Abstract: Microphones are used in acoustically insulated masks, headsets, phones and personal digital assistants. Frequently, the microphone provides an input to speech recognition software. The working environment is often humid and the speaker's mouth is in close proximity to the microphone. Frequently the signal suffers from clipping and distortion caused by the large signals and nonlinear response of the microphone circuitry. The claimed invention uses a resistor connected in parallel with the signal source to reduce its sensitivity and to produce a signal suitable for use with speech recognition software. The resistor can be varied for different speakers.