Audacity Forum

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/PCHeadset.jpg Without being too First Level Maintenance on you, have you restarted the machine? Audacity doesn't do these jobs by itself, but it tells Windows to do them. If Windows is no longer following its cues, that's the problem. Do you use this machine f...

The background noise is coming in at -57.2, below the -60db threshold. That takes a bit of getting used to. Zero is maximum loudness. That's where the digital system runs out of numbers and doesn't get any louder. That's why the sound meters have -0- all the way to the right. That makes -57.2 loude...

Import the unimproved clip. Noise Reduction: Drag-select the "silent" area between 2 and 3.5 seconds. Effect > Noise Removal: Profile. Select the whole clip (click just above MUTE). Effect > Noise Removal: — Reduction 6dB — Sensitivity 0 — Smoothing 150 — Attack 0.15 OK Blue Wave Peak Cont...

I'm compiling a list of patches I would make. Yes, we get a sinking tummy feeling when somebody opens a posting with "I've been recording for six months..." I favor patches that are so gentle/wimpy they're almost seem not worth the effort, but your work is just not that far off. I could li...

I just went down to listen to your original noise. It's not clothing rustling or wind in the trees. It's computer whine noise similar to this: http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/clips/FryingMosquitoes3.wav That explains why it needs to go. Is this a USB microphone or USB MicPre or other similar system? ...

We would request postings in WAV rather than MP3. MP3 creates sound damage and you're never sure if the damage is coming from the MP3 or something the performer is doing wrong. You can post ten seconds of WAV mono on the forum. Since it's difficult to edit an existing MP3, your master archive works ...

Audacity gets its sound from Windows, not the computer, so you can dig in Windows to see if the mixer is properly mounted and it's working OK. My Win7 had a control panel with little sound meters. Does yours have that and is it working?

Koz

You should be on Audacity 2.0.6. Earlier Audacity versions used to default to mono and cause no end of troubles. Mono usually defaults to LEFT, so that still may not explain the troubles.

Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Devices > Recording: Stereo.

That help?

Koz

Keeping the two microphones separate is desirable because you can apply effects and corrections to one without affecting the other. That's assuming you have a large, sound-proofed room. http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/CharlieRoseSpacing-650.jpg Note how far apart these two are. That's not an acci...

That's how it works. "Stereo" is really two independent audio channels that by convention contain the left sound and the right sound. Doesn't have to. I can put John Philip Susa on one and Katy Perry on the other—and have them stay separate. Reverse the two microphone plugs at the mixer. I...