Microphone Issue

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

I do a regular podcast every week and use Audacity to record my voice and then to mix everything before submitting to Podcast Company.
I use A Rode NT USB mike. Been using this since August 2020.
The last two times I have recorded my voice it not sounds like I am in a cave. A hollow sound and not clear like the last 6 months.
I’m at a loss of what to do. The product is totally different on the voice recording now and not professional.
I really need someone who understands issues like this to please give me the steps to get this corrected. It’s like something has taken over the Audacity Program and caused changes to come about and I do not know how to resolve the issues.

Thanks much.

2

Sound leaking from the headphones, being picked up by the mic, can cause a hollow sound.
If that is the cause, it will disappear if you disconnect the headphones whilst recording.

3

I do not use headphones while recording. I did not change anything about the set up where I was recording from. I’ve had a great sound up until two weeks ago and when I started recording and then played my voice back the hollow sound started. Very perplexed.

4

How do you know this? It could be that your listening device is compromised somehow. Compare your current recordings with those when everything was working fine.

If there is still a discrepancy, do you use Skype or Zoom or etc.? These could play with your microphone settings. Reboot your computer. It doesn’t hurt to check that you have the most recent Windows updates when you do so.

Is your microphone still bad? Check your Audacity project rate setting in the lower left-hand corner. This should normally be 44100 or 48000. If not, that could be contributing to your problem. Open the Windows Sound control panel:

  1. open the run dialog with Windows logo + R
  2. enter: mmsys.cpl
  3. press the OK button

Click on the Recording Tab > [your Rode NT USB] > Properties > Advanced. The recording rate should match Audacity’s project rate. In the Enhancements tab, turn OFF all enhancements. In the Levels tab, turn OFF microphone boost.

Is your microphone still bad? Do you have another microphone you can try?

I hope this helps. :smiley: