Voice recording is silent [HELP]

[MkMuffi]

Whenever I try to record my voice, the output is always silent. I have tried changing the host interface devices and recording devices multiple times, but none of them would work. There is nothing wrong with the microphone on my computer, as I tested it out and it clearly recognizes my voice. In Windows, I have the setting "Allow desktop apps to access your microphone" turned on. In Audacity itself, I tried recording my voice with MME and Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input, no luck; I tried it with MME and "Microphone Array (Realtek(R) Au[dio]" which was also an option listed, no luck. I then tried the Windows DirectSound host, with Primary Sound Capture Driver, no luck; I tried it with Windows DirectSound and Microphone Array (Realtek(R) Audio), STILL no luck. I even tried it with Windows WASAPI and it wouldn't work. Please help???![/size]

[steve]

1. open the run dialog with "Windows logo + R"
2. enter: mmsys.cpl
3. press the "OK" button

That will open the Windows Sound control panel.

Open the "Recording" tab.

Speak into your microphone. You should see a green meter to the right of one of the listed devices, responding to your voice.
Do you see that? If so, what does it say the device is called?

If you don't see the green bar, or if it's not moving in response to your voice, then there's something wrong with you microphone, mic lead, sound card, or Windows Sound settings.

What happens?

[MkMuffi]

Yes, the green meter appears, my microphone is working correctly. The device is called Realtek(R) Audio, but as I said earlier, I did try that audio device for recording but it still comes out as a completely silent track. (I am using Audacity 3.0.2)

[steve]

Try setting up Audacity to use "MME" as "host" and "Microphone Array (Realtek R Audio)" as the recording device in the Device Toolbar.
Try recording.
If it records as a flat line, try applying the "Amplify" effect with default settings.
What happens?

[MkMuffi]

With MME as the host and Microphone Array (Realtek R Audio) as the device, it does just record a flat line. I amplified it, and it was still silent, so then I amplified it a bunch of more times, and all I got was static white noise.

[kozikowski]

With MME as the host

What's the other one? There's two different ones.

This amplify thing is a trick because the blue waves only show you about the loudest 25dB out of 96dB. So you can actually have a recording and just not see it. That's not your problem.

I've been known to lose a recording because I set up for Stereo instead of Mono or the other way around. Anything there?

Do you use Skype or Zoom? Is Skype or Zoom still running in the background? Both of those change sound settings without telling you. Close all your apps and clean shut down the computer. Shift+Shutdown > Wait > Start. Not Restart and not normal Shutdown.

That help?

This one is a little out there: Do you get blue waves and just can't hear them? There are analog recording errors which can cause that.

Koz

[MkMuffi]

My recording is set up with two channels for Stereo, nothing there. I don't have any other applications open in the background that would conflict, just my internet browser, which isn't using my microphone. I did a complete shut down of my computer, and started it back up again and tried to record, but that still didn't fix the issue.

[kozikowski]

Is this a Desktop? Laptop?

Koz

[kozikowski]

What's your microphone and how is it connected? If it has a model number, pretend I want to buy one. There's something odd about your Windows control panel, but I can't quite sort it.

Koz

[MkMuffi]

Laptop, Lenovo. Windows 10, I think the version is 20H2. It is just the default microphone on the computer.