How to Hear Yourself with Zero Latency (Audio Monitoring) on the fifine AM6 / AM8

The Importance of Real-Time Mic Monitoring

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Real-time mic input monitoring is a crucial feature for content creators, professionals, and anyone who wants extra confidence in their recordings. This lets you hear your voice as you speak, ensuring that your microphone is positioned correctly, your gain levels are optimal and your mic isn’t muted. This immediate feedback is invaluable during live streams or meetings, where audio quality and clarity are essential.

While gaming headsets usually prioritize other features, hardware-level audio monitoring is a must-have for more serious applications. The ability to instantly assess your voice during recordings or calls provides a sense of control and confidence.

Standalone USB microphones like the fifine AM6 and AM8 which are for the more audio-conscious users offer hardware support for real-time monitoring which means you can get this feedback in real-time with no delay (zero-latency). This may be turned off by default but rest assured it is built in and can be enabled in Windows or Mac.

Method 1 (Preferred)

Achieving Real-Time Input Monitoring through Hardware 

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How to enable (Windows 11 & 10)

1) Open the Sound settings:

• Press the Windows Key + R.

• Type "mmsys.cpl" and press Enter.

2) Find your playback device:

• In the "Playback" tab, find your audio device (e.g., "fifine Chat...").

• Double-click it to open its properties.

3) Adjust monitoring volume:

• Go to the "Levels" tab.

• Drag the "Microphone" slider to your desired monitoring volume (higher for louder monitoring).

Important Notes

• If you don't find a Microphone slider, your mic may not support hardware-based monitoring. See the next section for a software-based alternative.

• Remember, this setting only adjusts your monitoring volume (how loudly you hear yourself), not your actual recording volume. For the best experience, you may want to set this to maximum unless you have specific preferences.

• If you're using a fifine AM6, select 'fifine Chat' as your playback device.

Method 2 (Alternative Only if Method 1 Does Not Work)

Achieving Real-Time Input Monitoring through Software

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The Windows OS offer a "listen to this device"  feature that allows you to monitor your microphone input by looping it through the headphones/speakers.

How to enable (Windows 11 & 10)

Just a reminder only do this if your mic lacks hardware support, I suggest you try the first method first.

1) Open the Sound settings:

• Press the Windows Key + R.

• Type "mmsys.cpl" and press Enter.

2) Find your recording device:

• In the "Recording" tab, find your microphone (e.g., "Gaming headset...").

• Double-click it to open its properties.

3) Enable software monitoring:

• Go to the "Listen" tab.

• Check the box next to "Listen to this device."

Outro

I hope this guide has been helpful! Now that you have real-time mic monitoring enabled, you can record and communicate with confidence, knowing that your audio is clear and properly adjusted.

If the first method didn't work for you and you need hardware-level monitoring, it might be time to consider upgrading your microphone. I want to thank fifine for sending me their AM6 and AM8 microphones – you can check out my reviews of these products here and here.

This guide is for the fifine AM6 and fifine AM8 but may also work on other USB Microphones with the hardware built in. If you are unsure, it is worth following these steps first to find out.

If the previous method didn't work or you don't see the necessary settings, your microphone might lack hardware-level monitoring. Don't worry, there are still software solutions! However, software solutions introduce a slight delay (latency) due to the time it takes to process the audio signal. This delay can be distracting, making it harder to speak naturally and potentially disrupting the flow of conversations.