I have imported three tracks on audacity, two guitar parts, and one vocal. after a second or two of the vocal, the guitar parts quiet down, and then resume their loudness after the vocal has stopped. I havent set any effects on, merely imported the files. Is this auto ducking? how do i stop it? i started two other projects and the same problem occurs. yet, i have started other projects in the past and this was never an issue.
thanks for any help.
Audacity’s AutoDuck doesn’t work in real-time, even if you wanted it to, so that can’t be the problem.
Unknowingly you may have a real-time Auto-Gain-Control operating on your computer, which is automagically adjusting the volume to avoid deafening you when things get loud.
If you do have an AGC, (aka real-time “Dynamic Range Compression”, aka “loudness equalization”),
it would be outwith Audacity, e.g. … http://lifehacker.com/5986236/normalize-the-sound-volume-on-your-pc-with-windows-loudness-equalization-setting
i cant find any loudness equalization setting on my computer, which is running windows 10. and, anyway, this problem isnt on earlier projects; their volume levels dont adjust without me manually making them. it is only on new projects that i start in audacity. thanks for the suggestion though.
after a second or two of the vocal, the guitar parts quiet down,
That’s the poster child for conferencing or chat processing. The computer thinks the guitar is interference, noise or background trash and suppresses it in favor of the voice.
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/faq_recording_troubleshooting.html#enhancements
Did you recently start using Skype, Games or other communications programs? Audacity still doesn’t do anything live except record and some timer jobs. no filters or effects.
Koz
Make sure you close all chat programs, games and Skype. DO NOT leave them napping in the background.
Koz
I bought a logitech webcam between the time of my most recent projects and my older ones. i have used it, but not with skype or any such program, nor do i have skype or the like on my computer. I dont leave the camera plugged in, nor have i had it plugged in at anytime while editing.
can you give me more info about chat processing? i dont see anything related to chat processing in the camera program on my computer. Thanks a lot!
Did you find any “enhancement” settings for your sound card? Most Windows computers have some enhancement settings. They may be somewhere in the Windows Sound control panel (see: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer_Toolbar_Issues#vistacp) or your sound card may have its own control panel, or both.
Do you have “SoundBlaster Cinema” installed (or similar “audio management” software)?
Windows computers stopped being general purpose computers a while back in favor of business or corporate communications devices. What you’re supposed to do is open your laptop and connect to a corporate goals meeting with several cities and the head office in Lausanne.
What you are not supposed to do is record music. Windows thinks any sustained musical note is air conditioning noise and tries to destroy it. This problem is much more entertaining than you think because Windows, the microphone system and sound drivers may all try to install filters to “help you” clean up your voice.
Musicians have to find all of them and turn them off.
Koz
Yes! this seems to have done it! There is an option to ‘Enable Audio Enhancement’ that was turned on. Your link showed me this. I thank you and everyone else who replied to my post(s)! You are golden gods!