Why do device names show up as numbers at first?

Because browsers hide device labels until microphone permission has been granted at least once. Until then the picker shows a short identifier in place of the real name. Grant access, then reopen the list and the labels appear properly.

Does selecting a device guarantee it is used?

Yes, within the limits of the platform. The chosen identifier is passed as an exact constraint rather than a preference, so the browser cannot substitute a different input. The trade is that if that device disappears mid session, the request fails instead of quietly using another one.

Why does my Bluetooth headset sound worse when recording?

That is a property of the headset rather than of this tool. Opening a Bluetooth microphone usually drops the link to a narrowband hands free profile, which sounds noticeably duller than the same headset does for playback. A wired input avoids the problem entirely.

Can I record two microphones at once?

No. One input is captured per take, so a two microphone session means either a hardware interface that presents both as a single stereo device or two separate takes. That limitation comes from the browser's capture model rather than from the tool.

What if the list is empty?

Enumeration is best effort, so an empty list does not stop you recording. The capture falls back to the system default microphone, and the remaining controls behave exactly as normal. Reloading the page after granting access usually populates the list properly.

Microphone Recorder

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Voice Memo

Quick voice memo recording

Microphone Recorder records from any input the browser can see, with an explicit device picker above the record control. Pinning a specific input is the whole point: the system default is not always the microphone you want.

What is Microphone Recorder?

Use the device picker to choose an input, press record and the selected device is used rather than whatever the operating system has marked as default. The tool enumerates the browser's audio inputs to build the list, and it refreshes if a device is plugged in or removed while the page is open.

The panel and its behaviour:

An input device select listing System default microphone first, then every audio input the browser reports.
Labels taken from the device itself, falling back to a short identifier when the browser hides names.
A live refresh: the list is rebuilt when the system reports that devices have changed.
A record control that requests the chosen input by exact identifier, so the browser cannot substitute another.
The same post-processing as the other capture tools: a preview player, a download and a duration, channel and sample rate label.

Selecting a device passes an exact identifier constraint into the capture request rather than a preference, which is what stops the browser quietly falling back to a different input. Order matters for a practical reason: the browser withholds device names until permission has been granted at least once, so labels can appear as generic numbered microphones on a first visit and become meaningful afterwards. Enumeration is treated as best effort, and if it fails the capture path still falls back to the system default and keeps working, which is better than refusing to record at all. The recording itself follows the same route as the rest of this family: a live compressed capture, then a decode and a re-encode to 16-bit WAV for the download, with the duration, channel count and sample rate reported once the file is built.

Where a picker does not help:

If the browser will not reveal names until permission is granted, the first visit shows unhelpful labels.
Some system inputs, such as loopback devices, appear in the list but may deliver silence depending on the platform.
Pinning an exact device fails if that device is removed for the take, rather than falling back to another microphone.
Bluetooth headsets often switch to a narrowband profile when the microphone is opened, so the recording can sound worse than the device did for playback.
There is no per device level calibration, so switching inputs changes the recorded level.
Only one input can be recorded at a time, so a multi microphone session is out of scope here.

Use it when you have several inputs and want to be certain which one is being used: a laptop's built in microphone versus an interface, a headset versus a desk microphone, or an external device that the operating system has not made the default. Check the preview before accepting the take, since a wrong input usually announces itself immediately. One practical note: a device connected part way through a session is worth confirming in the picker before you rely on it, because enumeration happens in the browser and the list only rebuilds when the system reports a change.

How to use Microphone Recorder

Pick the input you want from the device dropdown, which lists System default first and then every audio input.
Grant microphone permission if this is the first visit, because device names may only appear after that.
Record the take, then check the duration and channel count in the label to confirm the right device was used.
Download the WAV, or re-record with a different input if the preview reveals the wrong one.

When to use Microphone Recorder vs related tools

Microphone Recorder is for sessions where the choice of input matters, which makes it the right tool on a machine with several audio devices. Voice Recorder is the simpler capture when the system default is fine, and Interview Recorder applies high quality constraints to the same capture path. When a take needs tidying afterwards, Noise Reducer handles steady noise, and Voice Memo covers the case where speed matters more than device selection.

Privacy & Security

This tool runs entirely in your browser — no data ever leaves your device. There is no server round-trip, no upload, no logging, and no account required. Your input is processed locally using client-side JavaScript and is never stored, transmitted, or accessible to anyone else. When you close the tab, everything disappears.