---
title: "Choose and test your microphone"
summary: "How to pick the right microphone in the Dashboard, check the level before recording, and place the microphone well in the consulting room."
url: "https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dashboard/microphone"
product: "MediSync Dashboard"
platforms: ["web"]
access: "public"
updated: "2026-11-11"
version: "Dashboard 2.10"
---

# Choose and test your microphone

How to pick the right microphone in the Dashboard, check the level before recording, and place the microphone well in the consulting room.

MediSync records through the microphone your browser uses. The first time, the browser asks whether the Dashboard may access it. Allow access. If you once refused it, see [Microphone blocked in the browser](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dashboard/microphone-blocked).

## Choose the microphone and check the level

You pick the microphone in the **Start new session** window. It opens when **Extended view** is switched on in the sidebar and you click **New Recording**.

1. Open the list under **Select Microphone** and choose your microphone.
2. Say a few sentences at normal volume. The bars to the right of the list light up green.
3. If the bars stay grey, choose another device or check the cable and the mute switch.

![Select Microphone list with a default microphone and the level meter next to it](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/media/public/dashboard/microphone-select.en.webp)
_Microphone and level meter in the Start new session window._

Without microphone access or without a microphone, **Start recording** cannot be clicked.

With **Extended view** off, **Start recording** starts at once with the browser's default microphone. To use a different microphone there, make it the default device in Windows or macOS, or record from the extended view. The choice in the window applies to that one recording only.

## Place the microphone

- Put the microphone on the desk between you and the patient, at about the same distance from both of you.
- Keep it away from the keyboard, printer or fans.
- A headset mainly picks up your own voice. For a conversation in the room, a desk or conference microphone works better. For video consultations a headset is fine, see [Record an online consultation](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/en/dashboard/online-consultation).
- A laptop's built-in microphone works, but it picks up more room echo and typing noise.

The Dashboard always switches on the browser's noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic gain.

## Quiet speech is missed

The Dashboard skips near-silent passages and does not send them for transcription. If quiet voices get lost because of this, switch it off:

1. Open **Settings › Account** and the **Recording** tab.
2. Switch off **Skip silent audio automatically**.

![Live transcription setting with the Skip silent audio automatically switch turned on](https://help.medisynchealth.ai/media/public/dashboard/silence-filter.en.webp)
_Settings > Account > Recording._