Quickly Change the Default Microphone in Windows

There are several hardware components that we use in a Windows 10-based PC, some more important and used than others. Among these we can highlight the screen, the mouse, the keyboard, the webcam or the microphone.

Each of these components has its utility depending on the needs we have in each case. In fact, along these same lines, we are going to focus on one that will be very helpful in more and more situations. We say this because when it comes to videoconferencing or playing online, the microphone is becoming a key element. This, as with the webcam, helps us to interact in real time with users from all over the world.

Quickly Change the Default Microphone in Windows

Of course, something that not everyone knows in this case, is that in Windows 10 we have the possibility of connecting the microphones you want, we talk about their number. The only problem here is that the first one we install will automatically become the default recording device for the entire system. Precisely all of this is what we want to talk about in these lines.

When should I use one microphone or another

As we mentioned, the use of the micro in a desktop computer, over time has been extended to a great extent. But either intentionally, or due to the circumstances of the PC, it may be the case that we have more than one element of this type on the PC . For example, it may be the case that we have several microphones because, for example, one was built into the included webcam. This can be the one that includes a laptop PC and that we cannot disconnect, or the one that integrates the webcam that we have connected to the PC via USB.

But these cameras are likely to focus their functionality on everything related to imaging, as is easy to imagine. Therefore and also more than possible that, if necessary, we make the determination to install a higher quality microphone. This allows us to communicate in a much clearer way when streaming of any kind. What we should know at this point is that we have the possibility to set any of them as the default of the system in a simple way.

It may also be the case that, when playing online , we want to use by default the microphone that is already integrated into the headphones themselves instead of a higher quality independent one. Be that as it may, all this allows us to save time and effort. Thus, when we open a recording or communication application on the computer, we do not have to take additional steps to select the microphone that we want to use at that moment.

Change the default mic when using multiple in Windows

Whatever the reason for this, Windows 10 includes at least two ways to change the default microphone, as we are going to show you below. Specifically, what we are going to see is how to establish a new microphone as the default one on your Windows computer, if you use several at the same time.

Change the mic from Settings

As we told you, we have two different ways to specify the default microphone if we have several installed in Windows . One of them is through the System Settings application. Therefore, in order to select a new microphone as the default of the system, we will have to follow the steps that we expose you next. The first thing, as it is easy to imagine, is to open the application as such. This is something that we achieve in a simple way through the Win + I key combination. Here we will find the Settings window, where we click on the System section.

Configuración sistema

Well, in the left panel we are going to find a good number of sections that allow us to customize the operating system. At that moment we will be able to click on the Sound section, which is the one that interests us in this specific case. Therefore, in the section called Input, we use the Choose input device drop-down menu and select the new microphone that we want to use by default from the ones that appear here.

elegir micro

Once we have completed these steps that we are commenting on, what we are looking for here will be done. By this we mean that the microphone that we have selected will already be available as the default input device of the system over the rest.

Change the default microphone in Control Panel

But as we mentioned before, this is not the only method that we can use in this regard to change the default microphone. At the same time we can use the popular Windows Control Panel to achieve this. Therefore, to change the default microphone settings in the Control Panel, we will have to follow the steps that we describe in these same lines.

Thus, the first thing we do in this specific case is to open the Control Panel as such in Windows. For example, we can locate it by typing its name in the search box on the Windows Taskbar. Thus, in the new window that appears, now we have to opt for the Hardware and sound option, where we click. At that moment we click on the Sound link. Next we have to go to the tab called Record that is located at the top of the new window.

pestaña grabar

At that moment we will have the possibility to select the specific microphone that we want to set as the default on our Windows PC. To do this, we just have to select it from among those that appear in the list, and click on the Default button. With this we achieve the same objective that we saw in the previous case from the Settings application.

Therefore, although there are several audio input devices that we have installed in Windows, we can thus establish as the default microphone the one that interests us the most in each case.