Most modern computers have several microphones available: a built-in laptop mic, AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones, wired headphones, an external USB microphone. Your browser picks one of these whenever you start a recording -- and the one it picks isn't always the one you want.
This guide is about how to make sure Quill is recording from the right microphone.
Why this matters
The quality of your recording is mostly the quality of the microphone Quill is using. If your browser defaults to a Bluetooth headset that's currently sitting in another room, or to a built-in laptop mic that's pointed away from you, the audio Quill gets to work with is going to be quiet, muddy, or both.
Getting the right microphone selected isn't fussy -- it just makes a meaningful difference in how well Quill can transcribe what you said.
Checking which microphone is being used
When you start a recording at Quill, the recording panel shows a line that says "Recording with:" followed by the name of the input device. That's the microphone Quill is using.
If it says something that doesn't match what you want -- maybe "AirPods" when you'd rather use your laptop mic, or "Internal Microphone" when you've got a nicer headset plugged in -- you can change it.
Changing the microphone
Click "Change Input Device" above the recording controls. You'll see a list of microphones your browser has access to. Pick the one you want and continue.
A few notes on what shows up:
- The list only includes microphones your browser has been granted permission to use. If a microphone is plugged in but doesn't appear, it usually means the browser didn't ask about it, or you denied access when it did.
- Bluetooth headsets sometimes appear under a generic name like "Default" or by their model number rather than "AirPods". If you're not sure which is which, just try one and see how the recording sounds.
- Refreshing the page can help if a microphone you just plugged in isn't showing up.
When Quill thinks your microphone might be wrong
If Quill detects that the recording is unusually quiet, you'll see an alert that says "Possible recording issue: Your microphone seems to be picking up very little sound. Please check your microphone or click 'Change Input Device' above."
That alert isn't always a real problem -- maybe you were just pausing for a sip of coffee. But if you're talking and the alert appears, that's a strong hint that the wrong microphone is selected. Click "Change Input Device" and pick a different one.
Microphone recommendations
You don't need a fancy setup to get good results with Quill. Most therapists are recording fine with the built-in microphone on a modern laptop. But if you want to invest a little:
- A decent wired headset (the kind with a microphone arm) tends to give the most consistent quality, since the mic is always at a consistent distance from your mouth.
- AirPods or similar Bluetooth earbuds work well for most recordings, though they occasionally drop quality on longer recordings.
- A USB desk microphone is overkill for most therapists but makes for excellent audio if you happen to have one around.
Whatever you use, the most important thing is consistency. Once you've found a setup that works, stick with it -- your recordings will sound about the same every time and Quill will get used to your voice.
Having trouble getting Quill to pick up the microphone you want to use? Send us an email -- we've helped therapists work through a lot of these.
