I recently had to do a clean install of my OS and thus had to reinstall/update Audacity, so now I have the newest version and none of my old settings (though I’ve never had this problem before). So while recording a song, I noticed that the right side audio is heavily amplified while the left is not, and it’s extremely noticeable in playback. This is not part of the song being recorded, they sound entirely different in playback. My old Audacity used to have relatively equal volume during playback, but each side would have the appropriate variations for the song. This current setup has the variations, but extremely discordant volume. Does anyone have any idea why this is the case and what setting I need to change to make them more equal?
This is it now, and this is a sample track I recorded before the crash. The second one has clear variations, but approximately equal volume.
So while recording a song
Where is the song coming from? Live microphone? Recording from the internet?
In general, Audacity doesn’t do a thing to sound during recording. Whatever the computer supplies is what goes down. So if you make a recording and the sound balance is off, I’d be looking at the sound source or the Windows Control Panels.
The newer Windows try to “help you” by processing incoming sound as if you were on Skype. This can cause problems with music, but it generally happens to both sides. It doesn’t cause imbalanced audio.
We need more info on what you’re doing.
Koz
I’m recording someone’s custom mix off of Youtube. I know that Audacity isn’t supposed to do anything while in ‘record playback’ mode, but it definitely is here- I have to listen to it as it plays in order to record said playback, and the sound coming from my computer when the original track is playing, or anything I recorded before this new version, sounds perfectly fine/evenly balanced volume/etc. The playback of the recording sounds entirely different than the source material being recorded, so I don’t see how the computer’s settings or the source material can be the problem when everything except Audacity’s playback sounds fine.
I don’t have the newer Windows, I have the same copy of Windows 7 that was installed when I bought the computer three years ago, so I also don’t see how that could be a problem.
Did you reinstall the IDT sound device when you reinstalled Windows 7? This is mandatory or you may get problems like this. If you have a branded computer, go to the web site of the computer manufacturer and install the latest audio drivers for Windows 7 and your specific computer model. Do this even if you did install the audio device.
When you have installed or reinstalled the audio device, right-click over the speaker icon by the system clock, then choose “Recording Devices”. Right-click over the IDT “Playback Recorder” device and choose “Properties”. Then click the “Levels” tab. If there is a balance control, set it centrally.
Gale
Checked the drivers list from Dell and Windows and updated everything plus reinstalled Audacity- no idea what part fixed it, but it’s fine now. Thanks everyone!
It will be the drivers update. Reinstalling Audacity would not cure unbalanced recording.
Gale
