Hi – I’m excited to have figured out how to script, record, produce and publish a podcast but it sounds awful. It’s not loud enough and there’s a humming / hissing background sound. Do I have a terrible mic? Am I doing something horribly wrong? I’d really appreciate some advice from more experienced users. talesfromthelilypad.com - episode #1 - Hootie (it’s a kid’s story… 
It sounded good through my computer speakers when it was still an audacity file, but not so much all converted to MP3.
We may be able to dig you out of this.
What kind of microphone do you have?
I predict [holding fingers to forehead] you are using a new USB microphone on your Windows laptop computer, right? That type of noise is almost the poster child for laptop USB problems. Nobody cares if a USB connection is a little noisy or misbehaving if you plug a keyboard in or a mouse in, but it can drive microphones nuts.
And I bet it’s there in the original as well. It’s very difficult to believe the conversion to MP3 created that hash.
So I’m making about a hundred assumptions about your computer, microphone, room, Windows Version, Audacity Version, etc. etc. etc. You get to fill in the blanks. As a practical matter you can’t tell us too much information.
I like your voice and your presentation, but you’re too close to the microphone and you’re popping your P sounds. P sounds on words are not supposed to sound like you smacked the microphone with a pillow. They’re supposed to sound like normal conversation. You can back away a little, you can announce across the microphone instead of straight into it, and/or you can put a pop filter between you and the microphone.
http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/wynonna2.jpg
There’s another trick with vocals where you peel off any sounds below 100Hz. Effect > High Pass Filter > 24dB, 100Hz. If you’re using a sound mixer, some of them have a Rumble Filter (100Hz) built-in. I have a mixer that has three: 80Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz.
Your serve.
Koz