Audacity version is 2.3.2 - downloaded and installed yesterday.
I got it to work, sort of, by using the little sliders at the top of the app display. To record, I slide the blue thing that is next to the speaker icon to the left to near zero. To play back, I slide the blue thing that is next to the microphone icon to
near zero and move the speaker slider past the halfway point.
If I slide the blue microphone slider to 0.00 it shuts off (mutes) BOTH the microphone and the speakers. The new Widget B microphone is USB and it has no on/off or volume switch.
Isn’t there a better way?
Windows 10 Home 64bit 1909 18363.592
What are you recording?
Make sure you’ve selected the USB microphone as your [u]Recording Device[/u]. There are ways to capture/record the sound coming out of your soundcard and you don’t want that.
With that setting, you probably won’t be able to adjust the recording level. That’s normal. You can amplify after recording.
Turn-off [u]Software Playthrough[/u] so that you don’t hear the microphone through the speakers while recording. (So you don’t get feedback/echo.)
(If you are hearing the microphone through the computer speakers without Audacity running let us know. There’s a way to turn that off in Windows.)
Based on your reply, I had high hopes for turning off Software Playthrough, but Software Playthrough was already turned off when I installed Audacity.
I did not change any settings.
The USB Neat Widget microphone was already set as the Recording Device.
Up to now I have only recorded my voice. I need for all this to work so that my granddaughter can record her flute into an app (she is not here right now and I don’t know what app she is to use) required by her band director. Girl gets “graded” on her recorded performance.
Laptop microphone sounded terrible and my computer guy told me to by a real microphone (the Neat Widget). I did that and plugged it into a USB port
and then did not know how to really test it with my voice. Internet/Windows suggested Audacity, so I immediately downloaded/installed Audacity and ran into the problem with the feedback noise and volume at playback. That’s how we got to here.
Any ideas how to fix? Seems like this should be an easy one for you experts.
but Software Playthrough was already turned off when I installed Audacity.
Are you still hearing the microphone through the computer speakers? Even when Audacity not running?
Are actually getting feedback (a squeal or echo) from the speaker-sound feeding-back into the microphone?
If so, turn off [u]Listen to this device[/u].
Also make sure [u]Windows “enhancements”[/u] are turned-off (if they show-up for the USB mic). Those settings are supposed to help with communication, but they can really mess-up music.
If you have a smart phone you might have better luck with a recording app on your phone. Most cell phones have pretty-good microphones and the app is probably easier to set up. I don’t have a recommendation for you but tell us if you have an iPhone or Android and maybe someone can help.
I need for all this to work so that my granddaughter can record her flute into an app (she is not here right now and I don’t know what app she is to use) required by her band director. Girl gets “graded” on her recorded performance.
I’m sure she’ll be graded (mostly) on the “notes & timing” and her performance rather than the quality of the recording.
Musicians tend to have a reputation of not caring too much about recording & playback quality, whereas audiophiles tend to have a reputation of caring more about sound quality than the musical performance. 
Acoustic instruments and solo vocals are notoriously difficult to record because there are quiet parts where noise becomes audible. Acoustic room noise is usually the biggest problem but electrical noise can also get into the recording. The microphone should be close to the flute (probably 6-12 inches).
…Maybe closer if possible/practical - Google found a source that says:
1.Approx. 5-10 cm away from the instrument, aim the mic halfway between the mouthpiece and the left hand…
And do whatever you can to minimize room acoustic noise. I think you CAN get a decent recording with what you’ve got even if you don’t get “pro studio quality”.
I do not understand your reply.
The page you referred me to says Windows 7 - I am on Windows 10. I am not using any device other than the microphone and the laptop itself and do not want to involve any other device. Should not be necessary.
As to recording music - I have not gotten that far. If I can’t even get my voice to record and playback simply without that feedback noise and low volume (as I have documented in this ticket) then…
The Neat Widget microphone doco says that it should be great for recording music - that’s why we spent extra money to buy that product.
I do not understand why this is difficult. I know that Windows/Audacity record and playback have been around for years and the fix for my problem OUGHT to be simple. I am not trying to do ANYTHING exotic at this point - simply recording and playing back my voice.
Thank you for trying to help.