Introduction
When you record anything from instruments to vocals, the main objective is to get a clear and crisp sound recorded at the best volume. The sound shouldn’t clip (distort), or be too quiet, and the levels should be balanced so you can mix it into your track smoothly.
Unfortunately, the opposite can happen when there is a problem with your microphone, causing your recording to sound muffled, bassy, or even way too quiet. But, why does this happen, and how do you fix it?
Why does my microphone sound muffled?
Your microphone may sound muffled because it needs cleaning, it may be positioned incorrectly, or it may be damaged.
Keep reading to find out more about how you can identify what is causing your mic to sound muffled and how you can solve your problem simply, and effectively.
Identifying the problem with your muffled microphone
Not everyone with a muffled-sounding mic is going to have the same problem. The cause can be several things from standing too close or too far from your mic when recording, damage to the equipment, bad positioning of the microphone in relation to the source, or even using the wrong microphone entirely.
To fix your problem, use the process of elimination to determine what the cause of your muffled sound is. Once you figure out what the cause is you can apply the solution and test the audio again to see if it worked.
If the problem is dust build-up, make sure to clean the surface of the mic and its ports gently and carefully blow air on the inside of the mic to dislodge any dust stuck on the internals. If your mic is not in the right place from the source, adjust its position to face the source and make sure the distance is right.
Lastly, rule out that your mic is broken by listening to what kind of muffled sound it is producing. If there is crackle, or distortion on the mic or the only thing you hear is muffled audio and nothing else then it may be broken. There is also much more chance of your mic being broken if you recently dropped it.
Fixing a Microphone That Sounds Muffled
Before you throw your new mic in the trash, you should know that there are plenty of other reasons why your audio could sound muffled other than a broken mic.
The best thing to do is to rule out, one-by-one, each cause to make sure you get to the root of the problem before blaming your mic. Let’s go through three simple steps to help you fix your microphone audio.
Step 1: Determine the cause of the problem
Before you can fix your microphone audio, you have to find out what the cause of the problem is using the process of elimination. First rule out whether or not your mic is broken. If you haven’t dropped it recently, and the only problem is muffled audio then you can rule damage out for now.
Start from the top of our list of common causes below and work your way down, one by one, making sure that your set up is correct, and your microphone is in good shape.
Step 2: Apply the solution
Once you have determined what the most likely cause of your problem is, apply the solution provided in this article.
Step 3: Test your mic
Lastly, keep testing your microphone to check if the sound has improved. If the sound gets worse, then you most likely haven’t found the cause of the problem. If the sound gets better, you have hit the nail on the head!
Common Causes of a Muffled Sounding Microphone
Now, although there are other causes of a muffled sound, it very well might be that your mic is indeed the culprit. However, even if it is, there are a couple of fixes that you could try before binning it and getting a new one.
Let’s go through some of the most common, and sometimes obvious causes for a muffled-sounding microphone.
Dirt Build Up
If you’ve had your microphone for a while, and your sound has gradually become more and more muffled over time, then your problem might be a build-up of dust, dirt, and debris in your microphone cover, ports, and even its internals.
You may find that your recording sounds as if there is a blanket over your mic. This is because the dust or dirt is blocking the sound from entering the microphone to some degree. The sound may also not be transferred properly through the ports if there is dirt in them as well.
This should be an easy fix as all you need to do is carefully clean out the blockages. You can gently wipe the surface of your mic cover with a damp cloth, and use a bit of tissue or an earbud to clean out the ports. You can also gently blow on the internals of the mic to dislodge any dust that may be stuck there.
Standing Too Close or Too Far Away from the Mic
The distance that you stand from the microphone when singing or playing an instrument can have a significant effect on your recording results. Both standing too far and too close can make your recording sound muffled.
When you stand too close to your microphone, you will notice that your sound is more bassy and muffled. This is due to something called the Proximity Effect, where your voice becomes very boomy when you stand too close to a mic and talk or sing. You’ve probably heard this before, especially at live events.
When you stand too far away from your mic, approximately over 15 inches away, you will also notice that your sound becomes muffled. This is because the further away from the mic you stand, the more background noise and noise floor your mic will record.
Finding the right distance from your mic can get tricky, as you may want to stand as close as possible to avoid extra noise being recorded, but you can’t stand too close so you try and get some distance only to make things worse.
Generally, the most foolproof distance you can start with is around 8-12 inches away from your mic. Closer than 6 inches is often too close, and further than 20 inches is way too far. Bear in mind that this is all relative to the volume of your singing or instrument, so it is up to you to experiment with different distances to find what distance works better for you.
Damaged Equipment
Often our first instinct, when we get a muffled sound out of our microphone, is to assume that something is broken. This is a strong cause for a muffled-sounding mic, but it is always the last thing that we want. Replacing audio equipment is not cheap!
Luckily if something is broken, it isn’t always necessarily your microphone itself, it could just as well be a single cable causing the problem, or another piece of equipment somewhere along the signal path.
However, microphones are very sensitive pieces of equipment and if your mic is old, had a fall, or is simply defective, there are a few tell-tale signs you can watch out for to determine whether or not your mic is broken.
If your microphone is busted, you may hear more than just muffling when you record. Look out for crackling sounds, unexplained distortion, or even frequencies that don’t make sense, these are all signs that there is something more serious wrong.
If your microphone is not recording anything normally at all and all you can hear is muffled sound, then this is also a sign of a broken mic. Your mic could be defective or worn down with age, but if you recently dropped it, even once, it could mean the end for it.
Along with muffled sound and other problems with the recording, after it was dropped, you can also tell if the mic broke by moving the mic around and listening for any loose parts rattling inside the mic.
Unfortunately, if any of these symptoms ring true for you, it is likely time to say goodbye to this mic and invest in a new one.
Poorly Positioned Microphone
Similar to how your distance from the mic is vital to a good, un-muffled recording, your microphone’s angle and position should also not be overlooked. Every microphone records best in a certain direction, especially when you are working with directional microphones.
If the angle of your microphone is wrong, it could pick up more noise than what you would like and leave you with muffling and interference in your recording. You should know what your microphone’s polar pattern is, whether it be Omni-directional, Uni-directional, Bi-directional, or Cardioid.
If you think that your microphone’s position might be the problem, start by making sure it is standing with the right side up. Accidentally setting up your mic the wrong way around is a common mistake. Try to change its position and record something to see if it sounds better. If you turn it over and it sounds better then it must have been upside down and this was your problem.
Once you’ve adjusted your mic’s position, make sure to angle it with the recording side directly facing the source. For a directional mic, angle it with the most sensitive side facing forward. This will give your mic a clear line of recording to your source.
Wrong Type of Microphone Used
Another common problem that can cause muffled audio, is using the wrong mic for the purpose it is intended for. For instance, if you are looking to record sound for audio production, you should not be using a microphone intended for live performances.
If a microphone sounds poor quality when recording, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the mic is poor quality, no matter how little it cost. A mic can be high quality and expensive and still sound muffled under the wrong conditions.
This is just something to be aware of if you are using a mic that was intended for live performances. When the time comes for you to upgrade, you can make a more informed decision and go for something better for a recording environment.
Conclusion
From old mics to brand new, out-the-box mics muffled audio is a problem that can happen any time, unexpectedly, no matter how expensive or high quality the microphone is. While it is true that cheaper microphones won’t have as much clarity as higher price range mics, when it comes to muffled audio, the microphone itself is not always to blame.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with enough insight to figure out why your mic is sounding muffled and lead you well on your way to solving the problem and possibly even sparing your current microphone in the process.
FAQ
How do I fix my microphone quality?
To get your microphone quality sounding better, make sure that the levels of your mic are properly set. If your levels are too low, you will hear a lot more background noise, or noise floor, coming through on recordings. If your levels are too high, you will experience distortion, called clipping, coming through your recordings.
You can adjust your levels through your computer, or directly on your preamp if you are using one.
How do I clear muffled audio?
If you are working with audio that is already muffled and you have no way of re-recording the audio in better quality, you can try to improve the audio via your DAW.
When audio is muffled, the common reason why it sounds like there is a blanket over the mic is that the high-end of the recording is much lower than the rest of the audio. Think of what happens when you talk to someone through a wall, the low frequencies can get through while the high frequencies are stunted in some way.
An easy way to improve the audio quickly is to use an equalizer in your DAW to turn up the high frequencies and control any unpleasant frequencies that may be contributing to the muffled sound.
If the high frequencies are loud enough but you are still hearing a lot of muffed-sound, you can also turn down the bass frequencies a bit. Start small and listen back on the audio, before adding or subtracting any more decibels.
Why does my microphone sound far away?
When your mic makes your audio sound far away the most common reason is poor positioning of your mic. You want your microphone to be facing the source with its most sensitive side, ie, the front.
Make sure your mic is also at a good distance from your source as well. No more than 20 inches and no less than 6 inches for recording purposes.
Why does my mic sound distorted?
There are a few reasons why your microphone may sound distorted and that depends on the type of distortion you are hearing. Static sounding distortion could be a result of interference from the cable you are using. If the distortion you are hearing is severe, with crackling sounds then your microphone may be broken or damaged in some way.