How come I cannot record?

First, please try to record using Windows' built-in recording utility. Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Entertainment -> Sound Recorder. This will verify if the recording function is working normally.

If it is not working, please check the Windows Volume Control panel to see if the microphone is properly selected. For example, in Microsoft Windows Millennium, you can double click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of the taskbar on the desktop to open the Windows Volume Control panel (Figure 1), or you can open the panel through Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Entertainment -> Volume Control. Once the panel is opened, go to Options -> Properties in the menu bar (Figure 2), and click the "Recording" radio button in the "Adjust Volume For" box. Next, check the "Microphone" checkbox in the "Show the following volume controls" box, and click the "OK" button to exit (Figure 3). Then, on the Recording Control panel, click the "Select" checkbox at the bottom of the "Microphone" section. Also adjust the volume of the microphone to an appropriate level.

Next, please verify that the driver for your audio card is properly installed and not conflicting with other devices.

Finally, please verify if your audio equipment is set up properly. For example, check if your microphone and headset are connected properly. Usually, the green jack connector in the back of a desktop computer (or on the sides of a notebook) is labelled "Audio Out", and should be connected to the headset, whereas the red or pink jack connector is labelled "Mic In" and should be connected to the microphone. If "Audio Out" and "Mic In" cannot be distinguished by their colors or labels, please consult your computer's manual.

Please note that some headsets have their own volume controls that need to be switched on and adjusted to the appropriate volume.

How come I failed to record even after following the steps in Question 1?

There are some multimedia applications (e.g. RealOne Player from RealNetworks) that attempt to change the settings of recording functions and cause recording failure in other applications. Please close other audio applications when using MyET.

How come my score is always low?

Please try to adjust the distance of the microphone from your mouth and adjust your speaking volume to be similar to that of the teacher's. Volume that is too low or too high, or a noisy recording environment will put you to a disadvantage in MyET's scoring process. For more details, please consult "Pronunciation Tips" in MyET's online help.

Does MyET require a special microphone?

No. MyET can be used with most of the microphones on the market. If you find a microphone that is not supported by MyET, please contact us via phone or email us at support@llabs.com.

How come the phonemes in MyET differ from phonemes found in a dictionary?

MyET's phonemes are determined according to teacher's specific pronunciation. Different accents and speech styles that are often observed in normal conversation can cause the difference in phonemes.

How come I always hear "Ssss~~" noise in my headset?

Go to Windows Volume Control Panel -> Options -> Properties, and click the "Playback" radio button and click "OK". In the Volume Control panel shown, select the "Mute" checkbox for the microphone. If the situation has not improved, the sound may be caused by noise in your computer's internal hardware or compatibility issues among audio equipment. Please try to upgrade / replace the MyET-related audio equipment (e.g. sound card or CD-ROM).

How come my headset and microphone's volume are always low?

This is usually caused by incompatibility between the microphone and other audio equipment or other internal computer hardware. Please contact the associated hardware manufacturer or replace the audio equipment. In addition, some audio equipment include their own control driver / software. Please try to adjust the related driver / software; for example, the microphone amplifier.

Why do I need to restart the computer after installing MyET?

You must restart your computer because the Microsoft Installer needs to perform some configuration activities on the first installation.

How do I hear my voice while recording?

How come MyET always prompts me with, "Sorry, MyET was unable to record your voice. Please move the microphone slightly closer to your mouth, then try again, this time speaking a little more loudly"?

How come MyET shows the error message, "File not found. Please contact MyET's technical support," when I select certain sentences in a lesson?

Please click the "refresh" button on the toolbar (or press F5) on the lesson page and select the sentence again. If problem still persists, please contact us via phone or email to support@llabs.com.

Since MyET connects to a server at L Labs Inc., are there any Internet security concerns?

The Internet protocol used by MyET is exactly the same as normal Web communication protocol. Therefore, MyET can be used as long as your computer can be connected to the World Wide Web. Consequently, the security level of MyET is exactly the same as that of connecting to the Web. If you do not have security concerns when connecting to the World Wide Web, you needn't have any security concerns about using MyET.

When I replace my computer's audio equipment, do I need to run the Sound Check Wizard again?

Yes. In order to get the best speech analysis, please run the Sound Check Wizard to test the recording environment whenever you replace audio equipment related to MyET (e.g. microphone, sound card).

My playback quality is always poor; how do I improve the playback quality?

Please try to record a sound segment with Windows' built-in recording utility. If the resulting recording is poor, we suggest that you update the associated Windows driver or use the latest driver from the audio equipment manufacturer. If the problem persists, please replace the audio equipment.

How come I cannot connect to the MyET homepage?

How come when I press the "Play" button at the top of the lesson, I do not hear any sound and instead an error message with the code "-1072885581" is shown?

When I login to MyET, how come it always prompts me with, "Sorry, you are already logged in at another location. To login here, please log out of the other location. If you believe that your login name has been stolen, please contact MyET customer services"?