Virtualbox microphone not working (ubuntu as guest)

Question

I'm hosting Ubuntu 16.04.4 using a windows host machine. I can't manage to make the microphone work. It is not an internal microphone, I connect it with a jack. The microphone works properly on windows.

Does anybody know how to solve this?

Thank you!

Solution 1

Which VirtualBox version are you using? I had issues with audio input on latest stable 5.2.8 (Ubuntu 16.04 guest, Windows 10 host), reverting back to 5.2.6 made it work fine again (I didn't even have to revert the GA).

Found a ticket on the VirtualBox bug tracker as well: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/17597

Solution 2

Make sure to have the correct Audio Hardware set in the options of Virtualbox. Then check the "Audioinput" to be activated (, as the "Audiooutput" probably already is).

Then start the virtual machine and check if the Audioinput shows up as activated in the Audio menu. If so, check Ubuntu to have found the mic.

Finally check the settings of the recording software as well for any settings reffering to the mic and further, not muting it.

Comments

[Ayden]

Thank you for the answer. I only have "windows DirectSound" as driver. As for the controller, i tested all the list and only one option has working audio. If i check the audio menu I can see two microphones connected (I have one), both are not working.

[Admin]

Open virtualbox and select your Ubuntu. Then go to the options and choose the "Audio"-Tab. There should be two boxes, "Audiooutput" and "Audioinput". Are both activated? If so, please try the steps a above.

[Ayden]

Both boxes are activated. Inside the audio menu there are no muted devices. Unplugging the mic changes nothing, the devices listed under "audio input" are the same. I've also tried alsamixer: I set mic volume and aux volume at maximum, still, no changes.

[Admin]

Below the Audio driver "windows Direct Sound", maybe there are different Audio Controllers. ( E.g. I do have three of those). Have to tried to switch between them?

[Ayden]

Apart from direct sound I only have "null audio driver". I think it means "no driver". If I try to use it there is no sound at all. I also have tested all the controllers. Thank you for the time you are dedicating to me.

[Admin]

Nevermind. But the Mic is connected to the sound card and not to the usb port? Otherwise you have to activate the USB support in virtualbox, which is only available with the extension pack.

[Ayden]

I have connected it to the front microphone jack. I also have tested it on the back mic jack, directly onto the motherboard, without success. If I go to USB setting I see the "enable usb controller" checked.

[Admin]

The last advise I have for now is to compare the entries of the device managers in the host and guest system and look for any drivers that are only related to the mic (which is unusual since the functionality of the mic depends on the sound card). If there are any mic related entries on the host system, use "hardinfo" to find them in ubuntu.

[Ayden]

I'll try that as soon as I'll be back to my pc. I'll let you know if I solve the problem. Thank you!

[Clock ZHONG]

I followed all solutions provided in this ticket, but still couldn't make the microphone work in my virtualbox guest WindowsOS.