My microphone has no 1-channel options. Can I get them and how?

Question

Windows 7 user on a Cybertron Borg-Q (a very iffy computer overall). In control panel, my recording device (plugged into the red port on the front of my computer) has no "2 channel" options and this is sort of annoying me because the left channel records nothing but a faint crackling noise.

        

My driver appears to be by AMD but the publisher of the recording device's driver says "Microsoft."  All I want to do is find a way to make the recording device record both sides the way it records the right side, or to make it "1 channel." Is this possible outside of the settings in individual software? Can I install a replacement driver that will work with my soundcard?

Answer 1

This sounds like a hardware problem to me. On your Tip Ring Sleeve(TRS) connector the tip is left and the ring is right. If you are getting a cracking noise on the left side and no audio, the connector is activating the tip connector in the computer but not receiving audio. I think there is a break somewhere in the Tip cable.

1) Unplug and plug the Mic into the laptop a bunch of times, there could be dirt on the connectors inside the laptop. This is called exercising connector and could remove some dirt.

2)Try the Mic out on another computer to see if you get the same result?