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Stenowise

HelpMicrophone and recognition

Check your microphone

Applies to: Windows, macOS, Linux

A short test shows whether your voice arrives loud and clean enough. Stenowise then tells you what to do.

Start the test

  1. Open Settings › Dictation.
  2. Under Microphone, click Open next to Check microphone.
  3. Click Start test.
  4. Read out the sentence on the screen: “Today I am checking my microphone and saying a whole sentence in one go.”

The recording takes five seconds. Stenowise then evaluates it. Test again repeats the test, Done closes it. If a dictation is running, you see “A dictation is running. Wait a moment and start the test again.”

The results

Your microphone sounds good.

Your voice arrives loud and clear.

Too quiet.

Your voice comes through, but too quietly for reliable recognition. On Windows, click Set level to 90 % and start the test again. If the level is already high or Windows offers no level control for the device, move closer to the microphone or use a headset.

Signal is being filtered

The level is high enough, yet your voice comes through thin. This is usually the audio driver's noise suppression. On Windows, you switch it off like this:

  1. Click Open sound settings.
  2. Under “Input”, choose your microphone.
  3. Switch off the audio enhancements there.

If the result stays the same, turn on Raw capture under Settings › Dictation › Microphone. It records without the driver's noise suppression and level correction. Raw capture works on Windows only. If the driver does not allow it, Stenowise records as before.

Too loud.

Usually the microphone is too close to your mouth. Move it a hand's width away from your mouth or turn it slightly to the side, speak at a normal volume and start the test again.

No signal

No speech arrived in those five seconds.

  • Check whether the microphone is muted. Many headsets have a button for this on the cable.
  • Move the right microphone to the top of the microphone order.
  • Check whether Stenowise may use the microphone. On Windows, Check microphone access opens the permission setting. On macOS, you find it in System Settings under Privacy & Security › Microphone.

Last updated 28 September 2026