Ok so I record voice acting/impression videos, and recently I’ve been having some problems with my audio.
I was recording my lines for something and my audio sounded great at first! Then I left my computer alone for a day or 2, then when I come back and record, my audio sounded like I was talking into a Pringles can. I have absolutely zero idea why that is happening because I didn’t touch my settings before that. I have tried almost everything I can think of but nothing I do is helping my problem.
I use an audio technica microphone and a focusite audio interface.
Figured I should try here because it looks like nobody else has ever had this problem judging by the fact that nothing I’ve watched or read has helped yet.
I’ve already tried messing with my gain, volume, mic level, and even uninstalled and reinstalled. Hasn’t helped.
Any advice is appreciated! I really need a solution
This isn’t the issue. There are no enhancements active, I haven’t touched anything since it worked last. It started acting weird without me doing anything.
Mic settings are on 18-12 like it’s recommended. My gain on my interface is set to a 2/3s the way like I usually have it set. I haven’t touched it and it started sounding like a Pringles can.
… Milk Bottle or Wine Glass. Speaking like that can mess up the relationship of the tones in your voice. Some get boosted and some get suppressed.
Windows can do operating system updates automatically without telling you unless you make specific provisions to prevent it. It’s almost 100% certain that’s what’s happening to you. See: Trebor.
This isn’t a sound production setting or adjustment. It’s part of the operating system and is used to assist Skype, Meetings, Zoom, Multi-Player Games, and other live voice jobs. Microsoft considers using it “normal,” so depending on your Windows update, it may get turned on.
All happening in the background where you can’t see it.
There is another cousin possibility. Zoom takes over the sound services in your computer when it runs and you have nothing to say about it. If you use Zoom, (or Skype, etc). and leave it napping in the background instead of shutting it down, its sound processing will get into everything you do.
Start a recording and gently scratch the front of your Audio Technica microphone and then reach over and scratch your Lenovo laptop microphone.
I expect the AT microphone to be clear and loud and the Lenovo microphone to be quiet and sound like it’s across the room. If the wrong one is loud or they’re both loud, then we have a good start on troubleshooting.
All audio enhancements are off, there is absolutely no way they could be the problem. If it is a random update that caused this then is there I way I can get my og audio back?
I don’t think there is any way to repair the existing damaged production. Our goal now is preventing it from happening again.
Many of the Focusrite interfaces have provision to listen to the live production with wired headphones. Select Direct and the Focusrite will let you hear the outgoing sound. Can you do that and is the sound OK?
I expect that to work.
I’m out of ideas. You seem to have something unusual broken.
Well that’s incredibly disappointing. May just have to get a new computer at this point, idk what else to do because the shouldn’t have happened. I don’t know what else to do. Guess I’ll just put up with Pringles can audio for the time being.
Before you do anything as drastic as getting a new PC, try some different free software. Have a look at: Ocenaudio and see if you’ve been de-Pringled. Let us know how you fare.
Mark B
I know you’re searching for someone to tell you which button to push to make your problem go away. I can’t do that and I don’t think there’s anybody else here that can do it, either, or they would have posted.
That puts us into formal troubleshooting. That’s where I suggest step-by-step things to try and you tell me how it came out.
Except you haven’t been doing that. You can’t think: “This can’t possibly be broken, so I’m not going to check it.”
I can’t work with that.
I think you’re rolling yourself into a professional service call or a new computer.
