Alienware M14x R2 Microphone Array Audio Level Too Low or Not working

I tried to use skype with the external mic and the other person couldn't hear me. I tried to set it as default in the recording devices panel and then i realized that it actually perceives a sound when i hit the keys or when I tap on the screen, A minimum sound. I Have installed the latest Drivers and the other external microphones that I plug work fine.

You write that one of your external microphones does not work, but in your screen shot you have "Microphone array" set to be the default, and in the name of your thread you say "microphone array level too low". So which one is the problem one, external mic or mic array (built-in)?

If external mic, if it doesn't work but your other ones do then there is a problem with the mic.

If mic array, to set its levels select it, then click "properties" to get to the settings. If you still have no luck after setting to a high level then it might be a hardware problem. Don't test it with Skype at first to avoid any issues that might be with the Skype configuration. Use Windows Sound Recorder to test the mic.

As far as installing drivers, I'm not sure if the mic array and web cam on your model are part of the Creative audio driver or the monitor software. Maybe someone on the Alienware Club board knows.

Oops... Indeed I was talking about the internal mic not working. The external one works just fine. I have the levels of the microphone array to 100 and I've tested it with Skype, Windows sound recorder, Google call etc... it just doesn't hear anything. Only when I tap the screen I can see the green bar of the level moving a bit and the person on the other side of the conversation can hear the tap, but even if I scream they don´t hear anything. I also reinstalled the webcam drivers just in case, but it keeps using the Sound Blaster Driver and nothing changed. I hope someone from Dell can help me with this...

It appears to be a hardware failure that is covered under the warranty.

Should I wait for someone from dell to reply? because I bought the computer in the US but now I moved to Finland and I don't know where to call for the warranty

Hello. If you want to make contact with any of the Dell people who sometimes post on this board, find the name of the person and click on the name -- any name in blue is a link to the person's profile page. When you get on a profile page you can initiate a private conversation by either "start conversation" or " add friend".

Here is the Finland support contact info:

Finland|Suomi
+358 207 533 555
Monday - Friday
8.30AM to 4.30PM Local Time

Thanks for the info! However, since they moved the post, maybe an alienware specialist has any idea to solve this before asking for warranty?

Aha see once i pressed fn+f9 it started working again, damn it alienware with your shortcuts, i suggest you try this jkmont0

Actually I called Dell and as my Alienware is still in warranty they sent a technician to my place in Helsinki. It was the first time they serviced an Alienware around here, so they brought the wrong spare parts. They have to replace the whole screen if they want to change the microphone but they brought just a mic that wasn't for an M14x R2. I think next week they will receive the right replacement screen and change the whole piece.

He also had to change the mother board. which I didn't want him to do, but I allowed him to change it, when he opened the cover of the laptop to access the motherboard he realized that there where screws missing in various parts, also there was a bad screw that he took about one hour to unscrew and he had to break the keyboard and the launch pad in order to do so. Fortunately he says he will replace everything.

At last, and I'm really disappointed with this, I noticed that the spare parts that he brought said REFURBISHED all over the box. I was expecting to get new spare parts and not some used spare parts that might fail in a while.

I will really think it twice before I buy an Alienware again... Dell apparently is destroying Alienware's reputation by using cheap parts and lousy assembling... shame on you DELL

Hi i'm having the same issue however i have the m17x R4, as far as i can remember i was using the internal microphone array fine one day then once a windows update was applied and once i had fiddled around with my headphones mic then the microphone array stopped picking up sound. I do know that alienwares have some wierd perks such as being able to disable enter with a key shortcut, could there be a key shortcut which causes the microphone array to stop picking up sound?

drillrr, here it is over two years later and this solved my internal mic issue with my m17xR4...fn+f9 turned on my internal mic. Thank you!