Knowledge Base

Problem

After moving a USB microphone to a different port, or after connecting additional audio devices, UltraVox no longer recognizes the original microphone. The device appears in Windows with a number suffix (e.g., 'Microphone 2', 'Microphone 3'), and the original 'Microphone 1' entry is missing or inaccessible. Existing experiment configurations that referenced the original microphone index stop working.

Details

Affects UltraVox XT (all versions). Windows assigns a new device identity each time a USB audio device is connected to a different physical USB port, incrementing the device number. Additional audio devices (e.g., soundbars, USB hubs with audio) connected to the same system can compound the problem by consuming lower-numbered device slots. The issue manifests as the microphone not picking up sound in experiments or the expected microphone port being unavailable in the software device list.

Solution

1. Identify the specific USB port the microphone was originally connected to (check documentation or try each port while observing the Windows Sound control panel).
2. Always plug each UltraVox microphone into the exact same physical USB port on the computer. Do not swap ports between sessions.
3. If the original port is unknown, reconnect the microphone to each port one at a time, checking Device Manager or Windows Sound settings after each attempt until 'Microphone' (no number suffix) reappears.
4. Disconnect any non-essential audio devices (speakers with USB audio, soundbars, USB headsets) before starting UltraVox to prevent device index conflicts.
5. If duplicate numbered entries persist, open Windows Sound settings, disable or uninstall the unused 'Microphone 2/3/etc.' entries under the Recording tab, then reconnect the correct microphone to its designated port.
6. Update experiment configurations in UltraVox to reflect the correct (renumbered if necessary) device if the original index cannot be restored.
7. Label the designated USB port on the computer chassis (e.g., with a sticker) to prevent future accidental port changes.