decibel clipping

[yaddab]

Hello

I am trying to convert spoken word from analog cassette into digital form in computer. I´ve never had any problems with converting music.
Now this is different recorder and I have problems with decibels clipping. I set decibels on input, I set volume in computer preferences on sound card, I read that with spoken word I should set decibels -6 to -12 level. But in Audacity it is only from some -36 or something. There´s horrible clipping so I sending a printscreen so you see I set all volumes to lowest, but sound is horrible, nothing can be understood in speech.

For information - tape recorder uses 6,5 mm jack and I am using reduction to 3,5 mm jack to connect it to computer, may it be problem?
Is there something like tape protection or somethig what would destroy the sound like that, because first I got digital version of this tape and it was the same. I don´t know who did it but may had the same problem.

Please help

[kozikowski]

Windows laptop?

You can't use the Microphone Input on the laptop for this job and many Windows laptops don't have any other connection. The microphone connection of the laptop is mono, not stereo, and is very, very sensitive so it can amplify tiny microphone signals.

You are applying a stereo signal that is a thousand times louder than is good. That's why it is overloading and you can't stop it.

You might be able to use a USB sound adapter like a UCA-202. This will provide a stereo connection to your laptop at the right level. Many large deskside Windows machine and almost all Macs have stereo sound inputs, but stereo got left out in Windows laptops.

Koz

[yaddab]

Thank you, I really have laptop, but I tried it first at home with normal cassette player and with my laptop as it is and with everything as now (except 3,5mm reduction) and there was no problem. It was music.. How come?

[steve]

The output from the cassette (as shown in your first post) is much too high and is overloading the computer input.
If you are using a headphone socket on the cassette player, turn down the playback volume much lower, then (if necessary) turn up the recording volume on your sound card.

[kozikowski]

And do remember that the microphone connection on a laptop is mono. The presentation in Audacity might be two channels, left and right, but if you look at the bouncing light sound meter, they will track perfectly -- it's one sound, usually left, that's being recorded to both Audacity tracks.

If you scroll down on this illustration, you see that there's only room for one sound connection in a microphone system.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audioconnecto ... ctors.html

Koz

[yaddab]

Thank you very much, finally I managed it even on laptop.. Defaultly there is an amplifier connected to player where it is possible to set volume, but through that there was absolutely no sound and I excluded this way. So I connected it directly to cassette player and there it was too loud, even on headphones - that maybe explains decibel clipping on my post..
Then I checked amplifier one more time and I found out there was only damaged cable between player and amplifier so it didn't play. I changed cable and everything went perfectly..
But anyway thank you very much for your posts.. It really could have been anything.. bye

[yaddab]

Hi, I have the same problem again. Then it was in linux, but now in linux my microphone doesn´t work at all and here in winxp is happening this damn clipping and I don´t know why - there´s no problem in amplifier this time, I checked all adjustments you advised me - and it is stil clipping and it´s driving me mad this time. Please could anybody help me?
And in Ubuntu lucid lynx my mic doesn´t work at all... any opinions please..?
Thanx much
yaddab

[steve]

For the problem on Linux, please post in the Linux part of the forum (I presume that you are using Audacity 1.3..x, so you will want this board: http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewforum.php?f=18 )

For the Windows XP problem, open up the system mixer (a loudspeaker icon near the Desktop time/date). Go to the "Recording" section (from the "Options" menu) and reduce the microphone recording level. There may also ba a "20 dB boost" setting that you can turn off (you may need to enable the "Advanced" controls).

There's some pictures here that may help you find your way round http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer ... trol_Panel