We live in the era of teleworking , video conferencing and streaming , so having a microphone for the PC is something that is almost mandatory today. And, when you use the microphone on the PC – whatever the task – it is also common to be typing at the same time, something that can become a setback if the microphone picks up the noise from the keyboard , hindering communication or dirtying the keyboard. streaming. What can you do to fix it? In this article we are going to tell you about it.
Today we have a huge range of possibilities regarding the choice of microphone, since we have from those integrated in the headphones -the most frequent- to professional microphones with XLR connection and mounted on articulated arms, logically going through the middle terms such as tabletop microphones or even those built into the webcam. Whatever your type of microphone, if the noise from the keyboard “creeps in” when you type in your communications, we will tell you what you can do about it to solve the problem or, at the very least, mitigate it.
What to do if keyboard noise leaks into the microphone?
Most PC microphones have a defined pickup pattern , although some models have the ability to switch between multiple patterns. Generally, and especially in low-quality or built-in microphones, this pattern is omni-directional and therefore captures all the sound around it, so it will be difficult to mitigate the noise generated by the keyboard so that it does not “leak” into the recording. microphone.
Modify the microphone gain
However, the distance at which the sound is captured is limited and it is also something that we can generally modify manually by changing the gain , either through the controls of the microphone itself if it has them or through software (although the microphone does not have software , the sensitivity can be changed even in Windows so regardless of the make and model you have, you can change the gain).
To access these controls in Windows 10, simply right-click on the speaker icon on the taskbar, next to the clock, and select the “Open sound settings” option. Then, in the window that opens, find where the microphone is and click on the “Device properties” button, where you can find the controls that we show you in the screenshot above. Here the “Volume” is the gain of the microphone, and you can modify it at will.
We recommend doing tests to verify the appropriate gain level to find the perfect balance between the pick-up of your voice and the noise of the keyboard that filters through. This will surely only serve to mitigate it and not to avoid it altogether, but for that we have the following sections of this article.
Check where you have it placed and the pickup pattern
If your microphone is a desktop microphone, obviously you will have to place it on the table and that will allow you to orient it where you want and modify its position. One of the bad parts of tabletop microphones is that they are quite prone to picking up vibrations from the table , so pressing the keys on the keyboard can put a lot of noise in the recording, so if this is your case, we recommend Try different locations to find the perfect balance between your voice pickup and keyboard noise.
Most tabletop microphones have either a cardioid pattern or they give us the possibility to select between several, the most common being cardioid, stereo, omnidirectional and bidirectional. When you intend to use the microphone with the aim of capturing only your voice and not the noise you have around you, the most recommended pattern is unidirectional or, failing that, cardioid (since generally only the mics integrated in headphones tend to have a unidirectional pattern) .
The cardioid pattern is especially good at preventing keyboard noise from seeping into the microphone because 90% of the sound they pick up comes from in front of the microphone at an angle of about 45 degrees, while the remaining 10% is true. the sounds they pick up come from the other side. Therefore, if you place the microphone to the side of where you are pointing towards your head, the noise from the keyboard should not sneak into the recording (as long as the microphone is well designed, all is said).
If you have a microphone built into the headphones and the noise from the keyboard creeps in, check that it is perfectly oriented towards your mouth and not downwards since, as we have mentioned before, most of these microphones have a unidirectional pattern and therefore will only pick up the sounds they have in front of them.
Uses an articulated arm and a spider mount
Of course, one of the best solutions you will find to prevent any noise from seeping into the microphone is to purchase or install an articulated arm and a spider mount. The articulated arm will allow you to place the microphone in the position you want, including if you want to place it face down to place it right in front of your mouth and thus capture the best quality in your voice, and this alone will almost completely eliminate the noise of the keys keyboard.
The spider support, for its part, serves so that the microphone is literally suspended in rubber bands that will absorb all vibrations, eliminating not only the noise of the keyboard but also any blow that you can give on the table or even the noise that you can do when moving the articulated arm. In addition, if you add a pop filter to this as seen in the image above, you will also eliminate the noise that all humans make when opening their mouths to start talking (that’s why it is called “pop”).
Actually, this alternative involves an investment of money but it is the best option if what you need is to eliminate any noise around you, including of course the noise of the keyboard. Of course, no matter how much articulated arm or spider mount you have, if the microphone has an omni-directional pickup pattern, you will hardly be able to get rid of the noises, so make sure to start that the microphone has the correct pattern selected and that it is of decent quality.
Still with keyboard noise on the mic?
If after trying all these tips that we have given you, keyboard noise continues to sneak into your recordings, then you may want to consider changing the microphone as a last resort. As we have already mentioned before and although it will not give you the best quality, most of the microphones integrated in headphones have a unidirectional pattern and, in fact, most have noise cancellation so they are undoubtedly the best alternative so that you do not Noise from the keyboard or any other will creep into your recordings.
Obviously spending hours and hours with a headset with a microphone can be uncomfortable, so if you prefer an external microphone, then we recommend you look for good quality alternatives, that have a cardioid pattern or that allow you to at least select it and if they have a cancellation system active noise better than better. This requires an investment of money, but if you cannot eliminate keyboard noise in your recordings, then you probably have no alternative.
