Background noise
Most background noise is the room reaching an open mic. Fix the room and the mic distance first, then let the app's suppression clean up the rest.
- Room · source off
- Mic · closer mic
- System · input volume
§ Apps · TeamSpeak
TeamSpeak
Voice servers and channels you can host yourself, for gaming groups and teams.
- Platforms
- Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS · Android
- Suppression
- Noise suppression
- Echo cancel
- Yes · Echo Cancel
- Noise gate
- Yes · Voice activation
- Push-to-talk
- Yes
- Last verified
- 2026-10-18
§ 01 — Setting
Where the setting is
| Platform | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | Settings → Audio (push to talk and voice activation are here; TeamSpeak's help does not name the noise control) |
| macOS | Settings → Audio (push to talk and voice activation are here; TeamSpeak's help does not name the noise control) |
| Linux | Settings → Audio (push to talk and voice activation are here; TeamSpeak's help does not name the noise control) |
| iOS | TeamSpeak 3 app: Options → Voice mode → Voice Activated, then turn on Echo Cancel |
| Android | TeamSpeak's mobile help covers the iOS app only |
TeamSpeak lists advanced noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic microphone volume adjustment among its voice features. Its help pages do not document where the noise control sits in the TeamSpeak 6 client.
§ 02 — Layers
The three layers
Noise can be fixed at three points before it leaves you. Start at the top: a fix at the device beats any amount of software.
| Layer | What it does | What to set |
|---|---|---|
| L1 · Device | The mic and where it sits. Distance to your mouth sets how loud your voice is against the room. | Pick the right mic in the app. A headset or a mic close to your mouth beats a laptop mic across the desk. |
| L2 · System | Your operating system passes the mic to the app at the input volume you set, sometimes with its own processing. | In your system sound settings, choose the same input device and set its volume so speech stays in the green on the noise test. |
| L3 · App | TeamSpeak cleans the signal before it sends it: Noise suppression, Echo Cancel, Voice activation. | Settings → Audio (push to talk and voice activation are here; TeamSpeak's help does not name the noise control) |
Echo cancellation. In the TeamSpeak 3 mobile app, turn on Echo Cancel in Options when you use voice activation.
Voice activation. With voice activation the mic opens only when TeamSpeak detects speech. On mobile, tap the mic while on a server, speak a few sentences and press Auto Settings to set the level.
§ 03 — Limits
What it cannot fix
- TeamSpeak's help covers push to talk and voice activation, but not where noise suppression is in the TeamSpeak 6 client.
- TeamSpeak says echo from your speakers reaching your mic is nearly impossible to fix completely: use a headset, keep the mic away from the sound and turn the volume down.
- If you still echo with your speakers at 0%, your sound driver is recording what you hear; make the mic the only input it records.
- TeamSpeak 6 is still a beta (6.0.0-beta5 on the downloads page), and TeamSpeak 3 (3.6.2) is still offered, so menus differ between the two.
§ 04 — Symptoms
Fixes for what you hear
Keyboard noise
Keyboard noise is the mic hearing your desk. Distance and a mic aimed at your mouth do most of the work, then suppression or push to talk.
- Room · distance
- Mic · aim the mic
- App · threshold
Game audio in the mic
Game audio in the mic is usually speakers being picked up, or your system or app sending what you hear as well as your voice.
- Room · headphones
- Mic · volume down
- System · driver mixer
Echo
Echo is almost always someone's speakers playing the call into their own mic, and the person causing it usually cannot hear it.
- Room · headphones
- Room · one device per room
- Room · TV down
Voice cutting out
Clipped first words almost always mean a voice activation threshold set too high. Dropouts mid-sentence point to the connection or Bluetooth.
- Mic · closer
- Mic · USB headset
- App · threshold
One-sided audio
One-sided audio is almost always a mute, a blocked mic permission or the wrong device, in that order. Firewalls come last.
- Mic · unmute
- Mic · one device
- System · mic permission
Robotic voice
A robotic voice is usually late or lost packets on the network, or a headset sending audio at a rate the app does not expect.
- Mic · USB headset
- System · separate devices
- System · close apps
Mic too quiet
A quiet mic is usually distance, the wrong input device or a low input volume in the system, not a broken mic.
- Mic · closer
- Mic · right input
- System · input volume
Fan noise
Fan noise is steady, so suppression handles it well, but moving the mic away from the fan still does the most.
- Room · fan off
- Room · distance
- Mic · headset
Others hear themselves
If others hear themselves when you unmute, the echo is on your side: your speakers, a second device or your sound driver sends their voices back.
- Room · headphones
- Room · one device
- Room · one audio source
§ 05 — Test
Test it
The noise test rates your mic fine for TeamSpeak when your noise floor is at or below −50 dBFS and your voice is at least 20 dB above it. Between −50 and −40 dBFS it is usable with suppression on; above that, the noise needs fixing at the room or the mic.
These bars are our rule of thumb for how much steady noise TeamSpeak's built-in suppression copes with, not figures from TeamSpeak. The methodology explains them.
Test my mic for TeamSpeak → § 06 — Questions
TeamSpeak questions
Q.01Should I use push to talk or voice activation in TeamSpeak?
Push to talk opens your mic only while you hold a key you choose in Key Bindings, which suits games where one person calls the shots. Voice activation lets you talk whenever you like; both are in the Audio section of the settings.
Q.02How do I stop echo in TeamSpeak?
Turn your speakers off and ask if you still echo. If you do not, use a headset and keep the mic away from the sound; if you still do, your sound driver is recording what you hear, so make the mic its only recorded input.
Q.03What does Auto Gain Control do in TeamSpeak?
It lowers the volume when your signal is strong and raises it when it is weak, so your level stays even.
§ Sources
Checked against
TeamSpeak's own help pages and announcements, last checked :
- teamspeak.com · TeamSpeak Features Overview
- support.teamspeak.com · What Is the Difference Between Push-To-Talk and Voice Activity Detection?
- support.teamspeak.com · How Do I Switch from Voice Activation to Push-To-Talk and Vice Versa?
- support.teamspeak.com · How Do I Configure My Voice Activation Settings?
- support.teamspeak.com · When I Talk I Am Producing Echoes. How Can I Fix This?
- support.teamspeak.com · What Does the Option "Auto Gain Control" Do?
- teamspeak.com · TeamSpeak Downloads