# dollar store microphone



## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

I have an external microphone that I bought at the dollar store (it wasn't cheap, $3.50). It seems to only record in mono. When I did a test recording using QuickTime X, then played it back over the stereo I have plugged into my Mac, only the left speaker produced any sound. When recording audio with the built-in mic, it produced sound in both speakers.

Any way to get my external mic to produce sound out of both speakers?

OS = Snow Leopard


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Check out Applications -> Utilities -> Audio MIDI Setup

My mic has stereo, but you might be able select your mic and force it to 2 channel. (don't know for sure.)

If not, you might have to duplicate the mono channel in the second channel after recording using a free program like Audacity.


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

I tried all the different format combonations, I just can't get it to output two speakers.

2ch-16bit
2ch-20bit
2ch-24bit

44100.0Hz
48000.0Hz
96000.0Hz

I just can't get it to do two speakers.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

namenotfound said:


> I just can't get it to do two speakers.


I just did some tests and apparently on my iMac with OS X 10.6 mono sound clips are automatically downmixed to both speakers. I'm not outputing using the audio outputs but using a USB stereo headphone and not sure whether that makes a difference.

Can you PM a copy of one of your mono clips to test?

You could also check that Audo MIDI setup to see how your speakers are setup.

If all else fails, duplicating and making stereo in Audacity takes mere seconds.


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

Alright, I just sent the PM.

My Mic is plugged into the Line-in input, yours is USB, that might have something to do with it.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Yes it appears OS X automatically mixes mono tracks to stereo.

The issue seems to be that the app you are using to record is NOT recordeing it as a mono track but as a stereo track with the second track silent.
In this situation the OS can't mix to both channels since an empty channel already exists.

What app are you recording with?


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

I replied to your PM yesterday.

QuickTIme X (a.k.a. QuickTime Player) is the app I used.
File -> New Audio Recording.

Yes, the file plays in both speakers now.

I wonder why QuickTime X wasn't recording it correctly?


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