I’ve searched around the web trying to find an answer to my problem but i haven’t found any yet, so I’m trying here. Hoping that someone can help me.
I can’t use Audacity to record sound from my headset.
I’ll take it all from the beggining, first the setup.
I’m using a Dell vostro computer, an old huge laptop, with a second generation intel core I5 processor inside. When I bought it it came with windows 7 but I have changed to windows 10.
I installed whats supposed to be the latest version of audacity, as far as i know, 2.1.2. and I use a Wireless Logitech F540 headset connected via USB set as standard recording unit.
So, windows 10, Audacity 2.1.2 and Logitech F540.
Now to the problem. I want to record my voice with this but when I start Audacity and press record i get nothing. I’ve tried tinkering with all the sound settings, changed from MME to Windows directsound and WASAPi, I’ve changed from “standard recording unit” to “microphone on headset” and yeah. All I can come to think of, both in the Audacity program and the general recording device settings on the computer.
I regularly use the headset talking to people on Skype with no problem but for some reason Audacity can’t hear it.
What am I doing wrong? What have i missed? Is this problem something that have occurred to anyone else?
And most importantly, how do i get it to work?
First, thanks for that answer. Unfortunately it did not help.
I have chosen the headset as recording device, I can find it in the toolbar, I have also made sure that the headset is on and not muted(it automatically plays the sound obtained from the microphone directly in to the speakers of the headset, so when I turn it on I can instantly hear that it is on. I can hear my own voice in the headset and all that).
Audacity can still for some reason not get that sound. I tried to change the recording device so it recorded straight from the microphone on my laptop, that worked. I’ve also tried every other possible way of changing the settings in the toolbar. “MME”, "WindowsDirectSound"and “Windows WASAPI” and also, of course, changing from “speaker on headset (Logitech F540)” and “Primary recording device” (or whatever it’s called, I’m using a Swedish translation of the software where the settings actaully is called "Primär drivrutin för ljudinfångst).
My headset is set as the primary unit for recording and playing sounds in the settings in Windows. I use the headset regularly to listen to music and other content and both the speaker and headset to speak with people on Skype. All that without any problems.
I don’t know whats causing the problem. But the microphone is on, I seem to have the right settings and yeah… But something is obviously not working.
I am not trying to record Skype calls by the way, just me talking.
Where have you made that setting to play the mic through the headset? Perhaps that is the problem. Are there any instructions that came with the mic?
Is “Speaker on headset” what makes the mic play through the headset and is that a device you can choose in Audacity’s Device Toolbar? Is there another choice of device for the headset in Device Toolbar?
You can try the Windows 10 Voice Recorder. First make the headset the default device on the Recording tab of Windows Sound. Then to open Voice Recorder, press Windows Start, type “recorder” (without quotes) then press ENTER on your keyboard. Click or tap the microphone icon to start recording, and click or tap the Stop button when you’re done.
Where have you made that setting to play the mic through the headset? Perhaps that is the problem. Are there any instructions that came with the mic?
No, those are standard settings on this mic and I have not made them myself. I have not found any way to change those settings either. I do have the manual that came when i bought the headset.
Is “Speaker on headset” what makes the mic play through the headset and is that a device you can choose in Audacity’s Device Toolbar? Is there another choice of device for the headset in Device Toolbar?
I believe that should be the correct setting. the options available in the audacity toolbar was only two. “speaker on headset” and “primary driver for soundrecording” (or “Primary recording device” as I wrote before, those are the same but i think I’ve made a better translation this time).
I have the mic on the headset set as standard unit for recording in windows 10. When I managed to capture some sound from the integrated mic on my laptop earlier I had changed the setting in windows so the standard recording unit was the laptop and not the headset. ´When I used the setting “primary driver for soundrecording” Audacity recorded from the mic on the laptop with those settings.
I tried the windows 10 voice recorder and got the same results as with Audacity. I can use the laptops mic as primary recording device and trough that record sound but when I try to use the headset mic as recording device I can’t record anything.
Strangely my headset only seem to work together with Skype.
Once again, thanks for your help, unfortunately I am still not able to record any sound. I will also check the Logitech forums and see if I can find any more information on there.
Are you saying there that in Windows Sound, you made the headset “the default” recording device?
Thanks, that proves it is not an Audacity problem then.
Have you tried turning Skype off when you don’t want to record Skype? Skype can interfere with normal recording. Not only shut the Skype app down, but go through Windows Task Manager and shut down any Skype processes that may be running.
Yes, it is in windows sound I’ve put my headset as the default device.
It seems to me that the problem might be with my headset in some way. I do still not understand what’s wrong and how to fix it. I have tried with Skype turned off without any success in recording any sound.