Microphone Monitoring Problems On PC

[Sine]

I recently started using the computer-to-computer VoIP function in Google Talk so I can chat with somebody in Switzerland for free. Obviously I wanted to keep using my favorite pair of closed ATs (

) , so I bought an el-cheapo mic from Wally World and hey, it works!

Now that I'm having voice chats on a daily basis though, I've discovered an annoying problem - there's no mic feedback! Ack! It's like I have a really bad head cold; I can barely hear myself talk.

My question to all of you is...any ideas for whipping this? I was thinking maybe a cheap fix (some software?) or, failing that, a more pro-ish USB DAC that might have such a feature. Thanks in advance for your help.

Oh, and I'm just heading off to bed right now, so if I don't reply until a few hours from now, it doesn't mean I'm avoiding you. Well, maybe a little bit.

 

[infinitesymphony]

I think that's really more dependent on the software/program that you're using. In the eeeearly days of VOIP (i.e. late '90s), most programs didn't incorporate the kind of microphone muting feature that must be in Google VOIP, so there were some echo and feedback problems.

I'd imagine that's why the program chooses not to play back the microphone signal. Otherwise, you should hear the microphone's output if it's unmuted in Windows Mixer.