Q: external usb microphone not working with FaceTime and mac mini with os x Yosemite

Alas this didn't work for me and my Samson Go Mic

Thanks for the help though!

Well, the crappy thing that I'm now finding: the "killall" fix somehow negates itself during the day. This afternoon I accepted a Facetime call and the caller couldn't hear me. I guess I'm back to just waiting for Apple to fix it.

Same problem here with a Blue Yeti Mic ..

I have the same Yosemite issue on a 2014 stationary mac pro. Logitech USB headset works to listen with but the mic is dead. So I can't use it for Skype anymore.

Also, my apple speaker stopped working while connected in the regular audio out port. I only works connected to the (small+circular) port for headphones.

I also have font problems in Chrome, since the update.

Note to self: I'm never going to update this early again.

<3

The problem that has been reported here involves USB mics failing to work but only with FaceTime and only when FaceTime is being used with Relay with an iPhone on a "regular" phone call. I have a USB mic, it doesn't work with FaceTime and iPhone Relay, but works for every other application – including Skype. Therefore, you might want to check your headset because you might have a hardware failure unrelated to Yosemite.

What is a "regular" audio out port? Do you mean the optical digital audio output/analog line out minijack? Your speakers may not be compatible with the output from that port. Are you sure they were working plugged into that port before you installed Yosemite?

In any case, have you tried the suggested fix?

In Terminal, run this command:

sudo killall coreaudiod

You will then need to enter your password.

The headset works fine on my Mac laptop, so I doubt it's the actual hardware.

Yes, the digital audio out port. Speakers always worked in that port prior to update to Yosemite. Yes, I tried that sudo killall coreaudiod. It didn't work and I found the alternative solution of connecting to the headphones port instead. A little worse sound supposedly, but at least it works. I just find it kind of bad that this is a speaker FROM APPLE.

Same thing with a Logitech C615 webcam. Even though FaceTime is set to use its microphone for calls, it just ignores that. Skype calls work ok, and the sound is clearly picked up by the camera in System Preferences.

So this looks like a FaceTime bug to me. How do we submit it to Apple? Update 10.10.1 didn't seem to fix this.

same problem here with logitech camera. Frustrating because this used to work. tried terminal command so we'll see what happens, but I'm not holding my breath.

Well, I wouldn't. That command didn't actually help me in any way. Moreover, after trying it out, the sound in my already playing YouTube video I was watching at the time, stopped and wouldn't come back on. So I had to reboot. Also, even if it works, this is not a fix. This is just an annoying workaround. And I'm still wondering what is the purpose of having a support community if no one sends a bug report to Apple so they can fix it once and for always? Just discussing? What if the issue can't be fixed by discussing it with other members? What if it needs to be addressed further to whoever is in charge? So far it seems like we're talking for nothing here. No one cares, and apparently, no one does anything. The purpose of a community is more brains to work on certain things. Ideas, suggestions, bug reports. For everything else, there is Skype, where you can just chat to your friends and stuff and you don't necessarily need to obtain a certain information or request help for a certain issue.

This thread has been started on October 17th. We're on December 5th and...this issue is still not fixed. There's gotta be a better way to get some help here.

So, after some testing, I found out that, at least in my case, the thing that was causing this issue (no output sound in FaceTime, though the sound appears to be correctly picked up in System Preferences) was the mic's sensitivity level. By default it's set right in the middle, at 50%. And that worked for me for a while, though I didn't know that's what was causing issues in the first place. Then I tried to put it to 75%. And it worked until the next reboot. After that, no output sound in FaceTime. Set it back to 50%, rebooted, and everything is back to normal.

Since the same increased mic's sensitivity level worked just fine with Skype, I suppose this is probably a bug in Yosemite, or FaceTime.

I hope this info will help other people, as well.

This worked for me. Awesome, thank you!

Same problem with Jabra 450. Killing an OS level process to get it to work is not a solution... Apple, where are you? Clearly this is a bug.... fix it please.

Try this trick I found on a hackintosh board:

"solution.. delete the 2 preference files in /Library/Preferences/Audio/.. and then re-ran sudo killall coreaudiod, restarted and things are great now!"

SO far, so good for me. Fingers crossed.

"sudo killall coreaudiod" worked for my Plantronics 995h external mic problem.  Thanks!  (Yes, I do have to re-enter the command if I reboot or change usb external mic devices.  Is Apple going to fix this? 

Me: 2011 MAC MINI running Yosemite 10.10.2

RC's solution worked for me, as well. But I haven't restarted yet, so we'll see what happens there.

-K