Weird Clipping Issue With Headset-Recording

[ThisIsMe99]

Hey Audacity-Team,

I have weird recording issues with my headset lately. It's hard for me to explain, so please have a look at the three screenshots I attached.

The first screenshot is from a recording that I did a few weeks ago. The second one is a recording I did for test purposes.

As you can see it is always "clipping" (I hope that is the right term). The weird thing is that it's not clipping after 1db, it's clipping at ~0.4db.

If I set the recording volume higher the level at where the clipping occurs also goes up (screenshot 3).

Screenshot 1: (old recording that sounds great)
http://www.VisionIgnitionNow.com/temp/recording_1.png

Screenshot 2: (new recording; recording volume level rather silent)
http://www.VisionIgnitionNow.com/temp/recording_2.png

Screenshot 3: (new recording; recording volume level louder)
http://www.VisionIgnitionNow.com/temp/recording_3.png

I'm seriously clueless. I've been fighting with this for days now and I really need to get these recordings done. Any help is greatly appreciated.

P.S.:
You can take a look at the two Audacity sample-projects if you want: http://www.VisionIgnitionNow.com/temp/test.rar

[EDIT]
Sorry, forgot my specs:

Windows XP Service Pack 3
Creative FATAL1TY HS-1000 Gaming Headset USB
Audacity 1.3 Beta (the problem also occurs with older versions of Audacity)

[steve]

There may be a "+20dB boost" setting for the microphone.
Why do those images not look like Windows XP?

[ThisIsMe99]

Unfortunately, no, there is not even a "+20db boost" setting availabe in the audio configuration.

Regarding the looks: I have an Mac OSX-theme installed.

[steve]

On the volume control, what do you have in "Options" (as shown in your 3rd image)

[ThisIsMe99]

I appreciate your help, Steve!

[steve]

Looking at your original pictures again, I think that the problem is that you are overloading the microphone itself (or the electronics in the microphone).
There's not much that you can do about that other than moving the microphone further away from the sound source (your mouth?) and then use the computer volume control to bring the level up to a reasonable height in the track. It is usual to position headset microphones to the side of the mouth so as to avoid blowing on them.

I don't know what you are trying to record, but standard/inexpensive headset microphones are designed to pick up "conversational level" speech. They are not generally suitable for singing or shouting.

[ThisIsMe99]

It seems like you're right, Steve. Maybe that's the only solution I have left now.

A few hours ago I had the chance to test the headset on a Laptop. Same problem there. It seems like the microphone on the headset is somehow broken. Weird, since I haven't really thrown it around or anything.

It's just so frustrating that everything worked two weeks ago and now it's messed up. Seems like I have to get a new headset.

[steve]

I suspect that it is not broken, but rather that the position of the microphone relative to your mouth has moved. Because headset microphones are so close to the mouth, even a small movement can make a very big difference. Can you try and position the microphone a little more to the side of your face?