Mic Guide

One of the greatest tools you can use in video games today is the mic. The mic enables you to play the game and chat at the same time, compared to typing which is either or. This gives you an edge over players who type.

Actually, you might already use the mic. However, you might not sound that well. Even though you may sound good to yourself via recording. This is because you haven't tweaked your sound options. In this guide we hope to make you sing like a bird. You'll then have power you never had before.

Before you begin, download Miles Sound Tools and start the program. This program lets voices and game sounds sound a lot better. If you look to the lower left in Customize when in Counter-Strike, it even tells you to use this program for the best quality.

Now that you've done that, let's begin.

1. Volume Controls. This is your sound in and out of the game. This is the main control. To get there, click Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment/ and finally Volume Control. Once you've entered Volume Control, you'll see that you're in the Playback Options. For me, I have everything all the way up, except the mic. The mic option should be around 4/5 or 3/4 up. Feel free to play around with these options, however. Make sure you unmute the mic and even play a few sounds while tweaking these options. Remember, you want to hear things the best way they can be heard. Too loud is crappy and too soft is hard to hear. I don't think you have to mess around with the Recording Options, but feel free to. I have almost all of those settings at 3/4 up and the mic is selected.

Note: Make sure you turn on Microphone +20dB Boost. That makes your mic much louder and usually much easier to hear.

2. Moving the Mic. This can play a HUGE factor in how good you sound. Go to Volume Controls(Step 1) and turn off mute for the mic. Move it around until you think it sounds best. Make sure it's not super close or too far away. Plus the mic should be looking at your mouth. Having headphones is the best option(even with/out using the mic really), but if you want to use speakers, try to get them as far away from the mic as possible and make sure they're pointing away from the mic.

3. Voice Setup. This program will help your voice sound best inside the game. This is a VERY POWERFUL tool and should be used for maximum mic communication. If you want others to hear you well, this is the tool to use. To get to Voice Setup, click Start/Programs/Sierra/Counter-Strike/Voice Tweak. In System Setup play around with both volume bars until you feel you sound best. Not too loud, not too staticky, not too anything. When you're done you should have one main volume barleft. Put that like 3/4 up or until you think you sound best. Make sure that the bar isn't far up or people won't be able to understand you.

Now that you've tweaked the settings as much as you possibly could, want to hear how you sound? Get in the game and press "`" to open up your Console. Type this in, "voice_loopback 1" Exit the Console and just start talking(make sure you hold the voice button down). Do you hear that sexz0r voice? Very cool, huh? "voice_loopback 0" to turn that option off. Also, that option can be very good in the game as well. You'll know if everyone has heard you or not, since sometimes you'll be cut off and don't know if you're talking to your team or not. Plus you'll know if you're talking to fast or slow. Last thing, remember how you made demos before and could never understand what you said because it doesn't say it? If you leave voice_loopback 1 on, then you'll know what you said in those demos. A very cool option IMO.

If all else fails, look into your sound card options if you have one and mess with those
gl, hf, and let the sound be with you!