Mac mini M1 phone call sound input - corrupted or muffled

When using facetime to make a phone call "using nearby iphone" on Mac mini M1 with an external microphone (using the 3.5mm jack) connected, the input sound in the phone call gets processed automatically and at the verly least the process adds lots of gain to the point when the raw microphone signal was a a nice recording level -12 to -6 db, it is now clipping in the phone call and sounds muffled and overly conmpressed. How can we stop this automatic control over the input sound that is only happeing over "phone calls"? During normal Facetime calls, the input signal is not processed further, and sound is fine. All settings in Facetime "video" and midi set-up, and system sound are adequatly set-up for the microphone as the input. I can record nice voice signal (voice over quality more than 60 db SNR) in Garage band using the External microphone as input wihout issues.

Posted on Oct 3, 2023 1:10 PM

Reply
1 reply

Oct 5, 2023 12:23 PM in response to toto458

Hey there toto458,


Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities.


To get started, you've done a great job isolating the issue.


To help troubleshoot the issue further, if you enable Voice Isolation using the steps listed in the following resource, is that able to have any affect on the audio quality during FaceTime audio calls: Change audio options for FaceTime calls on Mac - Apple Support


Filter out background sounds
When you want your voice to be heard clearly on a FaceTime call, you can turn on Voice Isolation (available on Mac models 2018 and later with macOS 12 or later). Voice Isolation prioritizes your voice on a FaceTime call and blocks out the ambient noise. Do any of the following:
* Use Voice Isolation during an audio call: In the FaceTime app  on your Mac, click the Audio button in the menu bar, then select Voice Isolation.


You may also find some additional steps that can help with troubleshooting the issue further in this additional resource under the "If you need help with your connection or call quality" section: If FaceTime isn't working on your Mac - Apple Support


If you need help with your connection or call quality
A slow or busy Wi-Fi network might cause issues with your FaceTime call. If you experience connection alerts, or low-quality audio or video, or an exclamation point  over a video tile:
* Make sure that you and your recipient have a fast Wi-Fi or cellular connection. FaceTime calls over Wi-Fi require a broadband connection.
* Check for issues that might be slowing down your connection, such as someone streaming content over your network.
* If you have questions about your internet speed, contact your internet service provider.


If the issue persists after going through the steps above, can you let us know which software version you're working with on your iPhone and Mac mini?


Take care.

Mac mini M1 phone call sound input - corrupted or muffled

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.