Low input level with no control in 1.3.14

[mgstevens]

HELP! I updated to 1.3.14 for no good reason and now I get input audio levels (from a Lexicon I-ONIX u22) that are HALF what they were with 1.3.9 and the input slider in the interface is grayed out. I use Audacity almost daily to record for radio and I am choked!

Barring a quick fix, is there a place to find 1.3.9?

I should have known better than to trust the latest...

Any help out there?

[kozikowski]

Apple > System Preferences > Hardware > Audio > Input.

Do you have good level there on the bouncing blue ball meter and can you change it OK?

Which MacOS?

Koz

[mgstevens]

KOZ: The OS is the latest instance of Snow Leopard. And I don't know what you refer to with the bouncing blue ball meter... Are you referring to the meter in the sound prefs panel in the OS?

Of course, this MAY all be moot... (like taking a car to the mechanic, I write and it starts working...)

I SWEAR I was getting the conditions described above (low input levels), however, after opening up a project from yesterday and playing it, I recorded a new project and got higher-gain input levels. I have no idea what changed (I did switch from 24bit to 16 bit recording), but I have better levels. I need to record an interview in a few hours so I was troubled by the initial results, but now - in one short test project - the input levels seem to be ok. The input slider is not active still, but that appears to be the default when choosing an external interface. When I change to Built-in Audio, the slider is back.

I hope the return to proper levels is now the norm. Are there any known issues that would contribute to this condition?

I also experienced an "invisible" crash - meaning that I quit the program, then went to restart it, but was told I already had an instance of the program running. No icon in the dock, nothing to show it was still running. Not even sure how that condition got cleared. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen again.

[kozikowski]

(I did switch from 24bit to 16 bit recording)

When you get done with your work, try switching back.

Also, you can start Audacity from First Birthday by editing its preference file, or since you're on a Mac, just delete it and restart Audacity.

-- Trash Audacity Preferences (On Mac, trash Go > Home > Library > Application Support > /audacity)
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Preferences

Koz

[kozikowski]

Not even sure how that condition got cleared.

You have a number of symptoms of an unstable system. When was the last time you restarted from power off? Do you have enough drive space -- at least 10% free?

Disk Utilities > Verify Disk and Repair Permissions?

Have you ever run the Periodic tools?

Koz

[mgstevens]

Koz: With 1.3.9 I had no problem. I have 83 GB Free on a 320Gb drive.

I run a 2010 Mac Mini, Snow Leopard - latest update - and 8GB of RAM.

The last two days of recording have been frustrating. Two main things: First, I use a Lexicon I-ONIX U22 interface with a RODE condensor mic. Even though I reinstalled the driver when I first recorded with 1.3.14, when I fired up Audacity today, the interface was not available in the Audacity drop menu. I reinstalled the driver and there it was. Troubling.

Second, and much more troubling is that after recording one 15 minute interview with no problem (other than needing to reinstall the Lexicon driver) When I recorded the second 15 minute interview, I could see the interface lagging during recording. When I finished and replayed the interview, there were numerous digital splatter artifacts and a few seconds of missed audio. This experience also occurred the other day. This for me is a deal breaker. My interview guests are only available in brief windows, and it has taken significant editing to rescue at least one interview from this reoccurring issue.

Again, I never experienced these issues with 1.3.9. Is there any way to get back to that version? I only upgraded out of "what the heck" and now regret it. Can you show me a way to get beak to 1.3.9 version?

Much appreciate any help you can offer.

[Gale Andrews]

Try 1.3.12 to begin with:
http://audacity.googlecode.com/files/au ... 1.3.12.dmg .

The version of the PortAudio Audio I/O interface we use changed between 1.3.12 and 1.3.13, but 1.3.14 uses the same as 1.3.13.

1.3.9 probably only let you apply software gain to the signal rather than actually controlling it, so if the input was clipped in the first place, all 1.3.9 would do is make the clipping quieter. In that situation, 1.3.14 and a few Betas before grey out the input slider. Can you control the output level being sent from the Lexicon?

Have you tried increasing "Audio to buffer" in the 1.3.14 Recording Preferences?



Gale

[mgstevens]

Try 1.3.12 to begin with:
http://audacity.googlecode.com/files/au ... 1.3.12.dmg .

I was able to locate both 1.3.9 and 1.3.12. I suppose I should use .12 then.

The version of the PortAudio Audio I/O interface we use changed between 1.3.12 and 1.3.13, but 1.3.14 uses the same as 1.3.13.

1.3.9 probably only let you apply software gain to the signal rather than actually controlling it, so if the input was clipped in the first place, all 1.3.9 would do is make the >clipping quieter. In that situation, 1.3.14 and a few Betas before grey out the input slider. Can you control the output level being sent from the Lexicon?

I can control both mic/phone inputs and device output with the Lexicon.

Have you tried increasing "Audio to buffer" in the 1.3.14 Recording Preferences?

What would I increase the audio buffer to for better results - and why on the second recording and not the first in a session is there the problem?

[Gale Andrews]

Try 1.3.12 to begin with:
http://audacity.googlecode.com/files/au ... 1.3.12.dmg .

I was able to locate both 1.3.9 and 1.3.12. I suppose I should use .12 then.

Yes, try that first.

I can control both mic/phone inputs and device output with the Lexicon.

That is the correct way to do it. Macs give you no way to control input levels of USB devices.

Have you tried increasing "Audio to buffer" in the 1.3.14 Recording Preferences?

What would I increase the audio buffer to for better results - and why on the second recording and not the first in a session is there the problem?

Experiment with the buffer value with a test recording if you can.

You could have a USB bandwidth problem that the later Audacity may or may not be making worse.



Gale

[kozikowski]

You must have offended a deity in there somewhere. I sent my machines back to The Beginning Of Time and I can supply installers for:

1.3.5
1.3.7
1.3.8
1.3.11
1.3.12
1.3.13

I was not a willing adopter of Audacity 1.3. I stuck with 1.2.x for a very long time.

why on the second recording and not the first

Because you have an unstable system. See: drivers vanishing for no reason. There is no straightforward reason for your problems. I know what's going to happen. We're going to collect a pile of seemingly unrelated failures and they will have nothing to do with the real problem.

Koz: With 1.3.9 I had no problem. I have 83 GB Free on a 320Gb drive.
I run a 2010 Mac Mini, Snow Leopard - latest update - and 8GB of RAM.

Is that the internal drive? When I bought my Mini, I couldn't get a drive that big. Do you ever get the internal fans kick up higher than a gentle whir?

What other applications do you have running at the same time you're trying to capture? Do you leave your browser and email open while you work? Amazon just delivered a book on HTML5. They describe how the newer connections allow somebody to access your machine without your knowing.

See how stripping away the other Audacity versions and putting 1.3.9 back on goes. You'll have to trash the preference files manually. Reinstalling doesn't touch them.

Trash this folder:
Go > Home > Library > Application Support > audacity

When you put the new Audacity in, it should start from dead zero, first birthday. If it wakes up and has some of your older settings, you didn't get a clean install.

Koz