Use an Apex Legends soundboard without losing squad voice or clipping quiet cues
Apex Legends exposes a Voice Chat Input Device, an Open Mic or Push To Talk record mode on PC, and an Open Mic Record Threshold that decides when lower-level audio begins transmitting. BordQ combines a physical microphone with triggered clips before the signal reaches Apex Legends, so listeners receive one controlled voice feed instead of speaker audio leaking back into an open microphone.
Battle royale comms compete with pings, movement, and combat; a threshold can remove a quiet clip intro, while open mic can send accidental sounds long after the intended cue. This guide covers the exact input route, the channel or mode that controls delivery, a low-risk test, and the failure that is most often mistaken for a broken virtual cable.
First select the cable, then decide exactly when Apex transmits it.
CABLE Output can show a healthy Windows meter while Apex stays silent because Disable Voice Chat is on, the record mode expects a held key, or an open-mic threshold never opens for the clip. Treat those settings as distinct checkpoints.
Keep incoming call or game audio out of VB-Cable. Only the BordQ microphone-and-clip mix should enter CABLE Input; routing both directions through the same cable creates echo, delayed duplicates, or a feedback loop.
Open Settings → Audio, set Voice Chat Input Device to CABLE Output, and choose Voice Chat Record Mode. On PC, push-to-talk uses T by default; for open mic, tune the threshold with speech and the quietest intended clip.
- Virtual Cable (Output): VB-Cable Input
- Voice Chat Input Device: CABLE Output · Settings → Audio → Voice Chat Input Device
Three ways to control Apex voice transmission
Use the mode that protects squad information and prevents unintended playback during combat.
- CABLE Output + Push To Talk
Short, precisely timed cues and the safest competitive control.
The transmit key must be held before and during the clip.
Prefer this on PC when BordQ sounds are optional.
- CABLE Output + Open Mic
Continuous speech with occasional agreed clips.
Threshold tuning can clip quiet starts or broadcast background noise.
Use only after a private threshold and echo test.
- Physical mic + Apex pings
Pure tactical communication with no triggered audio.
No BordQ clips in squad voice.
Keep this fallback ready for ranked or unfamiliar squads.
Route BordQ into Apex Legends in five steps
Configure the path from source to destination, then prove the complete route with one short clip before a real call, match, or public room.
- Install BordQ and expose both VB-Cable endpoints
Install BordQ on Windows and let its audio-driver setup finish. Restart Windows if CABLE Input and CABLE Output do not appear in the device lists.
CABLE Input is the playback endpoint BordQ sends to; CABLE Output is the recording endpoint the destination hears.
- Build one clean mic-and-clip mix
In BordQ Audio Setup, select the physical microphone as Microphone Input and VB-Cable Input as Virtual Cable (Output). Trigger a short, normalized clip and confirm the BordQ and Windows recording meters move.
Leave headphones as the playback device. Do not route the destination output back into the cable.
- Select CABLE Output as the Apex voice input
Open Apex Settings → Audio and toggle Voice Chat Input Device until it shows CABLE Output. Under Gameplay → Accessibility, confirm Disable Voice Chat is Off.
Apex has a direct input selector, so the physical microphone can remain the Windows default for other apps.
- Choose Push To Talk or tune Open Mic Record Threshold
On PC, choose Push To Talk and hold T or the rebound key before triggering a clip. If using Open Mic, raise the threshold until keyboard noise stays closed, then lower it enough for normal speech and quiet clip intros.
Change record mode and threshold with a squadmate listening; a moving local meter does not show what Apex transmits.
- Test in the firing range or a low-stakes party
Invite a friend, verify normal speech, hold the transmit key, and play one short normalized cue. Then test the quietest clip, mute behavior, and whether incoming squad audio stays exclusively on headphones.
Do not use a ranked drop as the first test of gain, threshold, or hotkey timing.
Voice enable, input device, and record mode must all agree
Each layer can silence a perfectly valid BordQ and VB-Cable signal.
- Voice Chat Input Device — CABLE Output
Selects the BordQ mix explicitly.
- Record Mode — PTT or Open Mic
Controls when the selected input transmits.
- Disable Voice Chat — Must be Off
Accessibility setting can stop the channel entirely.
Keep optional sounds short, do not imitate combat information, and let pings and squad speech take priority.
Fix a Apex Legends soundboard that is silent, doubled, or in the wrong place
Follow the signal from left to right and change one setting at a time. A local monitor is useful, but only a remote listener proves the final channel.
- CABLE Output shows no recording activity — Return to BordQ and confirm Virtual Cable (Output) is VB-Cable Input. Check Windows microphone privacy permissions, driver installation, device mute, and the BordQ output meter.
- The meter moves, but listeners hear nothing — Set Disable Voice Chat to Off, re-select CABLE Output under Audio, verify Push To Talk is held or lower the Open Mic Record Threshold, check mute state, and test with a squadmate.
- Listeners hear themselves or a delayed duplicate — Incoming audio is entering the cable, or speakers are feeding an open physical microphone. Use headphones, remove loopback or monitoring routes, and monitor the BordQ mix in only one place.
- Speech works, but a quiet clip loses its opening — The Open Mic Record Threshold opens too late. Normalize the clip, lower the threshold, add a tiny lead-in, or use push-to-talk and hold the transmit key just before playback.
Questions to settle before using it live
Which microphone should Apex Legends use?
Choose CABLE Output under Settings → Audio → Voice Chat Input Device. BordQ mixes the physical microphone and clips before Apex records that endpoint.
Can I keep speaking while a clip plays?
Yes. BordQ mixes the selected physical microphone and clips into CABLE Output. Balance clip gain below normal speech and use ducking or short clips when intelligibility matters.
Why can I hear a clip that nobody else hears?
Local monitoring proves only the playback side. Check CABLE Output activity, the destination input, active channel, mute or push-to-talk state, permissions, and a remote listener.
Should I use Open Mic or Push To Talk for clips?
Push To Talk is more predictable because you decide the exact transmit window. Open Mic works, but its threshold must open for both speech and every intended clip without broadcasting constant background noise.
Is a soundboard allowed here?
Follow EA’s Positive Play expectations, avoid harassment, deception, repeated noise, or covering squad information, and use clips only with teammates who welcome them. Prefer a normal-mic profile for ranked play.
Official references for Apex Legends
Menus, channel behavior, and moderation rules can change. These first-party pages are the review anchors for this setup.
Give Apex one selected input and one intentional transmit window.
Download BordQ, set Apex Voice Chat Input Device to CABLE Output, choose a record mode, and tune the quietest clip with a friend before a real match. BordQ's full soundboard, Live Audio, Mobile Remote, and native Stream Deck integration remain free; Pro adds expanded limits, Voice Personas, and Voice Changer without a subscription.
Use the same clean audio route in other apps and games
- Set up VB-Cable — Verify the playback and recording endpoints.
- Use a soundboard in Fortnite — Compare party channels and account permissions.
- Use a soundboard in Warzone — Handle party, proximity, and last-words voice contexts.
- Build a BordQ soundboard — Normalize cues and create a battle-royale profile.