Amplifying Problems

Special Interest Groups Audio Processing
1

I took a screen shot of whats going wrong… hope it helps

Anyway, when im done recording there is a thin blue line which indicates the sound Im guessing. I go to effects and then amplify. It shows a bar with a slder from left to right and I move it to and area where Im guessing is loud enough. It amplifyies it barely and moves it out of the middle of the track. It moves it up to the top. Im desperate for help. Thanks a ton. If the picture didnt work, talk to me on myspace at myspace.com/boidubrid. Or tell me how to post pics. :slight_smile: thanks

2

Whoa, that is a terrible DC offset problem. Probably the worst I’ve ever seen.

There’s something very wrong with your sound card if it’s giving you a signal like that unless you’re plugging something strange into your sound card. What source are you recording from? It looks like it says microphone. If that’s the case, then you need a new sound card.

3

What would be the correct one to buy?

4

The “correct” sound card? Who knows? Any card you buy will not have that problem so pick the one you like best.

For a bare-bones one that’s cheap, the Behringer UCA202 works nicely.

Also, it’s not necessarily your sound card that’s messed up, it might be whatever you have plugged in to it. What do you have plugged in?

5

A microphone.

6

is this it http://www.epinions.com/Behringer_U_CONTROL_UCA202_USB_Audio_Interface_Sound_Card ?

7

Hang on, I didn’t know you had a mic plugged in. Is it a regular mic (with an XLR plug), or a computer mic (with a 3-conductor phono plug)?

The UCA202 doesn’t have a computer mic input.

If you want to minimize the fuss and you’re using a computer mic, you can just bypass the Mic In by buying a USB microphone. Something like this would work:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-980186-0403-USB-Desktop-Microphone/dp/B00009EHJV

But shop around, I’m not sure what kind of quality you’re looking for.

8

Im just trying to use something relatively cheap and very simple, Im technologically challenged. Id like a USB mic that was like a normal mic but thanks alot.

9

Oh Im pretty sure its the XLR, it doesnt have the 3 prong type things