Maono USB Microphone Series User Guide

Since the establishment of the Maono, its USB microphone series has been favored by many users from different countries. Among them, the A04 USB condenser microphone has become the ”Best Seller“ on Amazon in the United States, Canada, and several other countries.

The products of the Maono USB microphone series have been recommended by many international media, for example, the A04 USB microphone and PM421 USB microphone have been recommended by well-known media such as Venture Beat and Music Radar.

Appreciate the users’ continued support. Based on user feedback and suggestions, Maono has written this user guide to help users solve the problems they encountered in using our USB microphones.

This user guide is mainly divided into 5 parts, they are:

1.PCs do not recognize the USB microphones
2.PCs recognize the USB microphones but there is no sound
3. Noise problem of USB microphones
4. Tutorial for Equalizer, an audio enhancement&noise reduction software
5. USB microphone setup guide for Linux system

Hope the following guides can help you.

1.PCs do not recognize the USB microphones

Method 1: Disconnect the USB microphone from the PC and restart the PC

You can disconnect the USB microphone from the PC and restart the PC. After restarting, reconnect the USB microphone to the PC, and if it is not recognized by that particular USB port, try another port. If that microphone is recognized by a different USB port, there may be a hardware problem with one of the USB ports. It is probably something else if none of the USB ports recognize the microphone, so read on.

If the above method does not solve the problem, please turn off the laptop for half an hour (desktop computers can be turned off and unplugged the power cable), wait 15 minutes, and try again.

Method 2: Change the Property of the USB Root Hub

First, open “Device Manager”, expand “Universal Serial Bus Controllers”, and right-click “USB Root Hub”-“Properties”.

Second, click the “Power Management” tab, and uncheck the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” box. If there is more than one USB root hub listed, you need to repeat the above steps for each one and then restart your PC.

Reconnect the USB microphone and check if it is recognized. If not, go back to the Power Management tab for each and check the box.

Method 3: Uninstall Hidden Devices

In the default situation, Device Manager does not display all devices installed on the system. Some hidden or ghost USB devices may conflict with the current USB microphone. To show hidden devices in Device Manager, first, open a command prompt and then enter the following two commands:

set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1
set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.MSc

After the Device Manager is loaded, you need to click “View” and then click “Show Hidden Devices”.

Then, expand “Imaging Devices”, “Universal Serial Bus Controllers”, and “Unknown Devices”. If you see a grayed-out device or an unknown device, right-click on it and select “Uninstall”. 

Method 4: Download the Audio Driver Provided by the Device Manufacturer’s Website

If the above steps do not solve your problem, visit the device manufacturer’s website and install the latest audio/sound drivers for your device. Below is an example of a sound device manufacturer’s driver download page.

If the audio worked before running the Windows update and it doesn’t work now, please roll back the audio driver.

Here are the steps:

1. Enter the Device Manager in the search box on the taskbar and select it from the results.

2.Select the arrow next to the “Sound, Video, and Game Controllers” to expand it.

3. Right-click the listing for your USB microphone, and select “Properties”.

4. Click the “Driver” tab, and then select “Roll Back Driver”.

Connect your mic to another PC, and if it does recognize the mic correctly, then reconnect it to the original PC. If the microphone is only recognized on the other PC, after connecting the USB mic to it successfully, then eject the USB correctly from that PC. The mic may suddenly start being recognized on the original PC.

 

 

2.PCs recognize the USB microphones but there is no sound

Method 1: Check the Speaker Output

If there are multiple audio output devices, check that you have selected the right one.
1. Select the speaker icon on the taskbar. 
2. Select the arrow to open the list of audio devices connected to your PC. 

3. Check the mute status.  

4. Check if your audio is playing to your preferred audio device, such as an earphone or a speaker.

Method 2: Check Cables, Plugs, Jacks, Volume, and Speaker and Headphone Connections

1. Check for loose wires at the speaker and headphone connections. Please remember to plug in all the wires.
2. Make sure the speaker is turned on and check the volume level.
3. Make sure the mute setting is not on and turn up all volume controls. (Keep in mind that some speakers and applications have volume controls. So check them all.)
4. Try to connect the speaker and headphones to different USB ports.
5. The speaker may not work when the headphones are connected to the PC. Unplug the headphones and see if it helps.

Method 3: Check the USB Microphone

The Settings app in Windows 10 has several options to disable your microphone system-wide and in all applications. Desktop applications will not be able to receive microphone input if your webcam is disabled in Settings.

App permissions in Settings-Privacy typically only affect new Store apps (also known as Universal Windows Platform apps or UWP apps). However, the webcam and microphone options also affect desktop apps.

If your microphone is not working, go to “Settings”-“Privacy”-“Microphone”. Then check that it says “Microphone access for this device is on”. If it shows “off”, please change it to “on”. If access is off, Windows and all applications on the system will not be able to access the audio from the microphone.

Next, please remember to set “Allow apps to access your microphone” to “on”.

Under “Choose which apps can access your microphone”, make sure that the application that needs to access your microphone is not set to “off”. If it shows “off”, please change it to “on”.

Only new applications from the Store are displayed here. However, the legacy desktop applications from outside the Store will never be displayed in this list and will always have access to your microphone as long as the “Allow apps to access your microphone” is set to “on”.

Method 4: Select to replace Sample Rate and Bit Depth

1.Right click on the Sound icon and click the “Sounds”.

2. Click the “Recording”-“Properties”-“Advanced”.

3. Select to replace sample rate and bit depth and then test to see if it works.

Method 5: Adjust the sound level

1. Right-click the Sound icon and click the “Sounds”

2. Set the microphone as a default recording device in the “Recording” of the “Sounds” setting.

3. Double click “Maono Microphone” and go to “Properties”, then select “Levels” and set it to 100.

Method 6: Check sound settings

Make sure your audio devices are not muted and not disabled.

1. You need to right-click the Speaker icon on the taskbar, then open Volume Mixer.

2. You will see a series of volume controls for your devices. Ensure that none of them are muted. You will see a red circle with a line next to the volume control if any of them are muted. In this case, select the volume control to unmute. 

3. Make sure your devices have not been disabled by mistake. Click Start-Settings-System- Sound.

4. Next, select your audio device, and then select Device Properties. Make sure select Device Properties for both output and input devices.  

5.Ensure that the Disable check box for output and input devices is cleared.

Method 7: Fix the audio drivers

Outdated or malfunctioning drivers may cause hardware problems. Be sure the audio driver is up to date, and update it if necessary. If this doesn’t work, please uninstall the audio driver (it will automatically reinstall). If this doesn’t work, please use the generic audio driver that comes with Windows. If you meet audio problems after updating, please roll back your audio driver.

A.To automatically update the audio drivers

1. Enter Device Manager in the search box on the taskbar, and then select it from the results.

2. Expand the Sound video and game controllers.

3. Right-click on the list of sound cards or audio devices (headphones, speakers, etc.), select Update driver, and then select Search automatically for updated driver software. Complete the update according to the guide.

If Windows does not find a new driver, find one on the device manufacturer’s website and follow the guides. If this doesn’t work, please uninstall your audio driver.

B.To uninstall your audio driver

1. Enter Device Manager in the search box on the taskbar, and then select it from the results.

2. Expand the Sound video and game controllers.

3. Right-click the listing for your sound card or audio device and select Uninstall device. Next, select the check box of Delete the driver software for this device, and then click Uninstall.

4. Restart your PC. Please remember to save your files and any other current work before restarting. This restart will let the PC to reinstall the audio driver automatically. Select “Start”-“Power”-“Restart” to restart.

If the above steps don’t work, please use the generic audio driver that comes with Windows according to the following steps.

1. Enter Device Manager in the search box on the taskbar, and then select it from the results.
2. Expand the Sound video and game controllers.
3. Right-click the listing for your sound card or audio device, then select “Update driver”-“Browse my computer for driver software”-“Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”.
4. Next, select the audio device for which you want to update the driver, select “Next”, and then update it according to the guides.

If the above steps do not solve your problem, please visit your device manufacturer’s website and install the latest audio or sound drivers for your device. The image below is an example.

If your audio doesn’t work, but it was working before you run the Windows Update, please roll back your audio drivers.

C.To roll back the audio driver

1. Enter “Device Manager” in the search box on the taskbar, and then select it from the results.

2. Expand the “Sound video and game controllers”.

3. Right-click the listing for your sound card or audio device, then select “Properties”.

4. Select the “Driver” tab, then select “Roll Back Driver”.

5. Follow the guides and then select “Yes” if you want to roll back the audio driver.

If rolling back the audio driver does not work or is not an option, you can try restoring your PC from a system restore point.

D.To restore your PC from a system restore point

When Microsoft installs updates on your system, we create a system restore point in case something goes wrong. Please try to restore from that point to see if it solves your sound problem. For more information, please check "Restore from a System Restore Point" in the Recovery options in Windows 10.

3. Noise problem of USB microphones

Is your microphone producing a buzzing, hissing, or humming noise? Self-noise is produced by almost all microphones. It can be very noticeable at times and very subtle at others. The buzzing, hissing, or humming sounds may become more noticeable as you add EQ, compression, and other audio effects.

A.How to Stop Your Microphone From Buzzing?

Your microphone may be making noise for a variety of reasons. Noise can be caused by cable issues, electrical issues, or ambient noise in the room.

1. Check that all cables are properly connected or replace the cables to see if the noise problem persists

If the problem persists, please read the troubleshooting guide below to assist you in determining the source of the problem.

2.Check that your recording environment is quiet
Dynamic microphones are directional and less prone to noise problems, but for condenser microphones, this is a big problem, as these types of microphones are more sensitive and more likely to pick up ambient noise.

There is a way to help you determine if your recording environment is quiet. Sometimes you don’t notice the noise, but you will start to notice the slight buzzing once you start mixing.

You can increase the gain of your microphone and start walking around the recording room with the microphone. Monitor the output using headphones. If you find a noise that interferes with your recording, turn off the equipment that is making the noise. If you can’t turn it off, try to keep the microphone as far away from the noise-causing equipment as possible while recording.

Buzzing from air conditioners, lights, fans, or some electronic devices is common. This will affect your recording.

3. Check the cables

You’ve checked your room for background noise and then turned down the preamp gain. You can replace the cables of the microphone and the audio interface with other cables and see if the noise is still there. This can be a direct solution to your audio problem and can save you a lot of time.

This a common mistake made by beginners. When you buy a new cable for your microphone, you need to check the shielding and connectors of the cable, as this is where the quality of the recording will be most affected. Another thing to keep in mind is that if your cable is damaged, it will affect the audio quality. So check your cables regularly for damage.

4. Check your audio interface and preamp or change another USB port.

With XLR mics, if you use preamps or audio interfaces, some preamps and audio interfaces may produce unhealthy signals that can cause humming or buzzing background noise. Make sure your gain is not set too high, try turning your mic gain down and see if the problem is fixed.

For USB microphones, you can try plugging the USB cable into another port on your PC to check if there is still a noise problem.

5. Check your audio software

Sometimes it can be a digital audio workstation that causes the problem. Make sure that all input controls are not too high. You can also download a free digital audio workstation like Audacity and see if the problem still exists.

6. Faulty Hardware

Nowadays, there are relatively few static hardware problems, but they may still happen. For many reasons, hardware wears out and can suddenly break or degrade. The problem is often electrical. It may have been exposed to static electricity which can cause the hardware to degrade over time, causing hardware problems.

The only way to fix the hardware is to have it repaired or replaced. If your microphone still produces a hissing sound, try recording at a low level with all the input options on your audio interface or preamp. If it doesn’t work, try replacing the microphone and see if that solves the problem.

B.The Solutions for Recordings With Background Noise

1. Noise Suppressor Plug-ins

Some digital audio workstations, such as DAW, have noise suppressor plug-ins in their software. It usually helps to remove the noise made by the microphone.

Logic Pro X has a plug-in called Noise Gate. It improves vocal clarity, removes noise, and prevents sounds from passing below a certain threshold. Signals can only be passed at audio levels above the specified threshold. If the signal is below the threshold, the signal will be blocked. This will effectively block the noise.

Another tool is the X-Noise audio plug-in from Wave. Each digital audio workstation has its own plug-in. It's a good idea to research whether your DAW has any suitable plug-ins.

2. EQ can be used to remove the hissing or buzzing sounds

There is no way to completely remove the noise without destroying the audio as it is recorded in the audio wave, but rest assured you can reduce the buzzing or hissing sounds using EQ. While this may interfere with the recording and reduce the sound quality, it is a method that can be tried.

C.Why is the microphone buzzing?

If the microphone is making a buzzing sound, it could be a loose cable connection or a faulty cable. If you have tried to replace the cable and the problem still exists, it may be a microphone that has been damaged internally. If your microphone is still under warranty, please contact us to see if it can be replaced or repaired. Sometimes it can also be a problem with your digital audio workstation, so be sure to check your software to see if it is the source of this problem.

D.Why is the microphone making the whistling sound?

This whistling sound, also called audio feedback, is due to the endless loop produced when the microphone picks up the sound from the speakers (stage monitors or PA speakers) and sends it back to the speakers for amplification and pickup, causing a specific frequency to be boosted, depending on the resonance of the room and speakers, etc.

The solutions to the whistling sound produced by the microphone:

1. Orient the speaker away from the microphone, or place it further away.

2. Lower the speaker volume or microphone gain.

3. Use a unidirectional cardioid microphone, which has a rear-repelling effect, meaning no sound is picked up from behind. Then you can use a speaker facing you in the middle of the recording room.

4. Deliberately create feedback by placing the microphone close to the speaker. When the audio feedback occurs, check the frequency on the real-time analyzer and use a channel EQ or graphic EQ to cut it.

5.You can also use a feedback reducer to improve this situation.

4. Tutorial for Equalizer, an audio enhancement&noise reduction software

1. Install the ‘Equalizer’.

2.Click the selected Microphone and speaker.

3.Restart your PC.

4.Click the ‘Configuration Editor’.

Raise your voice:

1.Add ‘Preamp (Preamplication)’ in ‘Basic filters’.

2.Please turn the knob clockwise to enhance your voice.

Noise cancellation for your voice:

1.Select add ‘VST plugin’

2.Click the folder

3.Copy profile to the application list

4.This is the successfully set up interface

*Both functions can be used simultaneously

5. How to set up a USB microphone on a Linux system?

*The host computer is available to use the microphone before using VMware (Linux).

1.Open ‘VMware’-then select ‘Settings’.

2.In the USB controller tab, choose USB 2.0 in the ‘USB compatibility’ and click ‘OK’.

3.In the sound card, select ‘Use default host sound card’.

4. Output: After entering the Linux (Ubuntu) system, go to Settings and click on the Sound tab. Please adjust the volume level to 100%.

5.Adjust the Volume level to 100% in ‘Input’.

6. Speak to the microphone to test if it works.

7.If it works, you can record your voice using Audacity.