Microphone Tester

How to use the microphone tester

1. Press Start microphone and allow access when prompted.
2. Speak normally and watch the level and waveform.
3. Adjust your system input gain so normal speech sits mid-bar.

About this tool

The level meter shows RMS rather than the single loudest sample, because RMS tracks how loud something actually sounds. A peak meter jumps on every consonant and tells you much less about whether your gain is right.

Use it to set that gain. Normal speech should sit around the middle of the bar. Constantly in the red means the input is too hot and your recordings will clip — distortion that cannot be repaired afterwards. A bar that barely moves when you speak up means the gain is too low, and raising it later will raise the hiss with it.

The waveform is the useful diagnostic for a suspected fault. A healthy microphone shows a flat line in silence and a clear wave when you speak. A line that is never flat is picking up electrical noise, often from a badly shielded cable or a USB port.

Nothing is recorded. The audio is analysed in the page and never sent anywhere.

Common uses

• Checking a microphone before a call or a recording.
• Setting input gain so recordings do not clip.
• Diagnosing background hiss or electrical noise.

Frequently asked questions

Is my audio recorded?

No. It is analysed live in the page to draw the meter and waveform, and never stored or transmitted.

The bar is always in the red. What do I change?

Lower the input gain or microphone level in your operating system's sound settings. Clipping distortion cannot be fixed after recording.

Why is the waveform never flat in silence?

The microphone is picking up electrical noise, commonly from a poorly shielded cable or a noisy USB port. Try a different port or cable.