Heya folks, You're my last port of call for a solution, before I give up and try a Boundary Mic or something. I have a reasonable Mic/Headset, the Creative Fatal1ty, and for some reason I can't get the Microphone to sound loud enough over the Gaming I'm doing without having Buzzing come back through the Speakers or Headphones. Even if I set my Games to the absolute minimum volume, and set the Mic as high as possible without insane buzzing coming through, it still doesn't achieve an appropriate mix of the two (Voice gets drowned out by the game often or not). I imagine it's Electrical Noise of some kind; I have tried unplugging everything but my Headphones and Mic from the Sound Card but to no avail (Possibly a speaker issue it was suggested). Atm, I'm feeling forced to either ditch this relatively expensive headset for a Boundary Mic (to see if it operates any better), or install a Ground Loop isolator along the Mic line, which I have doubts will solve anything. Or the last alternative, an External Sound Card (Currently using Onboard), which *might* evade the Electrical noise somehow. But otherwise, I'm at a loss. I welcome any thoughts or suggestions! Thanks! Oh yeah, and I have toyed very extensively with the Playback/Recording Mixer levels. Also, alternatively running Audacity/Goldwave to clear up the Buzzing doesn't work so well, neither should it be required anyway, if it would just work properly XD

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i'm confused... "tried unplugging everything but my Headphones and Mic from the Sound Card..." "last alternative, an External Sound Card (Currently using Onboard)" so...you're using onboard audio? is this multiple games or just one? Is there some kind of mic threshold in game's audio menu? I know most games i've seen will let you tune how much/little the mic will pick up. if you're still using onboard audio though, I think the first thing to try would be a dedicated sound card. you don't need the $300 one, just something to get the audio processing further away from the electrically noisy motherboard. was there any particular reason you dropped major bank on a headset device to use with onboard audio? seems kinda like buying a 24" LCD monitor and attaching it to onboard graphics...

"so...you're using onboard audio?" Correct "is this multiple games or just one?" All games, there isn't a Mic Control Panel in some of the games, it's a matter of being able to record my Speak and what comes through the Speakers simulateously, thus: Record Source is set to "Stereo Mix", not the "Mic". "Is there some kind of mic threshold in game's audio menu? I know most games i've seen will let you tune how much/little the mic will pick up." I guess it's see the above response, the only way to modify the Mic settings is via the Windows Sound Mixer panel. "if you're still using onboard audio though, I think the first thing to try would be a dedicated sound card. you don't need the $300 one, just something to get the audio processing further away from the electrically noisy motherboard." Indeed, I've spotted a £20 one (5.1 Surround with Mic support) which I'll acquire tomorow. "was there any particular reason you dropped major bank on a headset device to use with onboard audio?" These days when I buy something, I like to get something mid-range and above, so I get some good quality results, and it won't fall apart after one week of use. But since this reasonably nice headset was £40 (Not apocalyptic amounts of Cash!), I decided to just splash out. I have been informed previously that Onboard sound cards can vary greatly in quality - it's safe to assume mine is pretty poor. Hopefuly I'll get even nicer sound through my 4.1 Setup, but I won't hold my breath (it's plenty nice for me already!). It's certainly worth nothing what's come to my attention: whether a Mic is plugged in or not, un-muting the Mic whilst it's turned up to the "Buzzing levels", it will occur regardless. So obviously, it's not the Mic. It has to be all the stuff I got running in my Machine (6 HDD's, Optical Drive, High-End AGP Card and so forth). Literally the constant drain on the PSU, all the Amps it's having to pump out, affecting the Onboard Sound perhaps. We'll see by tomorow!

Problem solved, External Sound Card fixes the problem. I have yet to record (I'll be able to do so in the morning), but plugging my Mic in, and raising the Mic to max produces Zero buzzing (Text formatting is available now? Nice). Thus, I should be able to raise it high enough, and tweak game volume/Wave Volume settings to acquire the balance I seek. The reign of terror upon me and my PC has finally ended! Thanks much for yur help folks!