Before you can record a consultation, Whippet needs to hear you. The microphone control lives in the recording panel headed New Consult, in the toolbar alongside the waveform and timer. Once your browser has permission and a device is chosen, the Start recording button becomes available. For the recording workflow itself, see Recording a consult.
Granting microphone permission
The first time you open the recording panel in a new browser, the browser asks for permission to use your microphone — click Allow. The Microphone control then fills in with your device. Whippet releases the microphone as soon as it has detected your devices, so nothing keeps listening while you fill in the patient details.
Choosing which microphone to use
Click the Microphone control (it shows a microphone icon and your current device name), then click the device you want. Set it before you hit record — the control is locked while a recording is in progress or paused. A headset or desk mic almost always beats a laptop's built-in microphone in a busy consult room.
Your choice is remembered for next time; if that microphone is later unplugged, Whippet falls back to the first available device automatically. A device with no name shows as Microphone plus a short identifier — normal for some external mics, especially before permission is fully granted.
There's no need to fiddle with system volume: recordings run through echo cancellation, noise suppression, and automatic gain control, so just speak naturally. While recording, the waveform next to the controls moves in response to your voice, confirming Whippet is hearing you.
If something goes wrong
The red message under the recording form tells you what happened and what to do:
"Microphone access was denied." You declined or blocked the permission prompt. Click the camera/microphone icon in your browser's address bar and allow access.
"No microphone detected." Nothing is plugged in, or your system can't see a mic. Connect one or check your system settings — Whippet picks it up automatically once connected, no reload needed.
"Microphone is being used by another application." A video call or another browser tab has grabbed the mic. Close other applications that might be using it.
"Your browser doesn't support audio recording." Try a modern browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
"Unable to access microphone." A catch-all for less common problems. Check microphone permissions in your browser and system settings.
Other signs to watch for:
The Microphone control shows "Select microphone" or "No microphones available." No usable device was found — see "No microphone detected" above.
Start recording is greyed out. Whippet isn't ready to record, usually because no working microphone is available. Resolve the red message first.
A red "Recording Error" box with a "Try Again" button. Something went wrong with the recorder itself. Click Try Again, and if it persists, refresh the page.
What this doesn't do (yet)
Choose speakers or output devices. The control only selects an input (microphone), not playback.
Tune levels manually. There's no input-gain slider — gain is handled automatically.