How to fix Microsoft Teams microphone volume levels

Microsoft Teams has become my main form of communication, I use it for meetings, catching up with people and for our regular weekly podcast. Teams works great until it starts trying to control my microphone volume levels. I can see why Microsoft control the levels as it makes it easy to get started but it can be frustrating when the microphone distorts when you start talking especially when recording a podcast.

Microsoft Teams doesn’t give you the option to turn off the auto gain control feature but there is a workaround if it’s causing you problems.

  1. The first step is to install Virtual audio cable. This is a free tool from https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/index.htm
  2. After downloading the zip file, unzip it and run VBCABLE_Setup (64bit or the 32bit version depending on your setup). You will need to run the EXE as an administrator to install the drivers.
  3. Install the driver and then reboot.
  4. After the reboot you need to go to the old Windows Sound control panel. You can do this by going to search and typing “control.exe /name Microsoft.Sound” or the Sound Control Panel link in the Sounds setting page in Windows Settings.
  5. On the Recording tab click on your microphone and select properties.
  6. Check the “Listen to this device” box and select CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable) as the playback through option.
  7. This routes your microphone output to the virtual cable.
  8. Then in Microsoft Teams use the CABLE Output as your microphone. You will have to adjust the recording level manually with this setup, so to do that click on the Levels tab and set your desired level.

This has worked well for me, hopefully it helps someone else out.

6 thoughts on “How to fix Microsoft Teams microphone volume levels

  1. Hi, thnx for your helpful post.
    For the last step you write “Then in Microsoft Teams use the CABLE Input as your microphone”; is this correct, as I cannot chose “Cable input”, but only “cable ouput” instead. If you could check this setting and report back, that would be great. Right now teams won’t recognize my mic at all.

    1. Thank you so much. After a lot of research, I was finally able to fix this problem, remember selecting the Cable Output microphone in Teams.

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