Audacity Forum

I've been recording with Audacity for about a year now and just recently, when I switched from being a Windows user to a Mac user, I found that Audacity is recording too quietly. Well actually, when I record things by itself, it records perfectly fine. But when I'm singing with another off-vocal track or something, my recordings are extremely quiet and almost completely inaudible. However, Audacity says other wise. It shows that the audio is loud/a moderate volume and even when I scream at the microphone, and when the audio peaks, it still ends up extremely quiet underneath the music. And I'm pretty sure it isn't the music's fault. I tested the same thing with an off-vocal track which has very quiet instruments playing, quite slowly and still-- the recorded audio is really quiet.

I'm pretty sure it isn't my sound card(or whatever is used in Macs) since playing music in iTunes sounds perfectly fine and the same as when I first got the computer.

Here's an example:

The recorded track, which shows to be at a moderate volume plays really quietly even when the other track's volume is lowered.
I never had this problem with my Windows version of Audacity-- even if that computer had HORRIBLE speakers.

Any and all help would be very much appreciated!
Thank you.

Boy, I hope this is in the right board!

Macs like to use their own built-in microphone. Which microphone do you think you're using and which Mac have you got? I'm typing on an Intel Mac-Mini OS-X 10.4.11

Apple > About This Mac > Processor and Version.

Koz

Judging from your screenshot you appear to be using Audacity 1.2.x. Depending on what Mac you are using (and especially if it is new in the past year) you should considering upgrading to 1.3.10.

-- Bill

kozikowski wrote:Macs like to use their own built-in microphone. Which microphone do you think you're using and which Mac have you got? I'm typing on an Intel Mac-Mini OS-X 10.4.11

Apple > About This Mac > Processor and Version.

Koz

I'm sure I'm using my own since it doesn't sound as echoey as it does when I use the built-in one. It's a Mac OS X 10.5.6. Uh... The processor says 2.66 GHz Intel Core Duo?

billw58 wrote:Judging from your screenshot you appear to be using Audacity 1.2.x. Depending on what Mac you are using (and especially if it is new in the past year) you should considering upgrading to 1.3.10.

-- Bill

Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out.

Edit: Just downloaded Audacity 1.3.10 but recording is a little louder but still really quiet.

<<<I'm sure I'm using my own >>>

Which is a what? It's very difficult to give us too much information.

Koz

Riza wrote:Just downloaded Audacity 1.3.10 but recording is a little louder but still really quiet.

You're not connecting your external microphone to the Mac's Line Input jack, are you? Macs do not have an external microphone input jack. If you are using an external microphone you will need some sort of adapter: a mic pre-amp that amplifies the microphone signal and then connects to the Line Input jack, or a mic-pre-amp/USB adapter.

Please let us know what kind of external microphone you are using and how you are connecting it to your Mac, then we will be better able to help you out.

-- Bill

Ah, I'm sorry. I think the microphone I have is a DSE PC Desktop Microphone... which come to think of it, probably is the answer to why recording is so quiet.

billw58 wrote:
You're not connecting your external microphone to the Mac's Line Input jack, are you? Macs do not have an external microphone input jack. If you are using an external microphone you will need some sort of adapter: a mic pre-amp that amplifies the microphone signal and then connects to the Line Input jack, or a mic-pre-amp/USB adapter.

Please let us know what kind of external microphone you are using and how you are connecting it to your Mac, then we will be better able to help you out.

-- Bill

This is probably the reason. It never occured to me that I needed an adapter.

Thank you very much! I really appreciate the help. I'll be sure to take your advice.

Riza wrote:I think the microphone I have is a DSE PC Desktop Microphone.

That's obscure. No links directly to the manufacturer. The best I could find is an online auction in New Zealand!

Does the cord end in a red mini-jack? If it does, and you are plugging it into the Mac Line Input port, that is definitely the problem.

Assuming you want to continue using that mic, options for adapters include:
The Griffin iMic: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/

The M-Audio Transit: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Transit.html

The Edirol UA-1EX: http://www.roland.com/products/en/UA-1EX/

If you want to upgrade to a better microphone, there are many choices for USB microphones these days - microphones that have the USB adapter built in. Just avoid the ones that are obviously targeted to Skype or other VOIP users (telephone over internet).

-- Bill

But I know I'm definitely using this:
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.store ... iew/XH8235
I bought it mid-year, if I remember correctly.

Hopefully, I will be getting a Logitech USB mic sometime soon since I hear good things about it.

Thank you so much for the links and for the help. I guess I have to start recording with my older computer for now, then. Thanks again!

Riza wrote:But I know I'm definitely using this:

That explains it. That is a conventional PC microphone that is designed to be plugged into a microphone input. Microphone inputs are massively more sensitive than line inputs, but Macs do not have microphone inputs (just line inputs). Either you need to boost the output of the microphone using a microphone pre-amplifier, or use a USB microphone.