I have recently gotten a usb mic recorder that I have been using in my attempts to record music and layering with the program Audacity. I am using a new Ienovo “ideapad” that I purchased about 7 or 8 months back, and it is working great. Audacity is able to recognize the mic fine, although a typical issue for me every time I try to record a project of any sort, is this LAG/BUZZING type of effect that happens in the recording, making the track basically unlistenable. Below I have attatched an example of my problem.
I do not believe that the route of the issue if from the mic itself, or even the computer, because when I am using any other software program to record with I never seem to have this issue, with the exception of audacity.
We would suggest a fuzz guitar is not a good model to illustrate a problem with fuzz. Unless that started out a plain acoustic guitar. Did it?
Could you be complaining about that ticking sound through the clip?
I think you are putting your USB audio device through a USB hub. USB audio devices have to be home runs to the computer. They can’t share the connection.
If that’s not the case, then the computer may not be going fast enough to capture live audio and it’s periodically dropping the ball giving the ticks. I think Virus Protection can also do that. Stop as many other computer processes and jobs as you can, take the computer off-line and suspend Virus Protection. See if that helps.
You can also take the problem upside down. Can you make it worse?
Zooming in very close, horizontally and vertically, you can see the problem. There are bits of the recording “missing”, causing breaks in the recorded waveform:
What are you using to record? A USB mic?
First, make sure the USB Mic is plugged into its own USB port and not a hub or USB insert on a keyboard. Second, if possible try using a different USB cable. This will help determine if the mic is faulty or not. Third, be sure you do not have too many USB devices plugged in simultaneously.
The mic and cable are fine, because when I use them with a simpler recording program that doesn’t layer it always has worked fine. It just has this effect when I use Audacity for some reason. Thanks for the recommendation though.
If plugging in to a spare USB port that has nothing else connected to it (or shutting down other programs) doesn’t help, then what version of Windows exactly?
What project rate are you recording at (bottom left of Audacity)? Try 44100 Hz.
Does the problem only happen when you record a second track? Are you using Transport > Overdub so that you hear previous tracks while recording the new one? What device are you using for playback?
