Audacity Forum

Hi guys, thanks for you help. I'm recording my guitar using a microphone which is plugged directly into my computer's line in microphone port. The first track comes out fine, but when I record a second track, there is a large amount of hissing and buzzing on it. If I turn off the overdub option in the preferences>recording menu, the hissing/buzzing goes away on the second track. But, the problem is if I deselect the overdub option, I can't hear the first track while recording the second. Therefore, it's almost impossible to lay down a track that fits with the first. Can anyone help me? thanks!

Do you like to record internet audio like YouTube or other music web site? It sounds like your computer is trying to record "What the Computer Is Playing" rather than just the straight microphone.

You can go into the Windows Control Panels and see if the system is set to record from the Microphone or Line-In connection and not "What-U-Hear" or "Stereo Mix." The settings for entertainment recording are different than the ones for internet recording.

That and you crossed a couple of English words there.

...a microphone which is plugged directly into my computer's line in microphone port.

What kind of microphone? If you have a "computer" microphone like a headset...

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/PCHeadset.jpg

...then yes, you plug it straight into the Mic-In or Microphone Input, usually pink. That's different from the Stereo Line-In, usually blue.

Desktop computers with sound cards usually have one of each like this...

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... Final2.jpg

But Windows laptops usually leave out the Stereo Line-In -- the blue one.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... pSound.jpg

If you're electrically crossing some of the connections, that can cause problems, too.

Koz

Thanks for the help. I checked my control panel and stereo mix is disabled. Also, I am using a shure sm57 mic which is plugged into the microphone jack of my dell desktop computer.