Using Windows 7, Audacity version 2.0.5. When I record in Audacity, all my peaks cap out at -.5 regardless on whether or not they actually were louder. I don’t want it to do this, but can’t seem to find what’s causing it. Even if I yell into my mic, it’s still showing up as only hitting .5. It’s not my hardware set up because in Sound Forge, it’s ridiculously loud as it should be.
Are you using the exact same hardware and the exact same drivers? Are you using ASIO drivers with SoundForge?
This is usually a hardware problem because your recording software shouldn’t do anything except “capture” the digital audio stream and send it to your hard drive in an appropriate format.
Windows has optional “enhancements” that can alter the audio, but Audacity doesn’t normally do anything to the digital stream…
I’m using the same hardware in both situations. As for drivers, I assume that both programs are using the same drivers, though I don’t know how to tell.
It looks like they are both using the Realtek High Definition drivers.
I think SoundForge usually uses ASIO drivers. (Audacity can’t be shipped with ASIO support due to licensing issues).
Do you know if SoundForge is using ASIO in your set-up? That could account for the difference.
I’d expect this problem to just be a matter of getting the settings right for the Windows sound system, but I’m not familiar with settings for Windows 7 so I can’t help there.
Have a poke around the Windows Sound Control Panel and see what you can find.
What sort of mic are you using, and how is it connected to the computer?
Thanks for trying to help, folks!
My mic is a Rode nt1a and I have it going through a pre-amp connecting through a 1/8 jack.
Any time you get the urge to gloss over details, resist that urge.
You’re plugged into whose preamp and connected via 1/8" sound cable similar to this:
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/stereoJumper.jpg
…to the Mic-In of your laptop computer made by?
We have to build your system in our heads as we do this and more information and detail is always welcome.
Koz
Does setting Audacity to record in stereo make any difference? It could do if you are connected to line-in. If that’s to do with it, you can use the Track Drop-Down Menu to Split Stereo to Mono then close the unwanted track.
Gale
I still can’t figure why there would be a difference between Audacity and Sound Forge. 
Your normal soundcard doesn’t usually support ASIO drivers (except ASIO4ALL would work), so I don’t think that’s it…
…all my peaks cap out at -.5 regardless on whether or not they actually were louder.
if you zoom-in, are the waveforms clipped (squared-off) at 0.5 or just “weak”? How’s the sound quality?
If it’s just weak, 0.5 (-6dB) is not that bad and you can simply boost the file in Audacity (or Sound Forge) after recording. But if you have to shout into the mic to get -6dB, there’s a problem somewhere.
My mic is a Rode nt1a and I have it going through a pre-amp connecting through a 1/8 jack.
Into line-in on your soundcard, I assume? A mic input might have some strange clipping characteristics (and it’s a bad match for the line-out on your preamp), but a preamp into line-in should give you plenty of signal.
Into line-in on your soundcard, I assume?
See? This detail is important.
Koz