In an increasingly complicated world, SmartMusic is easy to use. Consequently the bulk of the questions our support team receives aren’t about HOW to use SmartMusic, but often have more to do with getting started the first time. Microphone set-up questions often fall under this category, and one contributing factor to many of these questions is the quality of the sound cards that computer manufacturers include with today’s PCs. Many of these cards are good enough to play DVDs and MP3s, but high-end audio software can push these sound cards past their modest limits. SmartMusic is somewhat surprising in this regard – despite its affordable price, SmartMusic includes a powerful sound engine that can benefit from a good “middle of the road” sound card.

However, we know that can be a pricey investment. In SmartMusic 2010, we did a lot “under the hood” to improve the microphone experience with most sound cards. If you’re experiencing any microphone difficulties with SmartMusic and are not yet using SmartMusic 2010, you may only need to download the free update. Similarly, be sure to encourage your students to do so as well, so they can also benefit from these and other enhancements.

Here’s another tip: Some machines don’t “see” your microphone once it’s plugged in – try restarting the computer with the microphone attached as a first step.