Audacity still seems to be making a rather quiet recording?

[layresearcher]

Hi there,
I am on Linux AND A TOTAL TECH DUMMY SO ANY ANSWERS IN THAT LANGUAGE APPRECIATED FAR MORE.

With soundfiles, even when I put Imput and Output levels on Maximum, Audacity still seems to be making a rather quiet recording?

http://audacityteam.org/help/faq?s=reco ... laythrough
"Why can’t I hear what I’m recording?
Windows and Linux

To monitor your recording, open your computer's volume control panel."


ME AGAIN: How do I do that???

With the speaker icon on my desktop tray?

That is already on 98%


"Turn up the playback volume and turn off the “mute” checkbox for your recording source (usually “microphone” or “line in”)."


ME AGAIN: Where/How do I do that???


ME AGAIN: You couldn't supply a http://www.jingproject.com/ video on this process could you?


"If this does not work, open the Audacity preferences. In the “Audio I/O” section, turn on the “Software Playthrough” option."


ME AGAIN: Think I did that but it didn't make any difference.


Thanks

[steve]

I think that this is one of the hardest things that a casual user of Linux will come across, and it really is not the fault of the Linux developers. Unfortunately sound card manufacturers do not bother to make drivers for Linux, so we do not have the nice neat interfaces for our sound cards that other platforms have. However, there are quite a few graphical interfaces available.

Most versions of Linux provide a loudspeaker icon on one of the panels to allow you to access the default mixer (try right click on it).

If you do not have a loudspeaker icon, but are using ALSA (ok, perhaps you don't know if you are or not, so just try this and see if it works), you can use the AlsaMixer.

Open up a terminal window (don't worry, it won't bite) and type in:

Code: Select all

alsamixer -c 0

If ALSA is installed, this will bring up the mixer for your first audio device.

Use the Tab key to move between Playback and Record settings, and use the cursor keys to change the levels. The first time you use this, keep a careful note on paper of anything that you change so that you can reverse any changes if necessary.

If you are still stuck, you will probably be best seeking help from the support forum for your distribution (version) of Linux.

[kozikowski]

<<<Linux AND A TOTAL TECH DUMMY>>>

There's a movie, isn't it? Total Tech Dummy encounters one of the more challenging operating systems in the world. What did it for you? Price?

Koz

[kozikowski]

I'm not poking fun at you. See: Steve. This is the traditional operating system that doesn't do sound very well. The production linux machines here at the farm routinely kill their sound for no apparent reason and it takes one of the Systems Operators to get it working again.

So if you wanted to guarantee lots of hard work, mystery problems, and a good chance of a crashed show, this is a good way to do it.

Best wishes. We'll help where we can.

Koz

[steve]

This is the traditional operating system that doesn't do sound very well.

But Linux is very capable of performing superbly with audio. ALSA does a difficult job (largely due the lack of manufacturers drivers) superbly well and performs as well as any other operating system, it's just that it can be a pig to set up. With a real time Linux kernel and JACK, the sound system wipes the floor with anything else, combining flexibility, versatility, interconnectivity and speed. Ah.. Erm... but Audacity does not like to play with JACK. This is why Linux users are so belligerent about Audacity's lack of JACK support. Fully supporting JACK would make all the hassle worthwhile.

[kozikowski]

<<<But Linux is very capable of performing superbly with audio.>>>

I agree. Linux machines can be made to perform some very serious work. I think our company worldwide has thousands of them. We also have very few beginners.

Koz