Audacity Forum

And most of the time it's somewhere between 24 and 36 when I record, actually :/

Minus 18 (on the meter) is actually not all that far off. You can probably amplify what you have. Edit > Select > All. Effect > Amplify > [return] The sound meter in this case is a much more accurate measure of your show. The timeline is designed for complex editing, not critical loudness measuring...

After finally figuring out how to enable the correct input device, I got recording to work. It does record, but I don't think it's recording properly, because the frequency is low. When I play it back, it's VERY quiet, and I'm unable to hear it unless I turn my speakers up really high (and even then...