What is the tipe of your microphone? If it is a condenser typre your sound card should support it. This means there should be a 5V supply to power it (not all of the soundcards are doing this)!
Even though it sound silly just check whether your microphone is not muted. Go to programs->accessories->entertainment->volume control. If microphone is not visible go to properties and select microphone and make sure that Mute checkbox is unchecked for microphone.
i think is like this.....double click the volume icon, in the option, tick the advanced controls, then, below the microphone will appear a advanced button...click it and a window pop up...you simply select mic 2 or mic 1...you will hear your voice. as picture below
if you wan to record, go to option--recording--and select microphone...
to hear piano..you mean connecting piano to PC? you have to connect it to line in hole and select the line in option
even your operating system matters. are you using xp?(just for confirmation). and also some earlier motherboards do not support mics( i dont know how).
Using xp. My voice ok when near microphone, but piano not near and weak sound in recording. Tried mute line in and others...no luck. Where is equalizer?
make all volume, wave, line in , microphone to maximum value...if cannot, your recording program can also amplify the volume....if still cannot...cant help
Using xp. My voice ok when near microphone, but piano not near and weak sound in recording. Tried mute line in and others...no luck. Where is equalizer?
I think ur problem is "ur mic". You had checked the spec. of microphone, in my experience, some microphone can only respone to sound in uni-direction, and sound (voice) should be very close to mic to record, otherwise the volume of sound is "small". If you want to record your piano a distant from your mic, you had better buy another mic which like used in karaok.