Here's what you need to know about getting your microphone to work with the spirits. Make sure your mic is properly connected and unmuted first, then check if windows actually detects it by testing in the voice recorder app. In the game's main menu, go to audio options and run the mic test - you should see "we heard you!" if everything's working right.

For the technical stuff, right-click your sound icon and set your mic as the default device, then disable exclusive mode in the advanced properties - this is super important for the spirit box to work properly. Head into windows privacy settings and make sure the game has permission to use your mic, since the ghost detection system relies heavily on clear voice input.

The timing of your voice commands matters a lot during investigations. When using the spirit box, wait for the static noise to stabilize before speaking, and position yourself within 3 meters of where you think the ghost might be. If you're getting no response, quickly check if your windows speech language matches your game settings, particularly if you're using english (us).

Maybe interesting: closing other voice apps like discord or skype can prevent interference with the ghost detection systems. If you're still having trouble after trying everything, verify your game files through steam - sometimes corrupt files can mess with the voice recognition. Watch for that static sound in the spirit box, it's your main indicator that the system's actually listening for commands.

Keep your distance from the ghost's favorite room when testing your mic, and remember that some ghosts respond better to specific voice triggers. Your best window for clear spirit box responses is usually during the setup phase, before the ghost gets too active and starts hunting.