Audacity Forum

I am very new at using audacity so please excuse me. I have started to record several podcasts and I am using a Samson C01U to record. Everything sounds find in audacity and I also amplify the audio to about -6db or so because it records a little loud. I end up being about -14 to -6db when speaking most of the time after amplifying. Well I export to an mp3 at 112kbps and I notice when listening to my podcast through headphones or earbuds that when my voice hits those -6db areas there is a crackle/buzz. It's slight but enough to annoy the crap out of me. I can't really pick it up however if I listen to it through desktop speakers or my car speakers. This isn't present when listening to the audacity recording directly, only when exporting to mp3. Is there a way to eliminate this, or help reduce this?
-Mike

Did you leave Audacity Preferences in 44100, 32-bit floating? There have been cases of 32-bit sound causing MP3 problems. Change the preferences to 44100, 16-bit, Stereo, or better yet, 48000, 16-bit, Stereo, the television standard. Record some fresh work, process it and see if the MP3s sound better.

<<<it records a little loud.>>>

That's a little hard to believe. USB microphones almost always record low to allow for headroom on loud live performances. Recording loud would be asking for trouble. One of those microphones has a -10dB switch. Does yours?

Koz