Audacity Forum

Following a system failure I've had to re-install Authenticity. Now on playback, my recordings from the radio are terrible --overpowering hiss, resounding bass, with any sound appearing to come as from a drainpipe. The original sounds out of the speakers are fine. But the playback through Authenticity is completely unusable.

I have tried all combinations of preferences. None work. (Host - MME or Windows DirectSound: Playback - Speakers/Headphones IDT High Definition: Recording - Microphone/Line in IDT Highe Definition: Channel: 2 Stereo)

I've shut the system down and re-booted to no effect. I'm using Windows 7 and Authenticity 1.3.11. Any ideas?

Thanks

What sort of radio? A real "wireless" (AM/FM) radio or Internet radio?
If it's a real radio - how do you have it connected to your computer? (AUX out on the radio to Line In on the computer? Headphone out to Mic in? ...)

Floreat wrote:I'm using Windows 7

Were you using that to make successful recordings before the crash?

Floreat wrote:and Authenticity 1.3.11

Audacity 1.3.11 ?

Authenticity?? It's been a long day!! (It's a wonder I spelled it correctly!) Of course Audacity. And I was using Windows 7.

I record Internet radio taking a line out to a 'multicompo super woofer system' (That's what it says on the tin) Listening on-line is absolutely spot on. When I record (and I've done hours with the same system on my old XP computer with 1.2.6) the Audacity file is horrendous. I had been successful initially with Windows 7 but had a query over 128,000 cycles. Then I had the system failure. I've uninstalled/installed Audacity a couple of times so I guess the 'brain' of Windows 7 is thoroughly confused. Thanks

Floreat wrote:I record Internet radio taking a line out to a 'multicompo super woofer system'

The best way, if supported, is to record from "Stereo Mix". Have you checked to see if this option is available? (see here for tips: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer ... trol_Panel )

Floreat wrote:and I've done hours with the same system on my old XP computer

The sound system on XP is very much more friendly for recording than Vista or Win 7. I know a lot of people that have "downgraded" from Vista to XP because they want to use their computer primarily for recording. That is not to say that Vista/7 cannot be used for recording, just that there are often more hoops to jump through to get it to work properly.

Is this a laptop computer? The IDT Hi-def (Integrated Device Technology) option you mention is generally used for on-board sound - at a current price of $1.62 per unit (quantities of 10,000 units) this is not going to be a top audiophile quality piece of kit, but it should certainly sound better than "diaboliocal".
Many on-board sound cards have a number of "effects" built in to "enhance" the sound (read - make it sound less bad). These include "environmental"/reverb effects for playback, and "noise reduction"/"echo cancellation" effects for recording from cheap computer microphones. These effects should all be switched off - which is often easier said than done as many of the settings are hard to find. Try looking in the Windows Control Panel for sound card settings - also look near the Desktop time/date for a loudspeaker icon. (This is not the same as it is set for the digital output (which you are not using), but as an idea of the type of thing that you need to look for, see the "Enhancements" tab in this picture: http://www.fjiii.com/tmp/m2400_sound.jpg )

Right, I think I've cracked it. What I believe was happening was that I was actually recording the ambient sounds of the radio coming out of the speakers together with the general room-noise, through the Webcam microphone. It was only when a telephone ring was played back that I realised! I had thought plugging in the external speakers would have turned off the Webcam microphone. Audacity appears to working OK.

So I've reset the playback to 'Speakers/Headphones IDT High Definition' and the recording to 'Rec Playback - IDT High Definition' - and it now works fine.

Whether the microphone will work when I get round to using the webcam....

Thanks for your help - the screen shots were useful in resetting the system.