Does the Agent V5 have a built in mic?

1

The reviews I read about the Agent V5 camera before I bought it talk about a built in mic but I don’t see one on my camera. It is listed in the devices as a microphone but I don’t get anything but static if I select it. What am I overlooking here?

2

Hi Jon,

Yes, definitely, it includes a microphone. Let’s try to figure out the cause of the problem picking up only static - whether it’s simply configuration or perhaps a hardware problem.

On a system with several recording devices (usually the case when you have a USB device attached), Windows has a default, but each app is free to choose a different device if they want.

Can you say what app you’re using to record?

And can you check the “Recording” tab of Win7’s Sound Control panel, to check which device is currently set as default?

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(if you want, you can use Win7’s “snipping tool” to capture a screenshot and post here)

Thanks for your patience while we figure this out,
Bernie

3

At the moment I’m testing with Dell Webcam central, but I get same results with Corel Video Expression or AmCap.
I have been into the device manager you show many times. I’m a musician and actor. I do home recording with Sonar and some other programs. I have to go in there to select and control my sources.
I bought this camera to shoot audition videos from my home studio.

Currently I show the following rec devices:
Microphone-3 USB audio codec. Thant’s my usb mic mixer. I tried turning it off just to see if it was interfering and got same results.

Microphone aGent V5 full HD. Currently set at default. Level currently =93. It shows some green when I talk straight into it but not much. Seems slightly louder if I talk into bottom side of camera, Allow apps to take control and exclusive mode both checked.

Mic line in. Nothing connected there.

Mic array. These are built in mics on Dell Laptop. They pick up fan noise when the laptop’s fan is running, which it always does when I shoot video, but it works head and shoulders better than what I’m getting out of the Agent V5.

I’ve been shooting videos trying to work this out. I can select my mixer, use a Shure 100 and get great sound.
Tried using the Dell’s built ins. They pick up fan noise, as I said. Tried the aGent and it’s got loud static and you can barely make out what I’m saying.

Thanks,
Jon

4

Hi Jon,

Thanks for this great detail. You have the background to work through any configuration problem, so I have to suspect hardware. We’d like to send you a replacement unit to confirm. If you can send your Amazon order # to support@plugable.com, we can get one out to you. Then just let us know whether that resolves the issue of the low pickup.

Thanks for your patience!
Bernie

5

OK,but I’m more than capable of overlooking something obvious.We can exchange it if there’s nothing else to check. I’ll email the order #.
Thanks

6

The video is pretty good, by the way. I’ve captured video with 3 programs so far but none of them is really ideal. The AmCap is the only one that lets me set the camera resolution all the way up, but it overwrites the capture file with each take. That’s awkward to deal with because if I want to save a take I have to go in and rename it.
It does allow me to save the capture file on an external usb drive though, which is great.