Audacity Forum

FWIW, resetting preferences would have turned off Software Playthrough (Software Playthrough is off by default).
Glad to hear that you have it working.

I can now answer my own question properly. I went into EDIT then PREFERENCES then RECORDING and I unticked SOFTWARE PLAYTHROUGH OF INPUT.
This solved the problem instantly.

... language, but it sounds like you have a bad echo problem. In the "Transport toolbar > Transport options", ensure that "Software playthrough is off (not selected), Also, try to ensure that ...

... set to the USB option. You must set the option playthrough in audacity. No, you should not do that. That will cause the input sound to echo through to the output. Software playthrough may be used when recording from a USB ...

but Software Playthrough was already turned off when I installed Audacity. Are ... not running? Are actually getting feedback (a squeal or echo) from the speaker-sound feeding-back into the microphone? If ...

... You can amplify after recording. Turn-off Software Playthrough so that you don't hear the microphone through ... speakers while recording. (So you don't get feedback/echo.) (If you are hearing the microphone through the computer ...

... in Windows Media Player (or whatever player software you normally use). You can also try opening ... you get playback sorted-out, turn-on Software Playthrough to hear what you're recording. (But ... audio because you'll create a feedback loop/echo.)

#1 Ensure software playthrough is unchecked in Audacity preferences.
#2 See if Windows &/or OtherSoftware is applying an echo/reverb enhancement, if so turn it off.

... toward 0. Try disabling (not loading) module-echo-cancel. Same here, nothing. What I did find out is that I had "Software playthrough of input" enabled. After turning it of, I am now ...

... measuring that 4dB of amplification? Make sure Software Playthrough is turned off. That will create a feedback loop ... can introduce "amplification", but usually you'll get echo or feedback-oscillation that are more noticeable than ...