Forum Discussion

TheShrekster's avatar
TheShrekster
Protege
2 months ago

External microphone not working on Link

I recently purchased a usb C gooseneck microphone to plug straight into my Quest Pro (v81). It works and sounds great on native quest apps and recordings, but as soon as I use any streaming software (AirLink, Virtual Desktop, or Steam Link), it does not work.  On AirLink and Virtual Desktop, I will get extremely loud clicking that overlaps the audio. Sometimes Virtual Desktop will straight up crash. And again, it works perfectly fine in recordings on the Quest and when testing the microphone on social apps. As a control, I plugged my Antlion modmic straight into the Quest Pro and discovered that it worked with no issues. So now I am confused as to what makes this new microphone not work with AirLink but work perfect on native apps. I've also factory reset the headset and reinstalled Virtual Desktop and Oculus Link on the PC side and that yielded no results.

Waveform of the external mic through AirLink where you can see the ear-blasting clicksWaveform of the external mic from VRChat running native on the Quest Pro absent of clicks

 

airlink
external mic
Microphone
quest pro

9 Replies

  • MetaStoreHelp's avatar
    MetaStoreHelp
    Community Manager
    2 months ago

    Hi TheShrekster,

     

    Thanks for reaching out about the loud clicking sound and overlapping you get when using your new gooseneck microphone with Link. We understand this isn't ideal for your VR experience so we have a few troubleshooting steps you could try to get the microphone working correctly with Link.

     

    Thanks for letting us know you've already tried reinstalling the app.

     

    Now, search for updates here and try the following:

     

    • Make sure the microphone is clean and not obstructed
    • Remove any unsupported third-party accessories if using any
    • If happening only with these apps, check the permissions 
    • Reset microphone: Settings > System > Sound > Toggle Microphone

     

    In case these troubleshooting steps don't work out for you, we would love to take a deeper look into things so don't hesitate to reach out privately for further assistance:

     

    • Select our name to get to our profile page, or click here
    • Next, click "Send a Message" to message us

     

    Please remember, you must be signed into the community first to send us a private message.

     

    We look forward to connecting with you.

  • steve_40's avatar
    steve_40
    Expert Trustee
    2 months ago

    but as soon as I use any streaming software (AirLink, Virtual Desktop, or Steam Link), it does not work. On AirLink and Virtual Desktop, I will get extremely loud clicking that overlaps the audio. Sometimes Virtual Desktop will straight up crash.

    Why are you framing the problem as a Link issue, when you admitted that it doesn't work with any streaming app. Maybe you should be asking the microphone manufacturer, since you also admitted that another external microphone (Antlion) works perfectly.

    • TheShrekster's avatar
      TheShrekster
      Protege
      2 months ago

      Oddly rude but as I've already explained it works perfectly fine on native apps including VRChat and the built-in recorder. The only place it doesn't work is AirLink, Steam Link, or Virtual Desktop. And even with the Antlion it's a coin flip on whether or not it wants to use the full bit-depth of the microphone or sound like bluetooth headset.

       

      • Maccyb123's avatar
        Maccyb123
        Trustee
        2 months ago

        If you can hear everything OK on the native apps, that's at least a plus, but not with the pc stuff, it's likely a problem with your microphone software or it's capability. You should definitely contact the microphone manufacturer for advice but first check your pc settings and permissions. Maybe you need to change something there. 

    • Maccyb123's avatar
      Maccyb123
      Trustee
      2 months ago

      steve_40 is correct by the way. Just saw his comment. He's not being rude, just saying it like it is. It's obviously not a link problem, if other streaming software doesn't work either. You framed your comment inaccurately. 

      • TheShrekster's avatar
        TheShrekster
        Protege
        2 months ago

        I would refer to my recent comment but it keeps disappearing or getting removed (maybe because of the youtube link idk)

        Here are the supported formats of the USB Microphone plugged straight into my PC.

        When we compare this to the Antlion USB microphone [that works on AirLink or VD], the Antlion has more supported formats and tops out at the quest's native format. (This list also explains why my Antlion will randomly sound low-quality on Virtual Desktop and that's probably because it sometimes chooses one of the lower sample rates).

        What is confusing is that the quest natively runs at 16bit 48kHz, and that is supported by this microphone. Is it just choosing the highest of the supported formats (24 bit, 96KHz)? Does AirLink and Virtual Desktop spontaneously combust when you feed them higher formats than what they're locked to?

        The question would now be, how do I lock the format of this microphone on my Quest Pro?

  • TheShrekster's avatar
    TheShrekster
    Protege
    2 months ago

    For additional context here is a video:

    And the supported formats of the USB Microphone plugged straight into my PC.

    When we compare this to the Antlion USB microphone [that works on AirLink or VD], the Antlion has more supported formats. (This list also explains why my Antlion will randomly sound low-quality on Virtual Desktop and that's probably because it sometimes chooses one of the lower sample rates).

    But what is confusing is that Virtual Desktop is locked to a format that this microphone supports and according to ggodin is the native format of the headset.

    My guess is that the headset is choosing the highest of the supported formats (24 bit, 96KHz) which does not work with PCVR streaming? The question would now be, how do I lock the format of this microphone on my Quest Pro?

    • steve_40's avatar
      steve_40
      Expert Trustee
      2 months ago

      This list also explains why my Antlion will randomly sound low-quality on Virtual Desktop and that's probably because it sometimes chooses one of the lower sample rates

      Do you perhaps have Virtual Desktop set to "Automatically adjust bitrate"?

      • TheShrekster's avatar
        TheShrekster
        Protege
        2 months ago

        No, I always run it at 325 mbps. I'm on 6ghz with a custom xeon router.

        I've decided to give up and return the microphone. As a last resort, I frankensteined a cheap transmitter onto my headset. Behold my awful creation