I know using a headset helps, but you’re still talking, so…Do you adjust the mic settings to pick up even as you speak quieter, or…?
How do you check to ensure you’re still audible enough to those on the other end if you do that?
Also this isn’t a shared room situation, so that helps, but I want to be sure I’m not being too loud.
Thanks for any advice!
You don’t, don’t be an asshole and go somewhere else.
If you’re doing it loudly enough to be worried about people in complete other rooms, kinda yeah.
Some people are overly conscientious of people around them, and ask questions like these even though they are already being completely reasonable. It’s a huge jump to assume they must be being an asshole, yelling into their mic etc. Try asking next time: “are you concerned about it because you tend to get excited and loud while chatting? Or is it more just a normal phone-call conversation volume?”
My question is coming more from the perspective of, “i think i’d like to try voice chatting but i really don’t want to be that roommate someone wants to strangle”
Hallway, stairwell, outside the building, in your parked car, things like that
edit: op is talking about gaming, I was thinking phone calls and stuff. I’m a dum dum
Discord has individual volume adjustor per person in chat. With my friends turning me up and me turning my mic volume setting in Windows all the way up, I’m able to talk quietly enough in the next room without bothering my wife if she’s sleeping. We also have a white noise sound machine we run at nigh in our bedroom, so I’m sure that helps. White noise is probably your best bet if you’re in a smaller living area.
If you want to reduce how audible you are outside your room you can add some sound dampening material to your walls and door and seal air cracks around your door. Those black spiked foam wall panels or heavy curtains are probably best for sound dampening, but something as simple and cheap as paper egg cartons on your walls will greatly reduce how much sound gets through.
but something as simple and cheap as paper egg cartons on your walls will greatly reduce how much sound gets through.
Hadn’t come across this before, thanks!
silly follow-up
would keeping and rotating the eggs improve the sound dampening?
Like the actual eggs? I would have to assume yes. That’s more material for sound to have to travel through.
So, there’s a difference between sound absorption and soundproofing. Curtains and foam panels can do wonders for making your room sound better acoustically but won’t do much to lower the amount of sound getting out. The only way to actually soundproof is either by adding a bunch of mass (bricks/concrete blocks/mass loaded vinyl) or by creating air gaps (or some combination of the two). Conflating soundproofing and sound absorption is very common but they are different. . Paper egg cartons will do little to nothing for either sound absorption or soundproofing; this myth comes from old style sound absorption foam tiles that kinda looked like egg cartons and were therefore referred to as such.
You’re absolutely right about sealing door gaps helping though.
Since y’all aren’t sharing a room, closing your door and speaking softly is usually sufficient. Make sure you have a mic that rests in front of your mouth, and isn’t setting far away on your desk. That way it can pick you up easily.
Box fan helps too
