Calling PC users, I need your input!
Hello all, I use a mac and always have done, I’ve built an cross platform app and I’m having a problem regarding audio feedback on PC’s.
The app requires that you are able to hear a microphone input out of your speakers, however when you start the app up it is imperative that the built in microphone is not selected as this causes immediate feedback. I want to automatically assign inputs and outputs that avoid feedback, defaulting to the microphone jack input where possible. On the mac this is easy, I select "Built-in Input" and "Built-in Output", ensuring that "Built-in microphone" is not selected. I know that pretty much any mac that opens the program will have inputs and outputs that are named in this way so I set up this type of default. On PC’s obviously things are a little different!
My question then, is it possible to identify which microphone is built into the computer and which is the audio jack input automatically? If this is not possible, I have noticed that "none" is an optional input device on the PC’s I have used, do all PC’s have "none" as an input option? If so I could default to that and avoid the immediate feedback issue and then leave it up to users to go through the list and discover the built in mic for themselves.
Thanks in advance!
How about cutting off the input as default until the user has input their settings?
Or if some PCs don’t have "none" as an option maybe you can require installation of something like Virtual Audio Cable and have that be the input at startup? It could solve your problem of naming being inconsistent based on the machine being used.
Hi Jdudeo, thanks for the reply. I’ve been designing this software for teachers to use, not music teachers or people with presumed technical ability. For these reasons it needs to be super simple to use, I’ve been shown time and time again that even the smallest technical hiccup will stop it being used!
For this reason, installing third party software is pretty much out. Cutting the input is the current option. I’m guessing from your reply that I can’t assume that all PC’s will have "none" as an option?
Also I’ve read that the input and output setting should reflect the system settings. I’ve provided a tutorial to help people setup a microphone with either PC or Mac, unfortunately the "Input Device" and "Output Device" don’t seem to automatically reflect the one being chosen within system preferences.