clipping when recording computer audio

I’m trying to record computer audio but am getting slight clipping on the final audio.
I turned recording volume to 0 to test but the audio is still redlining.
ANy ideas what to change?

https://imgur.com/a/mzSmtSL

So it is possible that your audio is already like that. Also, if you generate a sine wave and amplify it up to 0, it will look at though it is clipping but it actually not.

Normalize the audio to -2dB or -3dB - still plenty loud enough

WC

I’m recording a snippet of something off mixcloud so can’t normalize it first.
Even iff I record off youtube, it clips.
When I lower recording level slider to zero, why doesn;t it lower the recording level?

When you record streaming audio you usually capture the audio stream as-is. The slight distortion probably isn’t audible. I’m not surprised that a “DJ mix” is clipped. :laughing:

Normalizing or otherwise reducing the volume after recording will “hide” the clipping but it won’t fix the wave shape.

…YouTube automatically does loudness matching/normalization so in most cases the volume would be reduced and again the clipping would be “hidden”.

ok so it’s showing up just because I’m recording at full loudness?
I’m guessing my soundcard has no option to reduce the audio gain before it’s passed to audacity, it just goes direct

I wouldn’t lose sleep of this slight clipping… :wink: Does it sound bad?

ok so it’s showing up just because I’m recording at full loudness?

If the original recording is clipped (likely), reducing the volume doesn’t remove the distortion.

Lossy compression changes the waveshape and that can push the levels over 0dB (potential clipping) even if someone uploads an original that isn’t clipping. YouTube (usually) uses lossy compression but I don’t know anything about MixCloud. Most lossy formats can go over 0dB without clipping but by the time you “capture it”, it’s probably clipped.

Can you adjust the recording volume? When you are recording streaming audio sometimes adjusting the playback volume will affect the recording volume too. I think the built-in YouTube volume control lowers the volume before it goes into the computer and I think if you are using Stereo Mix (if you have that option) the playback affects the recording volume, but not if you are using WASAPI (loopback). (I’m at work and I can’t experiment right now).

I’m guessing my soundcard has no option to reduce the audio gain before it’s passed to audacity, it just goes direct

With WASAPI (loopback) the audio data doesn’t go through the soundcard. I’m not sure about Stereo Mix.

yeah but what is happening is that I am reducing recording volume and the master meter is still red lining over 0db.
Technically, when I rdeuce recording vol the meter should also come down but it doesnt

yeah but what is happening is that I am reducing recording volume and the master meter is still red lining over 0db.
Technically, when I rdeuce recording vol the meter should also come down but it doesnt

Generally no. You are just “capturing” the (decoded) digital audio stream. If your soundcard/drivers have “Stereo Mix” or “What-U-Hear” as recording options, reducing your playback-listening level should also reduce the recording level.

But again if they are sending you clipped audio data over the Internet lowering the recording level or lowering the level after recording does not remove the distortion. (But it does “hide it” so Audacity doesn’t show red.)

P.S.
Audacity does have a [u]Clip Fix Effect[/u] that attempts to restore the clipped peaks. And it can reduce the overall level to make room for the newly restored peaks. (But it’s impossible to actually know the height and shape of the original wave.)