The short answer
If volume drops only while someone speaks, compare Discord Attenuation at 0%. If it drops immediately on joining even during silence, inspect Windows Communications settings. If Bluetooth quality changes too, compare microphone/audio mode. Use the same game sound before, during and after the call, changing one control at a time.
Different symptom or still not fixed? Find the next check →Key facts
- Compare timing
- Before joining, silent call, other person speaking, you speaking and after leaving
- Volume versus quality
- Muffling is different from simply becoming quieter
- Keep the baseline
- Same game scene, output and volume controls; restore changes that do not help
Find your symptom
Start with your symptom. Skip steps that do not apply to your setup.
| What you see | What to check | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Volume falls during speech and returns during silence | Compare Discord Attenuation at 0% with the same speech. | Step 2 |
| It stays lower immediately after joining, even in silence | Inspect Windows Communications; inspect Bluetooth too if quality changes. | Step 3 |
| Bluetooth sounds muffled or thin as the call starts | Compare another microphone or existing wired equipment. | Step 4 |
| It lowers only when you switch away from the game | Return focus to the game and inspect background-volume options. | Step 5 |
| It stays low after leaving or only affects one game | Inspect per-app volume, output and the game’s settings. | Step 5 |
Fixes, in order
Continue this issue
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Step 1｜Use the same sound before, during and after the call
A stable menu track is a better comparison than combat or a cutscene whose own loudness changes.
Time: Compare one change at a time
- Record game, Windows and headset volume. Keep those values and the output device fixed during the first comparison.
- Listen before joining. Join a willing participant’s call and compare everyone silent, the other person speaking, then you speaking.
- Leave and check whether the original sound returns. Record speech-only reduction, reduction throughout the call, quality change or reduction remaining after leaving.
- If merely switching windows changes the sound, bring the game back to the foreground for each listening comparison. Check whether joining still makes a separate difference.
Results that did not fix the problem help the next reader too.
Step 2｜For speech-only drops, compare Discord Attenuation at 0%
Attenuation lowers other apps during conversation; inspect it when that automatic reduction is unwanted.
Time: Compare one change at a time
- In the desktop client, open User Settings → Voice & Video and locate Attenuation among the voice controls. The official slider guidance is desktop-specific.
- Record its original percentage, then compare 0%. If controls for applying it to your speech or other people’s speech are shown, record their states too.
- Using Step 1’s sound, have the other person and yourself speak in turn. If silent-call volume stays unchanged and only the speech-triggered dip disappears, this setting improved the observed symptom.
- If unchanged, restore the previous values and continue to Step 3 or 4. If already at 0%, do not repeat the same adjustment. If absent, record the setting as unconfirmed and continue with the Windows comparison.
With attenuation off, the game may mask conversation. Adjust game loudness afterward or restore enough attenuation for comfortable listening.
Results that did not fix the problem help the next reader too.
Step 3｜For an immediate call-wide drop, inspect Windows Communications
Windows can also reduce other audio when communication begins. Its Do nothing option does not repair a Bluetooth quality-mode change.
Time: Compare one change at a time
- Press Windows+R, enter mmsys.cpl and press Enter. Open the Communications tab of Sound.
- Record the current choice, select Do nothing, then Apply and OK.
- Leave and rejoin the Discord call. Use the same game sound to compare whether it drops even during silence and returns after leaving.
- If the immediate reduction disappears, record that improvement. If unchanged, restore the old choice. Continue to Step 4 for a quality change or Step 5 for a volume-only problem.
Results that did not fix the problem help the next reader too.
Step 4｜For Bluetooth quality changes, compare microphone use separately
Traditional Bluetooth headset call modes can reduce playback quality while the headset mic is active; a volume slider cannot remove that mode change.
Time: Compare one change at a time
- Record whether joining causes muffling or loss of detail as well as lower loudness. Make this comparison before deleting a stable pairing.
- If a built-in or USB mic is available, choose it as Discord Input Device while keeping the Bluetooth headset as Output Device, then rejoin. Check whether another app is still using the headset mic.
- Restored quality is a clue to headset-mic mode involvement. Without another mic, compare existing wired/USB headphones if available. If no alternative exists, record the comparison as untested.
- If only volume still drops with another device, return to attenuation/Communications checks. If confined to Bluetooth, consult the linked Bluetooth guide’s compatibility checks and restore unhelpful device selections.
LE Audio behavior depends on Windows, drivers/radio and peripheral support; do not impose one limitation on every Bluetooth device. No new purchase is required just to complete a comparison.
Results that did not fix the problem help the next reader too.
Step 5｜For lingering or game-specific low volume, inspect routing and controls
Look for a setting that stayed lower or a game’s own audio behavior.
Time: Compare one change at a time
- On Windows 11, open Settings → System → Sound → Volume mixer. On Windows 10, right-click the taskbar speaker → Open Volume Mixer and inspect the game.
- Check game mute/volume and, where available, its selected output. Compare against the before-call record and restore only the changed control. Windows 10 app routing is under Sound → App volume and device preferences.
- For one game, inspect master volume, voice-chat options and any background/inactive-window volume setting it provides. Record originals and compare one item in the same scene.
- If the headset provides Game/Chat balance, record its position and compare near the middle. For a separate mixer app with automatic volume control, inspect only that relevant feature.
- After improvement, rejoin and repeat speech, silence and leaving. If unresolved, collect timing, devices and before/after attenuation/Communications results for support; do not turn all controls to maximum.
Results that did not fix the problem help the next reader too.
Avoid
- Do not change all volume controls at once or confuse noise suppression with other-app attenuation.
- Do not treat timing as conclusive proof: several settings can overlap, and a short or unavailable comparison remains limited.
Important cautions
- Example record: normal before joining; lower immediately even in silence; normal after leaving; 0% attenuation made no difference; the Communications comparison helped. Replace this illustration with your actual results.
- Include whether quality changed, the input/output models and each restored/retained setting when requesting help. Keep listening levels comfortable.
FAQ
Why is it still quiet with Attenuation at 0%?
Windows communication ducking, Bluetooth mode or game/device controls may still contribute. Use when it begins and whether quality changes to choose the next comparison.
Will disabling noise suppression restore game volume?
Noise suppression primarily processes microphone noise; it is separate from reducing other apps. Inspect attenuation and Windows Communications for game playback reduction first.
What does Windows Do nothing mean?
It disables Windows’ default reduction of other sounds when communication is detected. Discord/game-specific volume behavior and Bluetooth modes remain separate.
Why does it stay quiet after leaving?
Inspect the game’s mixer volume/output against the original record, then game/headset controls individually. Do not raise everything to maximum at once.
Sources
English adaptation of the existing Japanese guide with corresponding steps and official sources. Comparisons and example outcomes are editorial guidance, not measured results. Record original settings, change one condition at a time and leave comparisons you cannot perform marked as untested.
Discord: desktop Attenuation and its 0% settingDiscord: Bluetooth call-profile quality limitation (Japanese)Microsoft: app volume and output routingMicrosoft Learn: Windows default communication duckingMicrosoft Learn: communication devices and Sound controlsMicrosoft: Windows LE Audio compatibility and qualityDiscordJapanese version of this page