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AT2020 Not Picking Up Sound: Complete Solution Guide

Is your at2020 being unable to pick up the sounds? It can be a huge problem for your home audio setup. But don’t be so hopeless. You can troubleshoot this easily. 

What you can do when your at2020 not picking up sound?

You’ve to troubleshoot your at2020. So, start the mission by checking the hardware. After that, try putting your devices into the right settings. Finally, make sure your microphone is getting its required power. If all these methods fail, then you might need to take expert advice. 

Continue reading with us. By the end of this segment, you’ll get all the necessary information. 

Let’s dive deep into this-

Reasons Behind AT2020 Not Picking Sound

AT2020 is a versatile studio condenser microphone. It can provide a wide dynamic range by picking sound from both sides and rear. Therefore, it’s the best choice for a home studio setting. 

Podcaster, content creators, and musicians use this for its reliable and consistent performance. Apparently, it can create a huge hassle for you. 

You need to solve the problems of your mic. Let’s start with finding the reasons. Three possible reasons for these problems are –

  1. The device connected to the microphone might have the wrong setting
  2. The cable that you’re using for connecting might be dead
  3. The microphone itself might be having problems. 

Now we know about the reasons. Let’s talk about the troubleshooting part.

How to Troubleshoot Your AT2020

We can understand your frustration with a problematic microphone. It can hinder a lot of your important tasks. Moreover, your confusion regarding the troubleshooting is legit. 

The process might perplex you at times. As you lack expertise in troubleshooting. But, don’t worry too much. We’ve made this whole process in the easiest possible way. 

Here, we’ve added the solutions for you-

Checking The Hardware

The first step of troubleshooting is checking the hardware. You should always make sure if your devices are connected properly. Also, don’t forget to examine the cable you’re using to connect the devices. 

To do this, connect another mic with your PC using this cable. If the other mic doesn’t work, replace it with a new one.

In case you’re wondering which cable should you buy. Here, we’ve added our best picks for you-

Product 1
Product 2

What’s stopping you? Just grab your desired cable and get back to work. 

If your cable works properly, let’s figure out what else is wrong. 

Notice if your mic is recognized by your PC or PS4. If yes, increase the sound level and try recording the sound. 

This problem occurs when your microphone doesn’t sync with your voice properly. Try using microphones that match your voice type. Like specialized microphones for nasal voice or soft voice. 

If your device fails to record even after recognizing the mic. Then you should attempt the other methods. 

Here goes the next one-

Setting Your Devices Correctly

Putting your devices in the right setting is immensely important. It won’t work properly unless you do so. Thus, check your microphone settings and ensure if it’s the correct configuration. 

Here’s a step-by-step process of microphone settings-

  1.  Right-clicking the speaker icon on the bottom right
  2. Sound> Recording tab
  3. Choose your microphone as the default device
  4. Now select properties
  5. Level> Increase the sound

This will help you to configure your device. Another thing is, Windows update can block your device’s access to recording audio. So, your PC might fail to recognize the mic

Here’s another setting process that may help you solve this-

  1. Start> Privacy
  2. Then choose the microphone section
  3. Turn on “Allow apps to access your microphone”
  4. Also, turn on “Allow access to the microphone on this device”

Hopefully, this will set your devices correctly. Now try again if your mic can pick up the sound. If not, follow the method mentioned below.

Ensuring The Required Power 

AT2020 requires 48V phantom power. So, you’ve to ensure this power to make the device function properly.

Check if this amount of power is turned on in your interface. The switch is located on the back of the device, so check that. And make sure you’ve provided it. 

If you’re using the USB port to connect. Then make sure you’re supplying it from a DC power source. At times, USB ports fail to deliver enough amperage. So it becomes impossible to step the power up to 48V without a DC supply.

In this case, you can use a rectifier, commutator, or dc generator for this. 

If none of the above-mentioned methods work for you. Sorry to say, but you might need expert advice. Since your device might have some internal technical issues. So, take advice from a professional. 

Hurray! We’re done with the troubleshooting. 

FAQs

Question: Does Audio Technica AT2020 require phantom power?
Answer: Yes, this device requires 48V phantom power for operation. The AT2020 is designed for home studio applications. It is a fixed charge condenser microphone that has a cardioid polar pattern. 

Question: Is the Audio Technica AT2020 good for vocals?
Answer: The Audio Technica AT2020 can reproduce acoustic details. It’s a very good choice for both vocals and for acoustic instruments recording. This device can even reproduce the subtle change in vocal applications. 

Question: Does the AT2020 have a mute button?
Answer: It doesn’t have any separate mute button. So, you can use a hub to control it while using it on a PC or PS4. Even simply pressing the button can activate/deactivate it within seconds. It takes the PC or PS4 only a second to recognize the AT2020. 

Conclusion 

That’s all you need to know before starting to troubleshoot your AT2020. Hopefully, now you know how to proceed when your at2020 not picking up sound

Jump into your mission without wasting time. Our best wishes to you.