Recording levels jumping (especially on my end of phone recording)

Hello forum,
i’m on Windows 10, Audacity 2.1.3.

I primarily do phone recordings using Google Voice (aka Chat) as the connection, and the call routes through my Mackie USB mixer (profx8)…

Usually on the front end of the call recording, when the audio switches back from the caller to my own mic recording, the recording levels JUMP all the way up to 100, or close to it, and I have to drag the setting way back down, which is often resists.

I did read somewhere (possibly on the forum here) that I need to change the settings on the platform itself (Google Voice), but I can’t find anywhere that has those settings.

Suggestions for keeping the recording level steady for the whole recording call?
Thank you in advance!!

Michael

Make sure [u]Windows “enhancements”[/u] are turned OFF.

I primarily do phone recordings using Google Voice (aka Chat) as the connection, and the call routes through my Mackie USB mixer (profx8)…

Can you describe that a bit more? Recording the chat apps is really difficult without a lot more hardware than most people have or are willing to buy.

Where is the recorder?

Koz

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘where is the recorder?’ other than in Audacity…

There’s a ‘USB Through’ button on the mixer which allows the phone call coming thru Google Voice to be recorded in Audacity…but like I said I don’t think there are settings in Voice that will keep the recording level stable.

If you can be more specific, I’ll hopefully be able to clarify further-
thank you.

Actually, my apologies:

for this call, I was using Zoom (with video turned off, for better consistency/speed).
However, I’ve had the same problem using Google Voice as the source, where the levels get hot when switching back and forth on either side.

Also for what it’s worth, i’m using an old HP laptop with Windows 10.
Mic is Shure 57.

Let me know if any other info. would help.
thanks-

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘where is the recorder?’ other than in Audacity…

As a fuzzy rule, you can’t record the show on the same device or recorder that’s doing the performance. Just getting two voices to go back and forth over an internet link without echo, noise and distortion is a feat of engineering. Remembering that a computer only has one natural Play and one natural Record pathway.

If you’re mixing the play and record sound for recording in Audacity, that means Zoom has to Un-Mix it to send your voice to the far side. I’m putting serious money that’s what is causing your volume problems. Zoom can’t send the far side back to itself. That gives them weird echoes and throbbing feedback.

I would mix near and far sound from you and the computer and send the mix to Something Else for recording.

That’s how I did this.


The music was an experiment—another input to the mixer.

Audacity was not on the Skype computer. It was on a separate computer.

Koz

There was another forum poster who insisted it was possible to do everything on one machine. He was having routing and volume troubles, too. I told him to post back if he got something to work reliably. We haven’t heard back…

Koz

OK, I think I got it, Koz…

thank you so much for all of your insights and expertise.

OK, I think I got it, Koz…

How? This is a forum. Users helping each other, not a help desk.

Koz

Thanks for your help…I’ll see if there’s another way to address the recording issue.

How’s that?

How’s that?

No, no. You’re supposed to discover the secret and share it so we can get about a million other people out of trouble.

I don’t like being Debby Downer day after day.

Koz

I’ll share the secret if I find it…

KCRW has a whole ‘recording from home’ guide, so I hope to check that out.
But there should be an easier solution to simply lowering recording input.

KCRW has a whole ‘recording from home’ guide…

I bet a lot of chocolate they didn’t solve the great recording from Skype or Zoom either, other than doing it through their new media center.

Koz