How to Verify Microphone Audio Input is Set to 16-bit, 44,100 Hz (CD Quality)

Proper audio quality settings help ensure your microphone works correctly with AmbientScribe and avoids distortion or failed recordings.

Below are instructions for Windows and macOS.

🎧 Windows: Set Microphone to 16-bit, 44,100 Hz

1. Open Sound Settings

• Click the Start Menu.
  
  
• Type Sound Settings and press Enter.
  (Alternatively: Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Select Sound Settings.)
  
  

2. Select Your Input Device

• Under Input, choose your microphone device from the dropdown.
  
  
• Click Device Properties.
  
  
• Then click Additional device properties (on the right side).
  
  

3. Open Advanced Settings

• In the new window, go to the Advanced tab.
  
  

4. Select the Correct Audio Format

• In the Default Format section, choose:
  16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)
  
  
• Click Apply and then OK.
  
  

5. Restart Any App Using the Microphone

Some apps must be closed and reopened for the new settings to take effect.

🎙️ macOS: Verify Input Format (16-bit, 44,100 Hz)

Important: macOS hides bit-depth from most user interfaces, but nearly all modern Mac audio devices default to 16-bit, 44.1 kHz or 24-bit, 44.1 kHz.
To manually verify or change sample rate, use Audio MIDI Setup.

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup

• Open Finder → Applications → Utilities.
  
  
• Launch Audio MIDI Setup.
  
  

2. Select Your Microphone

• In the left panel, click the input device you're using
  (e.g., Internal Microphone, USB Microphone, Headset Mic).
  
  

3. Check Format Settings

• On the right side, locate Format.
  
  
• Set the sample rate to:
  44,100 Hz
  
  
• If a bit-depth selector appears (not all devices show this), choose:
  16-bit Integer or 16-bit.
  
  

4. Close the Window

Your changes save automatically.

✔️ Quick Confirmation Checklist