Just purchased Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB and then installed Audacity 2.2.2 on my laptop. Audacity seems very daunting, but slogged through some youtube videos and progressed enough to attempt to record a track. But just sitting at my laptop with audacity open and then clicking on “click to start monitoring” the level meters were moving and I heard ambient sound from my house in my headphones. Why? Then I went ahead and connected the turntable to the laptop and managed to record a tune from an album. But when I played it back through my laptop speakers I, again, could hear all the noise in the room (TV in the kitchen, wife working in kitchen) over the sound of the track. It was a jazz track and it could be heard, but not a big full sound. I think I need to increase the recording “level” but the only slider bar I saw related to this was labeled “recording volume.” Not “recording level” Anyway, most importantly, why is audacity picking up all the sounds in the room? Did I do something wrong in the original “configuration” of Audacity? Thanks.
Select the USB device as your [u]Recording Device[/u].
You’ve either selected the microphone built into your laptop, or you’ve selected one of the options that includes the microphone.
Thanks so much for reply, DVDdoug. I was excited because I was pretty sure I understood what you were saying as I watched a video about preferences. Under preferences, I only have two options in the drop down menu under “recording device”: “Microsoft Soundmapper Input” and “Microphone Realtec Hi Definition” So at your direction, I chose the Soundmapper. When I did that and clicked on “start monitoring” there was no indication of any noise coming through, so I thought I had it. But then I set up the laptop (Windows 8.1) to record a song from vinyl using a USB cord; recorded the entire song and when I listened to it, it still had background noise from the house. Amazing! How can that be?
And by the way, I still haven’t figured out how to increase the “recording level”. The only sliding bar I see for recording is called “recording volume.” I’ve recorded many CDs and even cassettes and there was always a way to boost the recording “level.” Haven’t found it yet on this audacity.
8/11/18
Would really appreciate some help on this issue. So disappointed in this recording program right now. How can it be that when I plug the USB cord into my phonograph and the other end into my laptop that I would get ambient noise from the room I’m in in my recorded song? It’s ridiculous. Could it have something to do with the sound card I have in my laptop? When I open up audacity it only offers me two options for “recording device” which you’ll see below in my previous post. If neither one of those options prevents ambient noise, what am I supposed to do? And again, why can’t I pick my recording level? Every time I’ve recorded a cassette or a CD, I’ve always been able to set it up, listen to some the music, decide the level I need for a good recording, set the recording level and then begin recording from the beginning of the song.
By the way, if any of you experts on this program live in west los angeles and would consider a hands-on lesson at my house, I would be willing to pay a reasonable fee. I’ve had my new USB turntable now for a few weeks and I haven’t recorded a thing. Every day I think of a deep cut I have on a vinyl album that I would like to record…still haven’t accomplished. Thanks
So at your direction, I chose the Soundmapper. When I did that and clicked on “start monitoring” there was no indication of any noise coming through, so I thought I had it. But then I set up the laptop (Windows 8.1) to record a song from vinyl using a USB cord; recorded the entire song and when I listened to it, it still had background noise from the house. Amazing! How can that be?
You need to select “USB something” It might say “USB CODEC”.
That does seem to be my problem. As I stated above/below, when I click on the “recording device”, the drop down menu only offers two choices: Microsoft Soundmapper Input and Microphone Realtec Hi Definition. It was suggested that I not choose any kind of “microphone”, so I chose the Soundmapper. I’m just not seeing anything in that drop down menu that includes USB anything. That’s why I was wondering if I’m missing something in my Sony Vaio laptop. I’ll keep looking around for something that says USB. Really appreciate the dialogue, DVDDoug
Wow… Frustrating!
Make sure to plug-in the USB device before starting Audacity.
Right-click the Windows volume/speaker icon, select Recording Devices, and check to see if anything “USB” shows-up and if so, make sure it’s enabled. (If Windows sees it, Audacity should also see it.)
…If you don’t see “Recording Devices”, click on Open Sound Settings, and then find “Input”.
There was a recent Windows privacy update that turns-off the microphone and maybe Windows is turning-off everything USB-audio related in case it’s a microphone. See [u]this post[/u].
Have you tried a different USB cable or a different USB port?
Also ensure that Windows hasn’t disabled your USB device
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Right click on the little loudspeaker in the System Tray at bottom right of your Windows Screen
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select Sounds
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click on the recording tab
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If you can’t see the USB device listed that means that Windows can’t see it - which means you have a hardware fault: USB cable/plug or the USB device itself
4.1 Oh and you may need to click in the white space of the dialog to get a dropdown menu enabling you to “Show disabled devices” - Windows helpfully turns it off for you by default.
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If you can see the USB device is it grayed out and marked “disabled” - if so right click on it to get the dropdown menu where you can enable it.
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You might want to disable the microphone (from the Recording tab) at the same time so you have no chance of picking up room noises.
Just don’t ask me how I know all about these problems …
All right! I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough thanks to you folks. I bought a new USB cable, I plugged it into the “on” turntable and my computer before opening Audacity. It didn’t work at first and I messed around with the speaker thingy at the bottom left on my laptop (I think I disabled something I shouldn’t have, but I’ll work on that.) then just before giving up, I decided to plug the USB cable into a different port on the laptop, looked at preferences; looked at recording devices and eureka!!! USB codec showed up in the drop down menu. I selected it and then recorded a song off a vinyl album WITH NO AMBIENT NOISE!!! What a thrill it was.
Now I gotta go back and check tutorials to figure out how to turn the song in my computer into an MP3 that I can then put into my iTunes library and then into my Classic iPod.
Thanks for all your help (and I’m sure I’ll be back soon with some other problem I can’t solve!)
Oh yes - I forgot that one …
- on my HP Envy laptop with my external USB soundcard, the USB ports on the left don’t work - but the one on the right does …
WC