Are you supposed to be able to hear your microphone in your headphones even when no programs are open?
Are you supposed to be able to hear your microphone in your headphones even when no programs are open?
There’re a few things that can cause this. The headphones themselves may have a feature that enables it which you should be able to disable. Otherwise, you may have it configured in your os.
Which headphones and os are you using?
If you’re on Windows 10:
Hit your Windows key or open the Start menu, type in “Sound settings” and hit Enter to open.
On the right side, click “Sound Control Panel”. Select the Recording tab, right click your microphone and click “Properties”.
Go to the “Listen” tab and uncheck “Listen to this Device” then hit “OK”.
I’m not sure about Windows 11, though.
It’s the same, just more annoying to get there.
Virtually all the control panel things are the same in Windows 11, just further hidden away by the ugly, useless interfaces they keep pushing.
Is there an application on your PC that controls the headset?
Sounds like sidetone.
Is it a USB headset? If so I’m guessing there’s some proprietary software for it with those options
If it’s analog (two aux plugs), then you might be getting bleed over…though I think that’s less likely since the mic signal hasn’t been amplified yet
If you using an audio interface this could be “direct monitoring” which just passes through the microphone audio to the headphones. Each interface is different but just searching by the interface model should have a general user guide for it.
Otherwise it could be a Windows setting (Assuming your on Windows 10) under the sound control panel which can be accessed by: Searching for “Sound settings” from the Windows menu, Sound Control Panel on the right, Recording tab, Right click your microphone and choose properties, Listen tab, Make sure the “Listen to this device” box is unchecked and apply.