Low Stereo Mix input from sound card

[denniscuddles]

I used Audacity for several years on my previous (now dead) PC to record streamed audio, usually from BBC iPlayer. On my old PC I used to have to reduce Audacity's input slider a few notches until I got maximum volume without clipping. The Stereo Mix input option is not available on the integrated sound card in my "new" PC so I have been trying a couple of PCI cards - a Soundblaster Live and a PC-line card. Either of them will give me Stereo Mix but the input volume in Audacity won't go above -9db or so, whichever card I use. The result is recordings that are too quiet. I've been through all the mixer and system setting and pushed all the volumes up to max but can't increase the volume any further. I'd rather turn down a strong signal than amplify the recording in Audacity. Can anyone suggest a remedy? OS is XP

[waxcylinder]

What have you got against using Audacity's Amplify? It woks well, particularly if you leave Audacity in its default 32-bit floating setting.

-9 dB seems a plenty fat enough signal to me. I normally try to record to a target of -6.0 dB for capture (to avoid any chance of clipping), do my editing and then as my final production step amplify up to -2.0dB for my production audio files.

And have you tried adjusting the amplitude with the Window Volume Control tool - I normally sit a shortcut to that on my desktops for ease of access?

WC

[denniscuddles]

Probably force of habit, developed during tape-recording days. On my old PC I found that if I Amplified a low signal I sometimes ended up with a certain amount of background noise, analagous to tape hiss. Not audible through my buds or my PC's baked-bean-tin speakers but detectable on WAV files burned to CD. I guess the PCI sound card will be less susceptible to picking up system noises so I'll take your advice and amplify the recordings before exporting.
Many thanks.

[waxcylinder]

You were typing just as I was updating so you may not have seen

<<And have you tried adjusting the amplitude with the Windows/soundcard Volume Control tool - I normally sit a shortcut to that on my desktops for ease of access?>>

And personally I prefer using an external USB soundcard - as it sits outside the electrically noisy environment of my PC.

WC

[denniscuddles]

Yep - all volume control sliders are at max. I considered an external USB card but was able to get hold of a couple of freePCI cards so wanted to try them first. Can you recommend a reasonably priced USB card that will do the job?

[waxcylinder]

If the free PCI cards work well for you I'd be tempted to stick with them

I use the Edirol UA-1EX made by Roland, it is now superseded but I think some are still available. They have replaced it wuth the Cakewalk UA-1G. There is also a cheaper device which I had on my shortlist which is the Behringer UCA-202. I chose the Edirol because it has hardware gain controls on both the input and output sides.

See this sticky thread: http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9477

WC