Get headset audio, AirPods, ATC and microphone input working in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, including blocked mic and Steam Recording fixes.
Connect the headset before launching FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, make Windows recognise its playback and microphone endpoints, then select the headset under FSX’s Sound Device and Voice Device. Stock FSX ATC does not listen to your microphone; configure the input separately in Steam Recording, multiplayer, online ATC or any speech add-on.
Set up headset sound and microphone input in FSX
The reliable sequence is to make both sides of the headset work in Windows before opening the simulator.
- Connect the headset before starting FSX. Check its physical or inline mute switch. A headset with one four-pole analogue plug requires a compatible combination socket; if the PC has separate headphone and microphone sockets, use the correct headset splitter.
- Test playback and recording in Windows. Select the headset as the output, play a test sound, select its microphone as the input, then speak and watch the input-level meter. If that meter does not move, the fault is outside FSX: check the plug, mute switch, input selection and driver.
- Allow microphone access. In Windows microphone privacy settings, enable microphone access and permission for desktop applications. Voice clients, Steam and speech add-ons may be blocked even when headset playback works normally.
- Select the FSX playback devices. On the simulator’s Sound settings page, choose the required device under
Sound DeviceandVoice Device. Raise the Voice volume slider and make sure simulator sound has not been disabled. The defaultQassignment can toggle FSX sound off. - Configure the microphone in the application that uses it. Choose the headset microphone inside the multiplayer, online ATC, recording or speech-control application and assign push-to-talk where required. The FSX
Voice Deviceis an output setting, not a microphone selector. - Restart after changing hardware. Close and reopen FSX, Steam and the voice client after connecting or reconnecting a USB or Bluetooth headset. FSX often retains the audio endpoints that were available when it launched.
For native multiplayer communications, our FSX multiplayer voice and push-to-talk setup explains the recording-device controls in more detail.
Does FSX use the headset microphone for built-in ATC?
No. Stock FSX ATC uses numbered choices in the ATC window and does not recognise spoken microphone commands.
This is true of both boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition. A microphone is used only by multiplayer voice, an online ATC client, recording software or a compatible speech-control add-on. Each of those has its own input and push-to-talk settings.
The mistake we see most often is changing Voice Device repeatedly in an attempt to repair microphone input. That field controls FSX voice playback, including built-in ATC speech; it does not tell Windows or a third-party client which microphone to record.
How do I put ATC in the headset and engine sounds on speakers?
Set Sound Device to the speakers and Voice Device to the headset.
| Wanted result | Sound Device | Voice Device |
|---|---|---|
| All FSX audio in the headset | Headset | Headset |
| Aircraft sounds on speakers and built-in ATC in the headset | Speakers | Headset |
| All FSX audio through speakers | Speakers | Speakers |
An online ATC client may ignore the FSX Voice Device because it is a separate application. Select the headset as that client’s receive-output device as well as choosing its microphone input.
If built-in ATC alone remains silent, check the Voice volume, radio tuning and selected output using our guide to restoring missing FSX ATC radio audio.
Why does my headset work in Windows but not in FSX?
If Windows passes its playback test but FSX remains silent, the simulator is usually using an old endpoint, a different output or a muted per-application channel.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No FSX sound at all | Wrong Sound Device, sound toggled off, Windows mixer mute or per-app output override | Select the named headset in FSX, check the Windows volume mixer, press the assigned sound-toggle key once, then restart FSX. Follow the full FSX no-sound checks if other applications remain audible. |
| Engines work but ATC is silent | Wrong Voice Device, low Voice slider, radio tuning or ATC state | Select the headset as Voice Device, raise Voice volume and verify the active radio frequency. |
| Playback works but the Windows mic meter is still | Muted microphone, wrong input, blocked permission or unsuitable analogue connection | Repair the Windows recording input first; no FSX output setting can fix it. |
| The mic meter moves but nobody hears a transmission | Wrong client input, unassigned push-to-talk or no active transmission | Select the mic inside the voice client and use its own test facility. Our online flight-simulator microphone diagnosis covers the remaining client-side faults. |
| Sound stopped after reconnecting the headset | FSX retained the previous audio endpoint | Exit the simulator completely, reconnect the headset, confirm it in Windows and relaunch FSX. |
| Only one add-on aircraft is silent | Missing or incorrect aircraft sound files | Treat it as an add-on problem rather than changing the global headset configuration. |
Do AirPods work with FSX?
AirPods can work with FSX when they are paired with Windows before launch and selected as the required playback device.
The complication is Bluetooth audio mode. Windows may expose separate stereo and hands-free endpoints, or switch profiles automatically when the AirPods microphone activates. The hands-free profile carries microphone audio but reduces playback quality; that change is a Bluetooth limitation rather than an FSX fault.
- For the best simulator sound: use the AirPods stereo output and a separate USB or wired microphone.
- For one-device voice communication: select the matching hands-free AirPods output and microphone, accepting the lower-fidelity sound.
- For split routing: use speakers as the FSX
Sound Device, AirPods asVoice Device, and select the AirPods microphone inside the voice client.
If audio disappears or changes quality after the microphone opens, close FSX and the voice application, confirm the chosen Bluetooth endpoints in Windows, then relaunch both.
Why is Steam Recording not picking up my mic in FSX: Steam Edition?
Steam Game Recording handles microphone capture separately from FSX, so it can record simulator audio while omitting your mic.
- Check the Windows input meter. If it does not move while you speak, fix the headset connection, mute switch or recording-device selection first.
- Open Steam’s recording settings. Enable microphone capture and select the intended headset microphone rather than assuming it will follow FSX’s
Voice Device. - Check the recording mode. If microphone capture is configured for push-to-talk, hold the assigned key while speaking or change to the recording mode you intend to use.
- Permit desktop microphone access. Windows privacy controls can allow playback while preventing Steam from recording input.
- Restart Steam after changing devices. Connect Bluetooth or USB hardware first, reopen Steam, then launch FSX: Steam Edition and make a short test recording.
Changing FSX’s Sound Device or Voice Device will not repair a Steam Recording microphone problem. Those FSX fields control simulator playback, while Steam selects and records the microphone independently.
Why does SLS say the microphone is blocked?
An SLS microphone blocked message indicates a Windows, browser or application permission problem rather than an FSX audio-output setting.
- Unmute and test the microphone in Windows. Confirm that the input meter responds before opening SLS.
- Enable Windows microphone access. Allow microphone use and permission for desktop applications in the privacy controls.
- Check the application permission. If SLS runs in a browser, allow microphone access for that site and reload it. If it is a desktop application, select the correct input inside SLS.
- Close other voice applications. Then reopen SLS in case another programme or a stale device connection prevented it from acquiring the microphone.
- Check for managed-device restrictions. If the permission control is disabled or greyed out, an administrator or system policy may be blocking microphone access.
Once the SLS input test works, start FSX. There is no need to change the simulator’s Voice Device unless SLS playback is also being routed to the wrong headset or speakers.