Realtek AC97 Microphone Problem

I have sound built onto my MB and its called RealTek AC97. The microphone, while operational, is much too quiet to be useful at all. Just to make sure I've covered all my bases, here are screen caps and snapshots of everything I have tried.
Here is my mic plugged into the proper, red plug:
(URL address blocked: See forum rules)~exspacea/redplug.jpg

Are you thinking it is a volume/muting issue? Take a look at my settings then:
(URL address blocked: See forum rules)~exspacea/volumesliders.png

Maybe there is something funny in the noise suppression setting? I've decided to leave it unchecked as you can see here:
(URL address blocked: See forum rules)~exspacea/noisesup.png

Maybe you think I need new drivers. You would be wrong. Here they are, sitting on my desktop, after I installed them:
(URL address blocked: See forum rules)~exspacea/drivers.png

Does anyone know the trick to get this microphone volume up? It's not just low, it is so low it is essentially useless for anything at all. Should I give up and buy a new sound card?

Oh. I see your forum has blocked out my URLs. That's nice.

I will repeat them here since they are essential to my question.
home "dot" comcast "dot" net /~exspacea/redplug.jpg
home "dot" comcast "dot" net /~exspacea/volumesliders.png
home "dot" comcast "dot" net /~exspacea/noisesup.png
home "dot" comcast "dot" net /~exspacea/drivers.png

To make it easier for everyone else...

http://home.comcast.net/~exspacea/redplug.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~exspacea/volumesliders.png
http://home.comcast.net/~exspacea/noisesup.png
http://home.comcast.net/~exspacea/drivers.png

The URL thing is new... and I hope it is pulled very soon. Anywho...

In your volume control menu (with the sliders) you should have an option to enable "Advanced controls". Enable this and a button should appear under microphone, with the ability to enable a special microphone volume boost.

If you don't have an option for advanced controls, I don't know what else you could do... maybe someone else does, though?

Yep. That was exactly it! Thanks for your post.

I'm having the same issue, except for i fall under the

"If you don't have an option for advanced controls, I don't know what else you could do... maybe someone else does, though?"

Issue. Does anyone have any clue what i could do?

Hi know this is a old thread, but came across it in google and it saves me having to write out my shizzle all over again! I have this same problem, have done all that is in the 1st post of this thread plus have the advanced controls, have implemented the mic boost but still the mic is too low!

I have bought a 5.1 USB sound card adapter of ebay today in desperation for a soloution, not sure of this little thing is going to work but it only cost £3 so not going to be losing much if it doesn't.

Does anyone know of any software that could be downloaded the boost the mic further?

The Mic I am using is professional type one, for singing / hosting events etc. The reason I am using such a mic is because I use it in some internet radio sets I do. Which I use MP3 decks for. (Hercules DJ control) I have to have to have the head phones set coming from the rear output, Line out is my speakers and mic is in the right slot too.

I have a external mixer which this mic works fine on.

Hope someone can advise me on getting my shizzle fixed! Many Thanks

ChriXXy

If you've got it as loud as you can go, the only thing I can really think of is hoping the software you're using the microphone for also has it's own volume control... After that, it's the choice of either a new sound card (which may not even fix your problem) or running the mic through an amplifier first...

I can't find any software that will boost your mic further, though...

thanks for the reply. I have had the mic and decks set up before with mic working at a perfect level, this was achievable by putting the mic thru my external mixer which is connected to two turntables. The mixer was connected to the PC via the line in, speakers were line out, however it seems that headphones are unsupported this way even though there is a spare slot for them.

The spare slot seems only configurable for mic in or center / sub woofer out. This is with the sound card set at 4 channel mode. The ere is a 6 channel mode for 5.1 output but still the middle jack doesn't seem to be able to be changed from what is now, which is FRONT SPEAKER OUT. There are 3 jacks at the back of the pc and also a headphone socket at front.

There is a box which can be checked/ unchecked it says 'synchronize phone jack with the speaker setting' although it seems to make no difference to anything when I have played around with it. It would be cool is I could have the mic going thru the line in but I also need the rear out put for my headphones as the software / equipment I use doesn't physicaly support mics/ headphones, hoping to the mk2 decks at some point which will solve this problem as the have the mic and headphone jacks onboard the mixer but unfortunately they are not in my budget at the moment so gotta make do with what I got maybe with this added information someone can help me further. I guess what I'm hoping to do is have headphones in the headphone jack at the back of the pc set in windows as rear out put, The mic / external mixer going thru the line in and to have the speakers on line out. Just can't figure out a way to do it! I don't know how on earth I passed my a+ exams the beginning of the year, I seriously have lost so much of what I learned!! lol