PQT – Disable Skype’s Auto Gain Control
from The Podcasters' Studio Hosted by Ray Ortega
If you weren't already aware, Skype is likely controlling your audio levels. As podcasters, we want to make sure we are in control of all our settings all of the time. This is how you can make sure Skype isn't changing your audio quality. Skype just released (03/06/12) a new version of it's software for the Mac (version 5.6.0.143). In this release they placed a check-box (already found in the Windows version) for controlling Skype's auto gain control (AGC). What AGC does is listen to the proximity of your voice to the microphone and adjust the volume as necessary so that the person on the other end can always hear you at a decent level. However, as podcasters, we don't want anyone besides us deciding what our gain level should be and we certainly don't want it to change during recording. Now you can simply go into your preferences audio/video settings and uncheck the "Automatically Adjust Microphone Settings" box. Then go into your computer's settings and set the level you want your mic to be. When enabled, AGC will constantly adjust the level of your audio based on your relationship to the mic and whether or not you are speaking into it. During times of silence or if you move too far away from the mic, this can cause the "noise floor" to be raised higher thus producing an audible hiss. Disabling AGC will help to prevent unwanted noise. Links mentioned in this episode How to disable Skype's AGC and EC with HTML code Subscribe to Podcast Quick Tips
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