Online mic test Level, peak, noise floor and a test take.
To test your microphone, click allow and talk: the meter shows the level in dBFS right away. Then run the 8-second test, 3 seconds of silence and 5 reading a sentence, and get your peak, speech level, room noise and signal-to-noise ratio, plus what to fix. Free, no sign-up.
Free, no sign-upClipping: the signal hit the top. Back off a little or turn the gain down.
Microphone in use
How the test works
- Silence (3 s) Stay quiet and leave the room as it will be when you record. We measure the background noise.
- Read aloud (5 s) Read the sentence in your normal voice, at your usual distance from the mic.
Today I am recording calmly, close to the microphone, without rushing or shouting.
Test result
- Peak
- - dBFS
- Speech level
- - dBFS
- Noise floor
- - dBFS
- Signal-to-noise
- - dB
Mic ready? Record now with the voice recorder.
How to test your microphone
- 01
Allow the microphone
Click allow and accept the prompt. The meter moves when you talk, and you see the microphone's name, its sample rate and its channels.
- 02
Run the 8-second test
Stay silent for 3 seconds so we can measure the room noise. Then read the sentence aloud for 5 seconds, in your usual voice and at your usual distance.
- 03
Read the result and adjust
See your peak, speech level, noise floor and signal-to-noise ratio, with what to change. Play back the test take and repeat until everything looks right.
How do I know if my microphone is working?
Talk normally and watch the meter: if the bar moves with your voice, the microphone is sending sound. If it stays flat, the cause is almost always one of three things: the wrong microphone picked in the list, a mute button switched on the mic or headset, or the system not allowing the site to use the microphone.
Under the meter we show the microphone in use, its sample rate and its channels. Computer microphones usually run at 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz. Many USB mics show up as stereo even with a single capsule: they send the same voice on both channels, which is normal. If the rate reads well below that, such as 16 or 24 kHz, you are probably on a Bluetooth headset mic, which records at phone-call quality.
- The microphone list appears when more than one is connected.
- We measure the raw sound, with no noise reduction or automatic gain.
- The clip light stays on for a moment after each peak that hits the top.
What is a good mic level in dBFS?
dBFS means decibels below digital full scale. 0 dBFS is the ceiling: anything past it gets cut off and turns into distortion, which is why the meter readings are negative. The closer to zero, the louder.
For voice, use the table below as the reference. Peak is the highest point of your speech. Speech level is the average of only the moments you are talking, leaving the pauses out. Noise floor is what the mic picks up while the room is silent. Signal-to-noise is the gap between your voice and that noise: the bigger it is, the cleaner the recording.
| Measure | Good | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Peak | -12 to -6 dBFS | reaching 0 dBFS (clips) |
| Speech level | -30 to -12 dBFS | below -40 dBFS |
| Noise floor | below -60 dBFS | close to the voice |
| Signal-to-noise | above 30 dB | below 20 dB |
Mic tips for podcasts, church services and streams
On a podcast, every person should have their own mic at the same distance from the mouth, and run the test before you start. A dynamic mic close to the mouth picks up less of the room than a condenser further away. If two guests share a table, test one at a time and note the distance that worked.
At church, clip the lavalier mid-chest, a hand's width below the chin, on the side the preacher turns to most. Test with the room as it will be during the service, with the sound system on, and change the wireless batteries beforehand. For streams, keep the mic away from the keyboard and the computer fan and wear headphones, so the stream audio doesn't leak back into the mic.
- Test in the same place, with the same gear, as the real recording.
- One test per person and per microphone, before every session.
- Listen to the test take on headphones: noise shows up more than on speakers.
Why does my mic hiss, clip or sound too quiet?
Clipping means the gain is too high for the distance: the signal hits the top and gets cut. Lower the gain on the mic, the interface or the system sound settings, or move back a little. Too quiet is the opposite: the mic is far away or the input is turned all the way down. On Windows, check the level in Settings, System, Sound, in the microphone's properties; on a Mac, in System Settings, Sound, Input.
Constant hiss usually comes from the room (air conditioning, a fridge, the street) or from the gear: a bad cable, a USB hub port, or gain maxed out to make up for a distant mic. Try another port with the mic closer and see whether the noise floor drops.
More than a mic test. Once you record, the text.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my microphone online?
Click allow microphone on this page and talk: the meter shows the level right away. For a full result, click start the test, stay silent for 3 seconds and read the sentence for 5 seconds. We show your peak, speech level, noise floor and signal-to-noise ratio, with what to adjust.
What is dBFS?
It's the level scale of digital audio. 0 dBFS is the most a file can hold, and everything below it is negative: -6 dBFS is loud, -40 dBFS is quiet. Going past 0 isn't possible; the sound gets cut off and distorts.
What mic level should I record voice at?
Peaks between -12 and -6 dBFS and speech averaging between -30 and -12 dBFS, ideally around -20. That leaves room for a laugh without clipping. The room noise should sit at least 30 dB below your voice.
Why does the test say it didn't hear my voice?
Either the microphone selected in the list isn't the one near you, or your speech came in at the same level as the room noise. Check the device in the list, move closer and read the sentence during the second step, when it is highlighted.
Is a Bluetooth headset mic good for recording?
Fine for calls, weaker for recording. When a Bluetooth headset's mic is in use, it switches to a call mode, usually at 24 kHz or lower, and voices sound muffled. If the test shows 16 or 24 kHz, use a wired or USB microphone instead.
Does it work with USB mics, lavaliers and audio interfaces?
It works with any microphone your system recognizes: the laptop mic, USB mics, lavaliers with an adapter, headsets and audio interfaces. If an interface sends your voice on only one of two channels, the result tells you, so you can record in mono or switch inputs.
Mic tested. Now the content. Transcripts, chapters and snippets.
Record the episode, the service or the lecture and upload it. We transcribe it word by word, tell the speakers apart, create chapters and you download TXT, PDF, SRT or MP3.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.