The microphone on MacBook Pro has been relocated by Apple. There are some people that though it was better, but I find it significantly worse. So this is my blog post on how to solve the issue by reverting back to the old location of the microphone.
A few weeks ago, Apple announced they had relocated the microphone on their laptops; an upgrade which supposedly improved digital voice recording quality for video conferences and podcasts.
Table of Contents
Is there a Microphone on a Mackbook Pro?
This is a common question asked by many MacBook Pro users. Do you know where the microphone is?
The microphone is housed inside a silver metallic circle about one inch in diameter. On the microphone there is a light green light that indicates when it is on and if you are recording sound. It will be off if you are not recording sound. This light can often be seen through your webcam as well.
The microphone is located on the right side of your Macbook Pro. You may have to press a button in order to access it. If you do not have a microphone located in this side, you may need to make a decision if it is really necessary for you to use one.
What is this change?
On a Macbook Pro laptop, the speaker and microphone are located on a silver metal strip on the bottom edge of the screen. This change was made to make video conferencing “better” … or so they say. These “better” video conferencing systems sound like this:
And what do we hear? Sounds of a computer’s hard-drive. This is due to the new user interface changes made by Apple during their most recent redesign. The majority of users can’t even tell that audio is overriding these audio issues and has become more intrusive than ever before!
The only option for some users is to disable the microphone while using FaceTime on a Mac or PC — while this would be ideal, it’s not always practical.
How much did this change improve the quality of work?
The new location doesn’t actually improve the quality of work or life in any way. In fact, if you try to use your Macbook pro with a headset, there is a good possibility that the wires will get in the way and hinder your experience. Let me give you an example:
I was recording a podcast with my friends Andrea and Jay this weekend at the Google Hangout. Every time I leaned back in my chair, or moved my hand around, the headset wires would catch on the microphone and cut out the audio. It was an extremely frustrating experience and forced me to use external microphones which did not even match the quality of Apple’s new internal one.
Why did Apple make this change?
They made this change because they thought it would improve sales, but what they didn’t realize is that there were already dozens of external microphone solutions for their laptops such as the “Blue Snowball” and “Yeti”. Now Apple has a bunch of unhappy people who have to buy a new microphone, or revert back to the old location of the microphone.
Where is the Microphone on a Macbook Pro?
The microphone has been relocated to the top left corner of your trackpad. To access, here is how:
Step 1:
Turn off your computer and remove all cords… power cord, computer cable etc.
Step 2:
Carefully flip over your Macbook Pro (make sure to place it on a flat surface) and locate the silver metal plate that is on top of the motherboard (this is not the same as your hardrive which is located at the bottom of your laptop).
Step 3:
Using a very thin object like a pen or knife, carefully pry up on this metal plate until you can see where the cable sits.
Step 4:
The cable will be held in place by a little plastic connector. Gently remove the plastic connector by pulling upwards.
Step 5:
Now that you have removed the plastic connector, you can pull the cable out of its casing and access the microphone. You can then connect the old cable back to the motherboard.
Step 6:
Flip open your laptop and plug in your power cord, turn on the laptop. Now you can enjoy video conferences without wires getting in the way!
Now I can confidently say that this is much better than Apple’s original idea. The microphone is back where it should be and will not cause any issues when using external microphones or headsets with your Macbook Pro laptop.
How to Test Microphone on a Macbook Pro?
You can test it by recording some audio with your favourite YouTube app on your Macbook Pro. After you are done recording, simply plug in any external microphone or headset while talking into the laptop to compare the quality of your audio. If you hear a hiss or static, then plug in the cable back into the motherboard and recheck!
How to allow apps to use Microphone on Macbook Pro?
If you are using external Microphones or headsets with your Macbook Pro laptop, you will have to allow apps to use the Microphone. It is easy to do so. Go to “System Preferences”, click the “Security & Privacy” tab, click on your Microphone tab, click the + button next to the microphone permissions and then select “Allow apps that use this microphone”.
Some Advantages of Built in Microphone:
- No need to buy another microphone
- No need to plug in headphones or external speakers (unless you want to)
- Allows for multiple people to be part of the same conference (not all microphones allow this)
- It is located on the same level as the operating system, so there is no risk of it getting damaged by your laptop closing or anything like that. (This used to be an issue back when the microphone was located on the top of the key board.
FAQ’s:
How do I access the microphone on my MacBook?
- Go to Start menu > Settings > Privacy.
- Click Camera in the left sidebar and then turn on access for the app that needs to use the camera.
- If this option is grayed out, make sure Let apps use my camera hardware is turned on.
- Click Microphone in the left sidebar and then turn on access for the app that needs to use the mic.
- If this option is grayed out, make sure Let apps use my microphone is turned on.
How do I test my microphone on my MacBook Pro?
- Open the System Preferences app.
- Go to the Sound preference.
- On the Sound preference, go to the Input tab.
- Select the input device i.e., the mic that you want to test.
- Adjust the volume so that it can pick up the sound you want the mic to pick up and speak into it.
Why is the microphone on my Mac not working?
A common cause of microphone problems is a misconfigured sound input. Head to System Preferences > Sound, and then click the “Input” tab. You should see a list of devices you can use as a sound source, including, (hopefully) the microphone you want to use. … If the slider is too low, your Mac won’t detect any sound.
How do I turn on the microphone on my MacBook Pro?
- On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click Privacy. Open the Privacy pane for me.
- Select Microphone.
- Select the checkbox next to an app to allow it to access the microphone. Deselect the checkbox to turn off access for that app.
Conclusion:
Apple did not really think this through and how their product would impact the market and consumer needs. So if you have a Macbook Pro with this new hardware, do not fret! You can easily revert back to the old location of the microphone.
FAQ:
Q: How do you turn on microphone on MacBook Pro?
A: open the Input pane of Sound preferences (choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sound, then click Input). Choose a sound input device. From the list of input devices, select the one you want to use. All sound inputs available to your Mac are listed. If your display has an internal microphone, it’s listed as “Display Audio.”.
Q: Can I hook up a microphone to my MacBook Pro?
A: Blue Snowball. A great USB mic for starters who want to get good sound quality without paying an arm and a leg for it,you can plug it directly into … Audio-Technica AT2020. This mic comes in both USB and XLR versions,it is a step up from the Blue Snowball in sound quality and is a great deal for the … Røde Podcaster. … Røde NT1A. …
Q: Does the MacBook Pro have a microphone?
A: Yes, the MacBook Prohas a microphone. The internal microphone pairs with the MacBook Pro’s included iSight camera. You don’t need any extra tools to audio chat, video chat, or record sound. Of course, you can also plug in a microphone to the computer’s headphone jack or a USB port.
Q: Where are the speakers located on the MacBook Pro?
A: Benefits of a Built-In Microphone. When you think of a microphone,you probably picture a singer on stage holding a traditional looking mic in their hand with the big round … MacBook Pro Microphone Location. The location of the microphone on your MacBook Pro can be hard to find if you don’t know where to look. FAQ. … Final Thoughts. …