There have been many posts on the volume being low on Skype interface hardware, while in most cases this will work it will depend on the software included with your Skype phone or USB adapter.

In most cases when Skype compatable hardware is installed, the audio interfaces for "Audio In" and "Audio Out" for these devices are installed as virtual audio devices. This means you cannot see these virtual audio interfaces to these devices unless the device is currently plugged in.

Most of these virtual audio devices also contain a mixer interface to allow the adjustment of both playback ("Audio out") and recording ("Audio In") volumes, but you would never know it unless you check.

In almost all the install guides included with these devices there is no mention of how to gain access to the mixer to adjust your audio when using these devices.

Here is a way to check if your Skype compatable hardware supports the ability to adjust your audio in and out of your Skype hardware device.

Go to control panel, click on "Sounds and Audio Device" on the volume tab, click the Advance button, this will invoke your mixer, which normally defaults to your soundboard volume controls.

Click on options on the mixer, select properties, in the selection box for mixer device, see if your Virtual Audio device is there, if so select it.

Prior to clicking the OK button make sure that you check each box for ALL the controls listed. At some point also return here and choose the "Adjust volume for" recording and select ALL the controls listed as well prior to clicking the OK button as well.

Note: By defaut the Playback ("Audio Out") volume controls will display, this is the volume control for how loud or soft others will sound to you.

You can select the recording controls ("Audio In") to adjust the volume of how loud or soft you will sound to others.

If you do have a mixer available for your Skype phone or USB hardware and would like a quicker way to gain access to it, you can create a shortcut that will invoke the default mixer ("By default your soundboard") by creating a shortcut to:

c:windowssystem32sndvol32.exe

You can also create a direct shortcut to the Mixer for your specific Skype hardware ("If it does support a mixer") by also passing a device Id ("when you found your mixer for your Skype hardware above in the selection list") if for example it was the second item in the selection list it would be:

c:windowssystem32sndvol32.exe -D1

It is device 1 because the first device is device 0 ("It has been reported that this not always the case, so if -D1 shows your soundboard mixer, try -D0 as well").

Note: When Skype hardware devices are plugged in or removed this order can change, because they are virtual audio devices which go away and appear when they are plugged in or removed, so be careful if you have multiple Skype hardware devices which use virtual audio devices when using direct shorcuts to those devices mixers.

By default the Mixers start showing the playback volume ("Audio Out") you can change that as well by passing a -R option in your shortcut to display recording controls ("Audio In") when it starts, example:

c:windowssystem32sndvol32.exe -D1 -R

NOTE: If there are no volume controls selected for playback or recording for the mixer, you could get an error the first time until you select what voume controls you wish to display when trying to use direct shorcuts.

You may also wish in the Skype client to uncheck under Tools -> Options -> Sound devices "Let Skype adjust my sound device settings" once you set the level on your Skype hardware device.

Hope this helps others who are told they are too soft or loud by others or who hear others too soft or loud using their Skype Phone or USB hardware device.

Is there any skype phone available like net2phone... so we can call from that device and not from the computer

Hello,

I have one of the USB adapter (SKYPE Call Forward Box - similar to the DPH-50U) which uses virtual audio devices. However, the microphone level is very low (if I shout the person I call can barely hear me!). I tried to adjust from mixer using control panel (Sound and Audio Devices) by following your instructions, but the volume slider on the microphone control is greyed-out. The slider is about 3/4 way up, but cannot be changed. Is that the way it should be? I hear ok on the attached cordless telephone, but cannot initiate calls or be heard on it. (Faintly hear myself - if I shout heard after the beep when echo123 test recording is tried). Skype is set for Virtual Audio Device for both input and output. (incoming skype calls rings ok and dispalys caller ID (skype id of caller).
Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

System config:
Celeron 2.6ghz, 512 ram integraded audio card (AC97?), DSL 1.5Mbps/256kbps. Wireless router (belkin 802b)

Thanks to Zoverlord for your instructions! Worked great and was easy.
Again, thanks.

Sadly some devices do not support the mixer control, you must have one of them.

I am having DPH-50U. Also the same sound problem i am facing and as per Mr. TheUberOverlord's instruction if i did the the mic volume is grayed. Any idea to increase the volume ?

I have just installed the software for a phone onto my dad's puter. The sounds works great through the phone, the problem is, he sometimes wants to talk to people through the computer rather than using the phone. Is there a way to switch between the phone and the mike on the computer, or does the software with the phone take over as the mike and that's all there is to it? He can still hear people talk, they just can't hear him.

Thanks, abclovesu

Are you aware of what could make the sound in the headset go out during a call? The call works fine for a few minutes, then they can hear me fine, but the headset is out as I cannot hear them.

I purchased a GE 2 in 1 Internet Phone Model 28300 from SKYPE.

It worked fine when I installed it on my desktop and now I'm trying to use it w/my laptop.

I installed the CD that came w/the phone the same way I did it before but there is no sound coming from the handset.

I can place calls, I can see my contacts list but the sound comes through the notebook's speakers.
When I make a SKYPE-OUT call I can even hear the dial tone on the handset but once I start the call the sound stops. Even if I want to make a SKYPE-to-SKYPE call I have to talk on the microphone and hear through the speakers.

Can anyone help me w/this???

Thanks