Hi all
I am trying to record a podcast but am having huge trouble with the above microphone.
If I am able to post my sound settings here, could someone advise where the problem may be? I am getting the same sound issues if I am using Linux mint 13 or Linux puppy, so I am thinking it’s a hardware issue?
Alternatively am I better getting an XLR mic and some form of interface for my desktop?
Thanks
Kyle
Please see the pink panel at the top of the page and give us your Audacity details.
Please give the exact model number of the mic. Please describe what the symptoms of the mic problems are.
Is the mic standards compliant (plug and play) on Windows? If it requires drivers on Windows it may not work on Linux.
Help > Audio Device Info… top right of Audacity will give us some information to go on. Click “Upload attachment” under the message editing window to attach a file.
Gale
Hi
It’s C Media USB Headphone Set (the microphone is branded Alessi)
The mic is plug n play compliant - I have managed to record some links and things using my set up, it just doesn’t seem to work at the moment - or work well in any case.
My Audacity is version 2, and I am using Linux Mint 13. However, if I boot up Linux Puppy, using the same version of Audacity, I get the same audio errors - so perhaps it is hardware based?
This is what the Audio Info screen gives me:
Thanks again
Kyle
==============================
Default capture device number: 16
Default playback device number: 16
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: HDA Intel: ALC888 Analog (hw:0,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 8
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: HDA Intel: ALC888 Digital (hw:0,1)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: HDA Intel: ALC888 Analog (hw:0,2)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: -1.000000
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: USB Camera: USB Audio (hw:1,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 1
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: -1.000000
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: C-Media USB Headphone Set: USB Audio (hw:2,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 1
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: sysdefault
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 128
Output channels: 128
Low Input Latency: 0.042653
Low Output Latency: 0.042653
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
16000
22050
32000
44100
48000
88200
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: front
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 8
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: surround40
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 8
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: surround41
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 128
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: surround50
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 128
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: surround51
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 8
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: surround71
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 8
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: iec958
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: spdif
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: pulse
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: dmix
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.042667
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.042667
Supported Rates:
48000
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: default
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================
Selected capture device: 4 - C-Media USB Headphone Set: USB Audio (hw:2,0)
Selected playback device: 16 - default
Supported Rates:
44100
48000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
0 - Rear Mic:0
1 - Front Mic:0
2 - Line:0
3 - Rear Mic:1
4 - Front Mic:1
5 - Line:1
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Master:0
1 - Headphone:0
2 - PCM:0
3 - Front:0
4 - Front Mic:0
5 - Front Mic Boost:0
6 - Surround:0
7 - Center:0
8 - LFE:0
9 - Side:0
10 - Line:0
11 - Rear Mic:0
12 - Rear Mic Boost:0
==============================
Capture volume is native
Playback volume is native
There is no such version. As requested please give us all three Audacity numbers from Help > About Audacity… and tell us exactly how you obtained it.
Please tell us exactly what the errors say and exactly where they appear. If the mic records sometimes but does not record well, please describe the symptoms of that less than perfect recording.
Do you have the Audacity project rate set to a rate supported by your mic (apparently 44100 Hz or 48000 Hz)?
Gale
Hi
My Audacity is 2.0.0. I believe I got it from the Repo’s (from Sourceforge). The build date is Jun 25 2012 (EDIT: Have just updated to 2.1.0)
Sometimes I get a latency error (which I don’t understand). If it does record then I have the hiss like it’s picking up another audio track in the background.
The recording rate is 44100 Hz.
I don’t understand why all those devices are listed as selectable devices. (Screen shot attached)
Interestingly, if I use my macbook and the mic, and audacity I have no issues recording things?
Hi
I’m sorry, I appreciate you trying to help but I am now so frustrated I may just not bother recording things any more. I have no idea what settings I should be changing in my hardware and no recordings are working now. I appreciate it must be annoying for you when you are trying to help but I have wasted days on this now. I should just go back to using my MacBook.
Thanks
K
That usually means that the recording has stalled almost immediately and that because it is not the first track in the Audacity project, the “latency correction” settings have pushed the tiny bit of recording that exist before the start of the track. When doing overdubs, “latency correction” is applied automatically to keep all of the tracks synchronised. So in short it means “Oops, the recording has stopped really suddenly”.
Basically it’s because hardly any hardware manufacturers make drivers for Linux. It’s therefore down to the Linux community to develop drivers, which is often hindered by manufacturers withholding technical information about how the device implements the chipset that is being used. Drivers on Linux are therefore usually based on the chipset rather than the specific implementation. In the case of your onboard sound card, the chipset is ALC888, which really does have all of those inputs and outputs, though the way that the motherboard manufacturer has probably only implemented a few of the ins and outs provided by the chip.
You’re really not doing yourself any favours by using such an old version of Mint. I’m aware that there were problems with the ALC888 chip on Linux about 3 years ago. I’ve no idea if that is part of the problem that you are experiencing, but on Linux it is really worth keeping up to date as improving hardware support is continuously ongoing.
Also should the USB devices in Preferences be showing subdevices like those on the motherboard chip? That does not correspond with Audio Device Info.
Gale
I’d suggest closing Audacity, then opening “Pulse Audio Volume Control”. If it’s not installed, you can install it from the terminal with:
sudo apt-get install pavucontrol
Pavucontrol is a GUI for the PulseAudio mixer. From there you should be able to select the headset mic as the default recording device and ensure that it is working correctly.
Audacity “should” then be able to use the “default” device for recording, though there is a bug that “may” cause Audacity to sometimes freeze when play/record/stop are rapidly switched - we can deal with that problem if it occurs.
Use the Mac.
I can clear the IT office in fifteen seconds by walking in and saying: “Hi. I have a Linux audio problem.”
“Was that the fire alarm? Can’t take chances”
“Would you look at the time.”
“I just remembered a dentist appointment.”
“I think I hear me mum calling.”
The company once got a series of sound cards that had negative Linux drivers. It would have been better had they not existed at all. They made the soundcards almost work—enough so we couldn’t throw them out, but not enough to be useful.
Koz
Thanks all.
So now my Audacity refuses to run saying another instance of the program is already running - it’s not, even after several reboots.
Also, plugged in my USB headset/mic (Microsoft Lifechat 3000) to test the PAVU Control and the device shows up not in recording tab but does appear in Input Devices and Output Devices but I cannot see how to make that default. Plus as said, I can’t get Audacity working now anyway to see. In configuration on PAVU I can see stereo output and analogue mono input in the last tab.
To be honest, this seems like a completely stupid idea now, and I am gutted I have lost Audacity at all.
Thanks
Kyle
I don’t know where you are getting Audacity from. Sourceforge has never distributed Linux binaries.
If you update to Linux Mint 17 you could uninstall whatever Audacity you are are using and install the “2.1.2-1~14.04” unofficial PPA from https://launchpad.net/~ubuntuhandbook1/+archive/ubuntu/audacity. This would give you the current Audacity release and may help the “already running” problem.
If it does not solve that problem, try deleting the audacity-lock- file in /var/tmp/audacity-.
If you connect a USB device while Audacity is running, restart Audacity or use Transport > Rescan Audio Devices.
To choose the Audacity playback or recording device you selected in pavucontrol, choose the “default” device in Device Toolbar or Devices Preferences.
Gale
In this example, the “Internal Mic” is the default.
To change the default to “PCM2902 Audio Codec - Analog input”, I would click as indicated by the red arrow.
Note that the line below the input level controls is a level meter. In the above picture you can see that the internal mic is picking up a signal, but my USB device (PCM2902 Audio Codec) is currently silent.
The Playback and Recording tabs show which applications are currently accessing sound. A slightly peculiar thing about Audacity is that when it is not playing or recording, it disconnects from the sound system, so Audacity only shows up in the Playback tab when playing and only shows up in the recording tab when recording, or if the Audacity recording meter has been activated (by clicking on it).
Here we can see Audacity recording from the built in microphone.
Regardless of which device is selected as the default, we can tell PulseAudio to direct a different source to Audacity by clicking the large button that currently says “Built-in Audio Analog Stereo”.
Thank you. I will try the above fix to get my original audacity working, then I have a spare HDD so will install Mint 17 on that and try everything again.
I normally am alright at Linux things but I am pulling my hair out with this one 
Thank you, I will try this shortly.
It does seem much easier to use my Mac at this point :(a
Thank you both!
When I went back into Mint 13, it opened Audacity properly and showed all my plug ins.
Then, I came out of Audacity, went into PAVU control, followed Steve’s instructions for making the USB mic the default, checked it in Audacity and it’s all just worked with crystal clear sound.
A MASSIVE thanks to both - although I am going to install Mint 17.3 on the spare HDD as I don’t want to bang my head against the walls again repeatedly.
Kyle
What does the green arrow signify on the “Set as fallback” button? Working? Muting the device does not change the green arrow.
I agree it is not very clear which device is fallback, the fallback device just has a slightly darker grey on that button.
Gale