input clipping; &: pasting from 1 track to next

[juliasvision]

2 problems perhaps you can help me with:
my mic input levels keep clipping/distorting. how do i lower the input level? with meter level? how? it won't let me keep it in place.
also, how do i cut/paste segment from 1 track onto another? (align clips into the right position to fit into other track). how do i do this without being a second off and getting tracks out of sync?
arggh!
thanks so much!
Julia

[steve]

Which version of Audacity?
What operating system?
What sort of microphone?
Do you have "Snap To" enabled? (near bottom of main Audacity window)

[juliasvision]

i'm using the stable 1.2.6 version. i have windows 2000 probably. and not sure what the snap-to is about, but i will enable it, if its not already. i'm using a blue snowflake mic, has usb out.
i seem to have better luck with in stereo, which i should have been doing anyway. it seems to lower the input and reduce clipping.
what else? i'm recording guitar and vocal tracks, and its the vocals that are so loud. but when i move too far from mic, it sounds like i'm in a bathroom. i know my set up is simple but it should work. i tried turning mic to side so not to catch straight on. again, i think recording in stereo has fixed this, though i don't get why... ?
mostly concerned with cut and pasting tracks accurately for timing..... does snap-to help with this? how? thanks.
lastly, so yo recommend a best place for tutorials? i've searched all i think, but none go past the basics.
thanks for any help you can give me!
Julia

[steve]

not sure what the snap-to is about,

Snap To should normally be OFF (not selected). It makes it easier to select exact units of time by disallowing in-between selections, normally you do not want that behaviour.

i think recording in stereo has fixed this, though i don't get why... ?

I think it has probably fixed it by accident.

i know my set up is simple

Could you say a bit more about your set-up?
What bits and pieces are you using (model number are good), and how are the bits and pieces connected to each other?
(Too much information is better than not enough).

lastly, so yo recommend a best place for tutorials?

Look at the links at the top of this page (Tips and Tutorials) or the links below my post.

[juliasvision]

wow! ok what a difference. i'm getting the hang of it now. although vocal segments at times are mid-second intervals. can i change snap-to function to do half second intervals? i zoomed in extra close for segment clarity to cut & paste...... of course a perfect take would be easier! =D

my set up:
acoustic guitar into amp (or vocals) picked up by
Blue Microphones Snowflake USB Microphone (plug n play type)
plugged into usb port on my dell dimension
aside from no effects to warm voice, it seems fine.

Recording Process:
I've been recording scratch guitar/vox track, then using that to re-record guitar more carefully, then a new vocal track too, and harmony tracks sometimes. then erase the scratch track. I did a click track to begin with, but that made my playing sound so stale, i've passed on it. i'm pretty steady anyway.

Audacity Issues:
q: still don't understand what the speaker and mic icons and levels are for - the ones on left, under the recording buttons (not the monitor ones on right) ?? sometimes mic level there is automatically on hi, sometimes low. Can't get it mid way or 3/4. although my monitor levels show good 3/4 range (now that i'm not clipping on vocals!).

q: what's diff between exporting to wav vs mp3 if i'm burning to cd?

What else do you think I should know/ do? btw, using these to burn cd & have other musicians learn songs. also will make cd's to give/sell.
thanks so much for your time Steve!!!

[kozikowski]

In reverse order. The music format on a CD is WAV. If you create an MP3 in the middle of the process, you needlessly add compression distortion. What are you using to burn the CD? Windows Media in Win2K didn't have a burner.

Can't get it mid way or 3/4.

Windows Control Panels have a lot to do with how the signal gets from the microphone to Audacity. Start there. Make sure the correct things are selected and if there's a level control, that one takes priority. Audacity volume controls do not always connect to the ones in the system.

Windows Control Panel
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... trol_Panel

Did the snowball come with a software package? That may be where you get your volume control so you can be close to the microphone and not overload.

The good part of USB microphones is the all-in-one nature. No mixers, cables, preamplifiers, etc. One down side is missing volume controls. It's digital, so it should be perfect!

Koz

[steve]

q: still don't understand what the speaker and mic icons and levels are for - the ones on left, under the recording buttons (not the monitor ones on right)

When it is possible to do so, the sliders alongside the speaker and mic icons will adjust the playback and record levels respectively. Depending on the sound card drivers it is not always possible for these sliders to actually work. USB devices do not usually respond to these controls. In the (much more recent) Audacity 1.3.12 version, these sliders are usually greyed out in such situations.

can i change snap-to function to do half second intervals?

No, but you probably don't need to. If you think that you need to, please describe in detail what it is that you're doing and what you are trying to achieve and we can probably show you an easier way of doing it without the need to snap to half seconds.

I did a click track to begin with, but that made my playing sound so stale, i've passed on it.

I know exactly what you mean - I much prefer to work to a scratch track than to a click track. It may not be so mathematically precise, but often it can be more musically precise.

What else do you think I should know/ do?

I don't know how well it works on Windows 2000 (never used it) but I would recommend that you try Audacity 1.3.12. It is a much better program for musicians than the old 1.2.6 version. You can have both versions installed as long as you only run one at a time (the programs won't let you run them both simultaneously). Audacity 1.2.6 cannot open projects that have been created or saved by Audacity 1.3. http://audacityteam.org/download/