Microphone test
Before you start: Use headphones for local playback to avoid feedback. Speak normally instead of tapping the microphone. Stop the microphone when finished and avoid recording private conversations.
Local input analysis
Microphone capture
Inspect the selected browser input, its actual settings and a short local recording without uploading raw audio.
Interpretation: The test can confirm that the selected browser input produces a digital signal and expose settings the browser reports.
Limit: An uncalibrated microphone in an arbitrary room cannot establish true SPL or isolated microphone frequency response.
Safety and privacy: Microphone access starts only after you grant permission. Analysis and short recordings stay in this browser by default; raw audio is not uploaded. Digital dBFS is not physical SPL.
How to use this test
- Grant permission deliberately: WaveLocus requests microphone access only after you press the permission button.
- Speak at the normal distance: Watch peak, RMS, clipping, waveform and spectrum without treating dBFS as physical loudness.
- Check actual processing: Compare the requested processing state with the settings the browser actually reports.
- Make a short local recording: Record up to ten seconds, stop the live track and play the temporary local clip back.
Recording level is an input measurement
Microphone peak and RMS describe the captured signal, not a generated test level. Focusrite suggests recording peaks around −12 dBFS as practical input-gain guidance; that is not a universal pass range or a guaranteed noise margin. The near-full-scale indicator is a headroom warning, not proof of clipping or audible distortion. Check the actual input and processing settings before interpreting the reading.
Source: Focusrite input-gain guidance. Read dBFS vs dB SPL to distinguish digital signal levels from physical sound pressure. Use the voice recording level check to inspect the selected recording after capture.
How to interpret your microphone test results
The input meter responds: The browser is receiving samples from the selected input. Confirm that the device label and your short playback recording match the microphone you intended.
The meter is silent: Check permission, system input, mute and the selected device. Change one item and repeat; the meter alone cannot identify the cause.
A near-full-scale warning appears: Reduce input gain where available and record again. The warning indicates limited digital headroom; its absence does not prove that earlier clipping or audible distortion never occurred.
Source: Focusrite input-gain guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test the right microphone online?
Allow microphone access deliberately, confirm the displayed input, and speak a short sentence. Watch whether the meter and waveform follow your voice. Check actual input settings when the browser exposes them.
Is my microphone recording uploaded?
This microphone test processes capture and temporary recordings in your browser. It does not upload the microphone stream. Stop the track when you finish.
Why does my microphone work here but not in a meeting app?
The meeting app can use another input, permission or processing configuration. A successful browser check verifies this capture path, not the settings or far-end sound in every other app.
What should I check if microphone permission was denied?
Check this site’s microphone permission in your browser and the microphone access setting in your operating system. Confirm that a connected input is available, then deliberately try again. Do not grant access to a site you did not intend to use.