My Problem: electronic-like background screeching :(

Hi guys,

I am now playing an instrumental track using audacity, which Is fine, I can now record, use the mic, and save my tracks. My usb interface gets along fine with the usb mixer and computer.

All in all, I am very close to being problem-free, regarding audacity, but what seems to be my final issue is that the sound quality (for playback) sucks. The mic sounds fine, and that’s good, but the instrumental has that familiar, dreadful sort of background screeching. I still hear the song, but it sounds like a robot is taking a long, violent dump in the background. I’m sure millions of people have dealt with this before, and I feel like the problem is easy to fix, I just need a “more-experienced” brain to help me!

Thank you!

Gabriel

Exactly how are you recording the instrumental? With what equipment, connected where, and what input device are you choosing in Audacity?


Gale

Hi,

I am using a basic mixer (Alesis MultiMix 4 USB), my laptop (which I connect to my TV via HDMI), a usb interface that allows my usb mixer to get along with my laptop, to put it simply, and everything is connected to the same power bar. The mixer and interface are a good 3 feet away from my laptop + TV. The mic is connected to the mixer, and I also have studio-compatible headphones, but I’ve put them aside, because I feel like matters are complicated enough as it is, especially for someone like me, who is 22, and very new to this type of technology. Pretty ironic IMO. As for what I have chosen for my input device, that would be the usb mixer (mic) which also presents a problem for me, because the mic records my voice (very well, actually) and the beat as well, but not through direct “linkage”, but through the speakers of my TV/laptop, which undoubtedly makes it sound like crap. I have a gut feeling this whole situation is on a very light side of the “technical problems” spectrum, so hopefully this explanation was adequate.

Thank you! :slight_smile:

I am still not clear, if you are playing a backing track in Audacity and that is what sounds poor, what the source of that track is. Have you recorded it, so the problem is the recording quality? Are you recording this song from the TV?

Or is it a song you imported into Audacity that should sound OK, but doesn’t?

Does the song or the recorded backing track sound OK if you simply play it in Audacity, choosing an analogue audio output of your computer in Audacity Device Toolbar and plugging you headphones into that analogue output?

When you play the backing track through the TV instead of the computer, what output device do you choose in Audacity - HDMI? Does this problem occur only when playing while recording, or even if you only play the backing?

If you have a USB Mixer, why do you need the USB interface rather than putting your mic in the mixer?


Gale