Need Help With Settings

[dialekha]

Hello Team Audacity,

At the outset, I’d like to say that I’ve been a happy user of Audacity for some years now.

I’ve registered myself on this forum only today & I have the following issue for which I’m seeking help from you all.

I have recently purchased a new HP Pavilion 15-p045 tx laptop with Windows 8.1 Pro OS & Beats Audio sound. Beats Audio is supposedly an ultra superior sound system.I have Audacity 2.0.5 installed on this laptop.

My earlier system was HP Mini with Windows 7 Starter Edition & IDT Sound. In that system I had Audacity 2.0.4.

Now the issue I’m facing is that, the same settings as I had with AUD 2.0.4 are not working with 2.0.5 & hence, the recording is a disappointing experience even with a better sound system installed on the laptop. I try 3 different ways of recording as follows:

PRACTISE : Here, I record along with the karaoke track being played, with settings Internal Mic (Input Device) & Speakers (Output). This is one single track with the music & the vocals being recorded simultaneously. With appropriate vol settings, the playback is good to listen to.

FINAL RECORDING : Here, I pull a pre-recorded (with stereo mix option) karaoke track into audacity. I record ON TOP OF this track with settings (External Mic - For e.g. I have SAMSON C0U1). This creates a separate vocal track with the vocals being amplified & the music being kept intact but diminished in the vocal track. This enables to add special to the vocals & then mix & render both the tracks. The end result is more or less of professional quality.

ONLY VOCAL : Here, I record raw voice with either Internal Mic Or my Samson C0U1. The recording is just perfect.[/list]

However, these same settings do not seem to work in AUD 2.0.5. The Samson mic is recognised, but on playback, the vocals are either not heard at all, or are too faint. The input volume is at 75%. Even with raw vocals, ditto with the Samson Mic - either not heard at all or too faint.

Please can someone help with a step by step easy to follow intrsuctions on how to set up audacity for recording with the maximum possible precision? I’d be very grateful for any help offered here because it is not economical for me to go to a recording studio each time to record a song. With some R&D, I had succeeded in coming out with good to acceptable quality recordings. But with the new (& supposedly a better system), the recording has been a disappointing experience. Please help in improving my recording experience with the new system too.

Thanks & Regards.

[Gale_Andrews]

@dialekha

I have recently purchased a new HP Pavilion 15-p045 tx laptop with Windows 8.1 Pro OS & Beats Audio sound. Beats Audio is supposedly an ultra superior sound system.I have Audacity 2.0.5 installed on this laptop.

If you search this Forum you will find lots of opinions about “Beats Audio” that don’t agree with that statement.

@dialekha

FINAL RECORDING : Here, I pull a pre-recorded (with stereo mix option) karaoke track into audacity. I record ON TOP OF this track with settings (External Mic - For e.g. I have SAMSON C0U1). This creates a separate vocal track with the vocals being amplified & the music being kept intact but diminished in the vocal track. This enables to add special to the vocals & then mix & render both the tracks. The end result is more or less of professional quality.

Most users would not want the vocal track to include any of the music background. You should be able to solo the vocal track and hear only the voice.

@dialekha

However, these same settings do not seem to work in AUD 2.0.5. The Samson mic is recognised, but on playback, the vocals are either not heard at all, or are too faint. The input volume is at 75%. Even with raw vocals, ditto with the Samson Mic - either not heard at all or too faint.

What are you trying to do, exactly? Have you tried choosing the Samson in the third (Input) box in Device Toolbar ?

Are you singing close enough to the Samson?

The Samson mic has nothing to do with Beats Audio. It is a different audio device.


Gale

[dialekha]

Thank you Gale for your response on this one.

I’m OK with the vocals NOT BEING a solo track. I can give a reasonable effect to the track. But my question is why is AUDACITY not reproducing the output as desired? Does the AUD ver also have something to do with this problem? Earlier it was 2.0.4 & now it is 2.0.5? Also, while recording, I see that L & R channels have a different balance. The right channel records pretty loudly, while the left one is diminished.

And yes, I do choose the Samson Device in Device manager & set it to default when I have to record. The Listen Tab does not show any listening happening. It seems to be grayed out even if I check the “Listen” Check box.

It is unfortunate that there is no phone / online support. May I request to introduce that? Because, if one can even connect online & see the issue over screen sharing, the resolution process will be a lot easier. It is difficult to explain what exactly happens when I’m trying to record.

If, going by your 1st response, Beats Audio is not of that good quality, then what sound configuration do you suggest? IDT? In any case, I’m looking for the following 3 options for recording - Internal Mic, Stereo Mix & Ext Mic Connected (In This case Samson) & 2 options for playback - 1) Speakers & Headsets & 2) Independent Headphones. With these settings too, I managed a really good quality of recording with my earlier set up.

[Gale_Andrews]

@dialekha

I’m OK with the vocals NOT BEING a solo track.

If you are recording the music background in your vocal track, you are not doing it right, and it could even be the cause of the problem. If the vocal track is not perfectly aligned with the music track, the music in the vocal track and the music in the music track will not combine correctly and you will get weird phasing effects in the music (even with a good sound card for playback).

@dialekha

I do choose the Samson Device in Device manager & set it to default when I have to record.

So you need to choose the Samson in the third (input) box in Audacity Device Toolbar . Please check that.

And you need to wear headphones so that the mic does not hear the music background.

@dialekha

my question is why is AUDACITY not reproducing the output as desired?

Probably because you have not recorded correctly (vocals too faint, as you describe).

If you want us to hear what it sounds like, drag select about five seconds of the music track, and export selection as WAV. Hit ENTER on your keyboard, DOWN arrow then ENTER (this moves the identical selection into the song track underneath). Then export selection again. Attach each WAV file here. Please see here for how to attach files: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/how-to-attach-files-to-forum-posts/24026/1 .

@dialekha

It is unfortunate that there is no phone / online support. May I request to introduce that? Because, if one can even connect online & see the issue over screen sharing, the resolution process will be a lot easier. It is difficult to explain what exactly happens when I’m trying to record.

We will not introduce 'phone support because it would mean we would have to charge for Audacity or stop releasing it.

This is the online support you are using now. We don’t take over user’s computers to provide support but if you want to make a screen capture video while you are recording you can do so and post the video online (such as on YouTube). It would be more useful I think for you to post the audio as described, and to record using headphones and ensure you select the correct input device in Audacity and turn the input level up.

@dialekha

If, going by your 1st response, Beats Audio is not of that good quality, then what sound configuration do you suggest? IDT?

Using another motherboard sound device would usually require a new motherboard.

Beats Audio has a reputation for distorted audio, but if you post your sound samples we can judge playback using other sound devices. Fundamentally, the playback of the mic will sound bad if you are not recording it at sufficient volume or you are not recording it with the Samson device input.

@dialekha

I’m looking for the following 3 options for recording - Internal Mic, Stereo Mix & Ext Mic Connected (In This case Samson) & 2 options for playback - 1) Speakers & Headsets & 2) Independent Headphones. With these settings too, I managed a really good quality of recording with my earlier set up.

Then you are not using Audacity 2.0.5 supplied by us, because you would also have “Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input” (if you choose MME host) or “Primary Sound Capture Driver” (if you choose Windows DirectSound host). You can obtain 2.0.5 here: Audacity ® | Download for Windows .

When you have 2.0.5 from us, make sure “Ext Mic Connected” is really the Samson. Please right-click over the speaker icon by the system clock, then choose “Recording Devices”. Right-click over the Samson C01U then choose the “Levels” tab. Turn the input slider up. Restart Audacity. Choose the MME host and the Samson device as input in Audacity’s Device Toolbar. If you made Samson default device in Windows “Recording Devices” as above, you can also choose “Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input” or “Primary Sound Capture Driver” as appropriate.


Gale