Audacity Forum

Ohh it sounds better! Where would you find extreme dynamc range compression? It's not a fix: compression won't fix the distorted bits, it just makes the quiet bits louder. You need to switch that dammed "echo cancellation" off. My soundcard controls can be accessed by clicking on this Sig...

Then the control to switch the “echo cancellation” off should be in the software to control your sound card. Have a look in “all programs” for something with the same name as your soundcard. BTW I’m 100% certain the weirdness is due to echo cancellation, it’s partially correctable with extreme dynam...

I can't click the advanced button on there..:( You may have to enable the "advanced" option here ... http://www.tinyeye.com/avsetup/images/xp-micprop2.gif (I don't use XP, I'm not sure :? ) Alternatively there may be "echo cancellation" controls on the sound card control softwar...

Do you know where I can find microphone properties? I don't have XP myself, but here are the directions ... http://www.tinyeye.com/avsetup/soundsetup_xp.html I suspect "echo cancellation" will be found in the "advanced" "sound recording" properties ... xp-audio-soundre...

The abrupt decay and distortion sound like "echo cancellation" artifacts.
Switch off "echo cancellation" if you have it on. It's probably in "microphone properties", or some Skype-type VOIP program.

Perhaps you’ve been using the “record what U hear”, (a.k.a “stereo mix”, a.k.a. "wave out") setting on windows recording devices in Windows XP, to record a copy of the CD in Audacity, which you can then export as mp3. However on newer versions of Windows, (Vista & 7), on some computers...

This free (but slow) plug-in will mono-ize a stereo track ... http://www.kvraudio.com/db/mgmono_by_mgaudio (it works OK with Audacity 1.3)

IIRC There is a trick to quickly reduce clicks in this particular dual mono situation, (i.e mono record, stereo pick-up) … Use Kn0ck0ut to create a track which contains only that which is common to both tracks, i.e. centre pan isolation. So if there is a click on the one of the dual mono tracks but ...

Trebor, why did you say that the signal to noise ratio is lower? When we decrease the signal amplitude by using compressor/amplify/envelope tool I thought the noise was also decreased , thus keeping the ration constant. No? There is usually a constant " Noise floor ”, ( * see quantization nois...

...headphones from the laptop output ... I do not hear it while I am recording it. You can hear what you are recording via headphones plugged into the computer if you tick the "software playthrough" box in Audacity preferences, however I suspect the sound will be delayed . tick the box I ...