Normalising Audio levels

[lahdra]

Hey all,

So i've been having a rather annoying problem - while doing commentaries that last maybe an hour or so, my microphone volume levels tend to be all over the place. For the first 10 minutes my voice will be at a decent volume, but then i'll find myself go really quiet. At the half an hour mark my voice may be so loud its clipping and sounding distorted.

I'm really not sure if this is simply my microphone moving around while recording, making me quieter as it moves further away and louder and its closer to my mouth, or something windows is doing (though I think it may be a bit of both). In any case, I was wondering if there was any way audacity could automatically bring all the sound to the same rough volume, raising the quieter stuff and lowering the louder stuff?

Thanks all!

[steve]

It's much better to fix the source of problems like this rather than try to patch up the damage after it has occurred.
What sort of microphone are you using? If it's a headset mic you need to adjust it so that the microphone is close to the corner of your mouth (so that you don't blow directly onto it from either your mouth or nose) and that it is securely and comfortably attached to your head.
Also, the problem may be a variation of the issue described here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/FAQ: ... hancements

[lahdra]

Yeah its a headset microphone. I've been doing these kinds of things for a while now, so i'm pretty good at positioning it right usually, but the problem seems to have cropped up over the past couple of months. I've just deliberatly done a recording where I move the microphone around like mad while talking, and it seems it never created such a huge audio difference that i'm having when looking back at an hour long podcast or whatever.

Sometimes the audio level just spikes up like mad, then drops again within a matter of seconds. So yeah... i'm thinking this is a windows issue more than anything. Thanks for the link - i'll have a look and report back.


*Time poasses*

Hmm.. there isn't an enhancement tab for my microphone, it seems. I do have the latest drivers (not using a sound card, just windows stuff). The only thing I could find was an 'exclusive mode'. Will turning that off help?

I dont suppose that there're any settings in audacity causing this?

Thanks for the help!

Edit:
Oh, and if you were wondering its a turtle beach X1 i'm using.

[steve]

Hmm.. there isn't an enhancement tab for my microphone, it seems.

Do search thoroughly - these settings can sometimes be tucked away and remarkably difficult to find.
Also look in windows Control Panel to see if there is an icon for the Turtle Beach X1 - if there is then there could be some "enhancements" enabled there.

Another possibility is if you have Skype (or other voip application) running in the background. If you use this type of application, ensure that it is totally closed while you are recording.

The only thing I could find was an 'exclusive mode'. Will turning that off help?

Probably not, though you could try it and then turn it back on if it does not help.

I dont suppose that there're any settings in audacity causing this?

No, Audacity just records the data that it receives. It does not do any real-time processing while recording.

[lahdra]

Hmmm... well i've had a pretty darn decent look at everything you've recommended and no dice. I'm begining to wonder if its the microphone... but it seems to me that its something artificially boosting the volume when I stop talking for a minute or two. So then when I start again it blasts for a while.

But... its all pretty random to be honest. I sure would love to fix the core problem - maybe i'll have to try another microphone.

While I do that, though, you have any other thoughts on a fix or the normalising thing?

Thanks again - I really appreciate the help.

[steve]

it seems to me that its something artificially boosting the volume when I stop talking for a minute or two.

It's quite possible that is exactly what is happening.
Skype is notorious for doing this - it's only trying to help, but it really messes up recordings. Are you sure that you don't have Skype or some similar program running in the background?

[lahdra]

100% positive (sadly). The only thing I tend to have on in the background is steam, which I can't imagine is affecting it.

[steve]

Have you tried temporarily shutting that down to see if it makes any difference?

[lahdra]

Yeah, I've given it a shot but it made not much difference.

I think at this point i'm going to just have to buy a new microphone. I wanted to post back to thank you very much for the help Steve. Have a great week, and good luck to anyone else who may have had my problem ^^.

[kozikowski]

Can you try your microphone on a different computer before you pop for the money? You have classic conferencing, phone call, or auto level setting typical of a newer Windows machine -- Vista or Win7. They're corporate communications computers, not entertainment producers.

Changing the microphone will probably not help. Windows will "manage" anything it thinks is a microphone.

This is another version of the same thing.

Windows Enhanced Sound
http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 79&start=0

Koz