How do you remove the Ambient Noise Reduction option on the built-in microphone in Mountain Lion?

I'm running OSX 10.8.3 as well. In System Preferences>Sound>Input tab, do you not have the option indicated in the image?

My Mac is a late 2009 - I'd be surprised if the two different model Macs weren't meant to have the same preference pane when both are running 10.8.3.

I wonder if re-applying the 10.8.3 update using the combo might help - it's sometimes a useful way of resolving odd issues:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1640

I have a mid-2011 iMac - 27" - running 10.8.3 and I have the checkbox for ambient noise reduction in System Preferences.

I'm running a 2013 27" iMac with 10.8.3 and I too do not have the option to turn off ambient noise reduction.

This is badly in need of fixing – it more or less renders my machine useless for audio recording.

When you go into System Preferences/Sound, there should be three tabs in the middle of the box - Sound Effects, Output, Input. On my 2011 27" iMac with 10.8.3, the checkbox to turn off ambient noise reduction in on the Input tab, visible when you select Internal Microphone from the selection box. It is not visible if you select Line In. You can try to turn it off under Internal Microphone and see if that also shuts it off for Line In.

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

I appreciate the help, but I'm aware of where it should be, and it's not there. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there is no Line In on the newest 27" iMacs, but regardless, the option is not there under Input, Output or Sound Effects.

If anyone knows of another way – through Terminal perhaps – to disable it, please post.

The new iMac has dual microphones, so I believe noise reduction is inherent in its design. That's probably why this option isn't present in the current iMac model. There's probably nothing that can be turned off, so if the built-in microphones aren't giving you sufficient quality, you'll probably have to purchase a USB or Firewire audio input adapter (for an inexpensive unit look at the Griffin iMic) and use an eternal microphone.

Regards.

Same Issue here, audio sounds awful on new iMac and does not have option to turn off ambient noise reduction. Macbook air with El Capiten installed does have the option to turn off.

I feel that there should be a Terminal command to shut this off, seeing the sound quality sounds nearly identical to the sound quality I get from my Macbook air with Ambient Noise Reduction on