. 4. Uncheck the box 'Allow Skype to automatically adjust my mixer levels.' 5. Click 'Apply' then 'Close'.

This got my microphone working with Skype after a restart of the computer and a login to Skype.

This may fix the microphone for you. Best of luck.

Further, you might want to uninstall and reinstall Skype if the blue button is missing.

Thanks! I'll try it!

On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 4:03 PM, David Mawdsley <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #142969 on ubiquity in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969
>
> David Mawdsley posted a new comment:
> What may have helped with me:
> 1. Log into your Skype account. 2. Click on the blue icon at the bottom
> left and choose 'Options'. 3. In the left panel choose 'Sound Devices'.
> 4. Uncheck the box 'Allow Skype to automatically adjust my mixer levels.'
> 5. Click 'Apply' then 'Close'.
>
> This got my microphone working with Skype after a restart of the
> computer and a login to Skype.
>
> This may fix the microphone for you. Best of luck.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

The problem that I have seen is that skype selects the wrong input for the microphone, but provides no option to alter this.

Thus, if the previous poster's comments are exhausted, you can try this, which has worked for me previously.

The idea: you need to use the program "pavucontrol" to switch the audio input to use your actual microphone.

Step 1) Confirm your microphone works on your computer
* Install the program "audacity" and use the big "record" button to record a short test sound using your microphone. You should see the microphone level meters going up and down in accordance with your voice.
* play back the audio in audacity, to confirm that output is functioning OK (it probably is, but lets check anyway)

Only if this works, proceed to step 2.

Step 2)
* Login to skype and open the preferences menu -- this needs to work or you wont get anywhere.
* Disable "allow skype to alter my mixer settings"
* Press alt+f2 to bring up the "run program" dialog
* run the program "pavucontrol" -- this should bring up the pulse audio preferences. Open the "recording" section, you should see "no application is currently recording audio"
* With pavucontrol running, make an echo test call. You should be able to switch to pavucontrol and see skype requesting an "input" channel -- there will be a button that allows you to alter the input channel -- try all of them until you can see the level meter move up and down in time with your voice.
* Retry the echo test service to confirm it is working appropriately

How do I use ALSA??

On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 2:52 PM, arochester <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #142969 on ubiquity in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> arochester proposed the following answer:
> The sound setting for Skype are IN Skype and NOT IN the computer sound
> settings. Skype>S Button (bottom left)>Options>Sound Devices. You will
> need to experiment with the different settings.
>
> Skype+Pulseaudio=Not Good.
>
> ...use Alsa or whatever
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+question/142969
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Incl. the pavucontrol workaround.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SkypeTroubleshooting
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype