I am new to using Audacity and am confused with the recording meter toolbar.
I am using version 2.3.2 and windows 7 on a Lenovo thinkpad laptop and the input is through a USB port using a newly purchased behringer UCA202 interface. My problem is that I am unable to adjust the recording volume and when I click on the recording mixer toolbar to start monitoring there is movement showing even though there is no input plugged into the interface. Can anyone suggest from the above what I may be doing wrong or is my equipment faulty?
My problem is that I am unable to adjust the recording volume
That’s normal with most USB devices…
What’s connected to the Behringer, and what levels are you getting?
If the signal is a little too low you can use the Amplify effect after recording. It’s good-practice to leave some headroom and I wouldn’t “worry” unless your levels are peaking below about -12dB (25%). …Just for reference, pros often record at -12 to -18dB (at 24-bits with really good equipment). But, very low levels “at home” could be an indication of another problem.
If the levels are too high and you’re [u]clipping[/u] the ADC (analog-to-digital converter) inside the Behringer interface, that’s a problem and you’ll need to reduce the signal on the analog side.
when I click on the recording mixer toolbar to start monitoring there is movement showing even though there is no input plugged into the interface.
Some noise is normal but it probably shouldn’t be bad enough to show-up on the meters (with the default meter settings). How does it sound? Usually if you’re recording from cassettes or vinyl, the noise from the cassette or record is worse than the noise from the interface…
Some Windows settings can amplify the signal (and noise). Make sure [u]Windows Enhancements[/u] and [u]Microphone Boost[/u] are turned off.
Thanks for the info, on further investigation it would appear that the laptop will only record from the built in microphone and no amount of enabling or disabling through control panel will allow input via the USB interface or the combo jack socket. Do I need something like Realtek to control things and is this suitable for Windows 7?