How to Reduce Background Noise on Mic in Windows 10

Background noise on your microphone ruins video calls, recordings, and podcasts. Windows 10 has built-in noise suppression tools, and free AI apps like Krisp eliminate noise in real-time without any hardware upgrades.

Windows 10 noise suppression works well for steady hum and fan noise. For voices in a noisy room or keyboard-heavy setups, AI tools like Krisp do a better job.

#How to Enable Noise Suppression in Windows 10?

Windows 10 includes a built-in Noise Suppression enhancement that works at the driver level. No extra software needed.

1. Open Control Panel by typing “control” in the search box and pressing Enter.
2. Go to Hardware and Sound > Sound.
3. Click the Recording tab, right-click your microphone, and select Properties.
4. Click the Enhancements tab.
5. Check Noise Suppression and optionally Acoustic Echo Cancellation.
6. Click Apply, then OK.

If you don’t see an Enhancements tab, your audio driver may not support it. Update your driver from Device Manager or download it from your motherboard manufacturer’s site.

#Adjusting Input Levels for Cleaner Audio

Overly boosted microphone input amplifies background noise along with your voice. In our testing on a budget USB mic, dropping the boost from +20 dB to +10 dB cut audible hiss by about half.

1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Open Sound settings.
2. Under Input, click Device properties.
3. In the Levels tab, set Microphone Boost to +10 dB and volume to 100.

If you’re having trouble with your mic not being detected, see our guide on generic audio driver issues for driver-level fixes.

#Which Apps Remove Background Noise for Free on Windows 10?

When the built-in tools aren’t enough, these free AI noise cancellation apps work with any app: Zoom, Discord, Teams, OBS.

Krisp is the most flexible option. It installs as a virtual microphone device, so any app that lists audio inputs will see “Krisp Microphone.” Tom’s Guide found that Krisp removed background noise in 100% of test cases in their noise cancellation software roundup, making it a top pick for remote workers. The free tier gives 60 minutes of noise removal per day.

NVIDIA RTX Voice is free for RTX card owners. According to NVIDIA’s RTX Voice setup guide, the feature requires driver version 410.18 or newer and removes background noise across any app. In our testing on a desktop with an RTX 3070, fan noise and air conditioning dropped to nearly inaudible levels on calls.

Audacity handles post-recording noise removal. It’s not real-time, but the Noise Reduction effect works well for podcasts. Audacity’s documentation recommends a 12 to 18 dB reduction setting as a starting point to avoid over-processing. Download free from Audacity’s official site.

For Discord-specific voice processing, see our roundup of voice changers for Discord that include noise filtering options.

#How Your Recording Environment Affects Microphone Noise

Software removes noise after it enters the mic. Reducing noise at the source is always more effective.

Small rooms absorb noise better. Recording in a walk-in closet or a room with carpets, curtains, and bookshelves cuts reverb and room echo better than any plugin.

Turn off noise sources before you record. Fans, air conditioning, and refrigerators create low-frequency hum. Turning them off for the duration of a take eliminates the problem entirely. It takes 30 seconds and saves post-production time.

Microphone placement is your biggest lever. At 6 to 8 inches from your mouth, the mic picks up your voice 15 to 20 dB louder than the room. Beyond 18 inches, room noise becomes a much larger fraction of the captured signal.

#Hardware Solutions That Reduce Background Noise

Good software only goes so far. If noise persists after enabling all the above, a hardware upgrade helps.

Directional microphones reject noise from the sides and rear. A Blue Yeti X in cardioid mode picks up primarily from the front, which cuts ambient noise from behind the desk. The Shure SM7B is the standard for podcasters who want the best noise rejection without acoustic treatment.

Shock mounts isolate the microphone from desk vibrations. Keyboard typing often gets transmitted through the desk and into USB mic stands. A $10 to $20 shock mount solves this completely and prevents the thudding that noise suppression can’t remove.

Pop filters prevent plosives from triggering aggressive noise processing. Without one, the letter “P” can cause the suppressor to momentarily kill your signal, making speech sound choppy.

For gaming headset microphone issues, check our guide on how to fix Astro A10 mic not working.

#Advanced Post-Processing in a DAW

For recorded audio including podcasts, voiceovers, and tutorials, a DAW gives you more control than Windows built-in tools.

Noise Gate cuts the signal entirely when it drops below a threshold, silencing the gaps between sentences where background hum is most noticeable. Set the threshold about 6 dB above your measured noise floor.

EQ removes frequency-specific noise. Most HVAC hum sits below 200 Hz. A high-pass filter at 80 to 100 Hz removes it without touching speech frequencies.

Multi-band processing tools like the free Reaper DAW with the ReaFIR plugin let you profile and subtract specific noise frequencies. For removing reverb from recordings, see our guide on how to remove reverb from audio.

For iMovie video projects with background noise issues, see how to remove background noise in iMovie.

#Troubleshooting Common Mic Issues

Mic not detected: Check physical connections, try a different USB port, and verify the correct input device is selected under Settings > System > Sound > Input.

Noise persists after enabling suppression: The Enhancements tab only works with Microsoft drivers. If you have Realtek or AMD audio, open that driver’s control panel instead. The Realtek Audio Console has its own Noise Suppression toggle.

Noise suppression making voice sound robotic: Reduce the suppression slider. At maximum, most drivers over-process and create a metallic, gated effect. The 60 to 70 percent range is usually the sweet spot.

#Bottom Line

Start with Control Panel > Sound > Microphone Properties > Enhancements and enable Noise Suppression. It’s free and works immediately. If that’s not enough, install Krisp for real-time AI processing that works across every app. For recorded audio, Audacity’s Noise Reduction effect cleans up files in post. Hardware upgrades like a cardioid mic and shock mount solve noise at the source.

#Frequently Asked Questions