Realtek Microphone Monitor - Here's how

[uspino]

Sigmatel drivers have a well known solution to monitor the Mic Input through speakers/headphones in Vista, by adding EnableMonitorInput in the registry. It only worked with Sigmatel. I finally found a similar solution for Realtek drivers.

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001\AD1981\Disable

There are two binary keys in there, "MicV" and "MonR".
Both have 01 values.
Change them to 00 so they won't be disabled anymore.
Restart.
Now you can go to Speakers in "Playback devices", hit "Properties", then "Levels", and there you have it: you can Mute/Unmute microphone monitoring and even set a preferred level.
Now you can also record your Skype conversations.

Good luck.

I have installed the latest Realtek drivers (December 5) ... but the
0001 folder does not have an AD1981 subfolder. Which version of the
driver are you using? I am willing to downgrade the driver, as I badly
need to hear myself while recording guitar ...

[uspino]

I'm using 6.10.1.5180.
My audio chip is the ADI1981HD, I think is an HP variation of the latest Realtek sound chip. There's a newer driver, but I haven't tried upgrading.
Did you try looking for "MicV" and "MonR" in other parts of the registry?

Good Luck.

I'm using the onboard HD Audio chipset on a Toshiba A215-S7422
satellite.

I tried looking for "MicV", "MonR" and other abbreviations for mic,
recording, monitor, etc. There were no results.

I am trying various drivers for now.

Did this problem ever get solved? I just got an HP laptop with
Realtek HD audio, with Vista Home Premium and I have the same problem,
not able to monitor the mic.
Like Nihal, I need to be able to hear myself play.
Thanks

No really, IS there a solution to this? If i can't solve this i would
have just bought a typewriter

[Neutrion]

Dell ships its notebook computers with the ability to monitor the input jack turned off. This means that you can't hear an audio signal routed through the mic or line-in jack even though you can record the audio and hear it when you play back the recording. An edit in the Windows Registry will enable monitoring and let you hear the audio in real time.

There are 3 different sets of instructions below, sorted by operating system and audio chip:

Models with Windows XP and a Sigmatel STAC 975x Audio Chip

Models with Windows XP and a Sigmatel STAC 92xxHD Audio Chip

Models with Windows Vista and Sigmatel STAC 92xxHD Audio Chip



=============================================================================================



Models with Windows XP and a Sigmatel STAC97 Audio Chip

This first set of instructions is only for these and similar models with the Sigmatel STAC97xx audio chip running Windows XP :

Inspirons 1100, 1150, 1200, 2200, 2600, 2650, 5100, 5150, 5160, 6000, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 300m, 500m, 510m, 600m, 700m, 710m, XPS/XPS M170, XPS gen2 etc.

Latitudes D400, D410, D500, D505, D510, D600, D610, D800, D810 etc.

Precision Mobile Workstations M20, M60, M70 or any others with the Sigmatel STAC97xx chip and Windows XP.

On these models running XP, monitoring can be restored by editing the Registry subkey DisableMicFromPlayback.

[It is wise to create a System Restore point before editing the Registry. To create a new Restore Point go to Start/Help & Support/System Restore and tick 'Create a restore point'. Even better is to save a backup copy of the Registry by using its 'Export' utility.]



1. Go to Start menu and click on Run. Type 'regedit' without quotes and click OK to open the Registry.

2. At the top of the list, highlight My Computer.

3. Under the Edit menu, select Find.

4. Type in 'DisableMicFromPlayback' without quotes and click 'find next'.

5. Highlight DisableMicFromPlayback. Right click on it and select Modify.

6. Highlight 01 and change to 00. Click OK.

7. Optional (but 8600 users should do this) find "EnablePoPBypass" and set the value to 00.

8. Optional (but 600 & 6000 should do this) find "DisableMicSelect" and set the value to 00.

9. Exit the Registry and restart the computer.

Next, configure the system mixer:

1. Open Volume Control by right clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar, or go to Start/Control Panel/ Sound & Audio Devices Properties/Advanced (button).

2. Under the Options menu, select Properties.

3. Under 'show the following volume controls' check the box next to Microphone. Click OK.

4. A mic control appears in the Volume Control. Make sure the mute box is unchecked.

5. If your external audio source (a stereo or tv tuner etc that you have connected to the mic jack) has a way to control its volume level, turn it down to control excessive input volume.



(Thanks to forum member dilleyo who figured this out, and to jk79 who later clarified and explained it to me in terms I could understand. I have put it into this step-by-step format for those of us who are not familiar with editing the Registry.) This is the direct Registry path to the key:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0005\Settings.



=================================================================================================



Models with Windows XP and a Sigmatel STAC 92xxHD Audio Chip



The following set of instructions is only for these and similar models with the Sigmatel 92xxHD audio chip running Windows XP :

Inspirons B120, B130/1300, 6400/E1505, 9400/E1705, E1405/640m, XPS M140/630m, 1420, 1520, 1720

Latitude D420, D520, D620, D820, etc. and any others with the Sigmatel 92xx HD chip and Windows XP.



On these models running XP, monitoring can be restored by editing the Registry subkey EnableInputMonitor.

[It is wise to create a System Restore point before editing the Registry! To create a new Restore Point go to Start/Help & Support/System Restore and tick 'Create a restore point'. Even better is to save a backup copy of the Registry by using its 'Export' utility.]



1. Go to the Start menu and click on Run. Type 'regedit' without quotes and click OK to open the Registry.

2. At the top of the list, highlight My Computer.

3. Under the Edit menu, select Find.

4. Type in 'EnableInputMonitor' without quotes and click 'find next'.

5. Highlight EnableInputMonitor. Right click on it and select Modify.

6. Highlight 00 and change to 01. Click OK.

7. Repeat "find next" (F3) several more times and keep changing values to 01 until the "EnableInputMonitor"'s coming up are of the proper value.

8. Find a key named "EnableIntSpkrMute" and change its value from 01 to 00.

9. Exit the Registry and restart the computer.

Next, configure the system mixer:

1. Open Volume Control by right clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar, or go to Start/Control Panel/ Sound & Audio Devices Properties/Advanced (button).

2. Under the Options menu, select Properties.

3.Under 'show the following volume controls' check the box next to Input Monitor. Click OK.

4. Make sure the mute box is unchecked. Unfortunately the slider itself will be frozen in place and won't control the outputted volume.



(Thanks to forum members emann15 and The Performing Flea for figuring this out. I have put it into this step-by-step format for those of us who are not familiar with editing the Registry). This is the direct Registry path to the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0005\Settings\filter\Rear



=================================================================================================



Models with Windows Vista and a Sigmatel STAC 92xxHD Audio Chip



This set of instructions is only for models with the Sigmatel 92xxHD audio chip running Vista (see the above section for the partial list of models with 92xx chips). This Vista edit is known to work but might not work for all of the models on the list .

On the models with a 92xxHD chip, monitoring can be restored by editing the Registry subkey EnableInputMonitor; however this value is not included in the Registry of Windows Vista operating system and so you must type it in.

[It is just good common sense to create a System Restore point before editing the Registry. To create a new Restore Point go to Start/Help & Support/System Restore and tick 'Create a restore point'. Even better is to save a backup copy of the Registry by using its 'Export' utility.]



1. Go to the Start menu and click on Run.

2. Type 'regedit' without quotes and click OK to open the Registry.

3. Using the + signs in the left pane, navigate through the registry to get to this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000\Settings\filter\SpeakerHp

4. Click on the key SpeakerHP to select it. (Some systems seem to lack this key. In that case do this at 'Settings'.)

5. In the right pane, right click and select New > Binary Value.

6. Type 'EnableInputMonitor' without quotes and then press Enter.

7. Right click on the new name and select 'Modify'.

8. In the 'Value data' box, add 01 to the existing 0000 to make it 0000 01, then click OK.

9. Exit the Registry and restart the computer.

10. After restart, enable input monitor in Audio Properties.

(Right click your speaker in program tray. Click Playback devices. Right click on Speakers/Headphones and click properties. Click on levels tab. You will now see a box saying input monitor. Click the speaker picture to unmute it.)

(Thanks to DellCommunity forum members ethan_hines, fuzzy34, and chef moore for figuring this out.)

[ThibodauxOnline]

Does anyone have a fix for this on an Acer TravelMate 5720 running Windows XP Professional 2002 Service Pack 3?
Realtek Driver Version is 5.10.0.5672 dated 7-10-08.

I have tried the fixes on this thread but cannot find the files.

I feel your pain. I am having the same problem on an Acer TravelMate 5720 with Realtek Audio running XP. I cannot monitor the input live. Everything works on playback. Realtek is no help whatsoever. Will not answer emails. Does anyone have a solution??? Nothing I have found seems to work.

Option 3 (SigmaTel on Vista Ultimate) worked perfectly on my Dell Inspiron
1420 laptop. Thanks, you saved a week of my life!

I have HP pavilion dv6560 and that have Realtek sound card driver
version 6.0.1.5384 and there is no sub folder in > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001\AD1981\Disable you ask for the change please help me because I want to monitor sound
when I speak into microphone

I have an Acer Aspire 9920 laptop with Realtek HD Audio and am
struggling to enable the microphone input monitor. I have tried every
bit of advice i can find using google to no avail. My driver version is
6.0.1.5755 but have tried installing and older version and another 2 or
3 versions both from the Acer site and also from the Realtek site.

The reason i want to enable microphone input monitor is so i can use
the laptop for karaoke, the laptop has built in microphones to be used
for video conferencing, web chat etc which is obviously why input
monitoring is disable by default but surely when an external microphone
is plugged into the front jack an option to monitor the input should be
available? In my control panel under ACER HD AUDIO MANAGER there is even
a karaoke setting under the speakers/sound effects tab where you can
click on the microphone graphic to show a red cross to disable it and to
change the pitch etc !! bizarre considering that Acer MUST realise that
Vista combined with realtek is a no no for karaoke !

A solution would be fantastic...i am considering looking at the
possibility of a dual boot system - would this be an easy workaround ??
...the easiest solution with be a registry hack i would guess.

When you go to Control Panel/sounds and select the recordings tab when
Microphones show up? And for each one that shows up what properties for
them show up?
On my HP laptop my built in sound shows up and in it's properties the front
mike can be selected as active.

Control Panel/Sound just shows one microphone properties and nothing is
muted but whatever you change does not have any affect on speaker
output.

[hindothahustla]

i have an acer 6930 and im having the same problem with monitoring can someone show tell me how to change the settings

[naroqueen]

Solution!
don't depent on vista to update your audio drive, download the latest audio driver update from their website and run it MANUALLY... I have Realtek audio and this just worked very fine; after the instalation, more controls appeared in the playback devices levels tab and I could unmute the mic and higher its volume too!