Unable to increase microphone volume with USB Microphone

[Black Dog Bluez]

[Audacity 2.0.5/.exe installer/winxp] I am using an used USB (Karaoke) microphone I found at a thrift store and when I turn the volume up on the Audacity work station it quits! Otherwise it works (with Audacity's mic volume all the way down) but the volume is low and that's with the mic volume control (on the computer) all the way up, which does respond/work correctly. Just was wondering if the Audacity volume should work as well or how I can get some more volume would be appreciated, thanks. I'm using it to record w/Audacity on a notebook computer. The mic is a Logitech Konami that I think is for Karaoke--which is another question--should that matter? I found no "boost" option either. The only thing seemingly wrong is the Audacity mic volume control not responding as mentioned--when I increase volume it deactivates the mic --is that normal?

[kozikowski]

You can get "magic" problems with microphones if Windows Enhanced Services is working.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... hancements

I don't know anybody who ever made a top of the heap, high quality karaoke microphone, so in the line of different microphone styles and qualities, that's probably near the bottom.

Just above Mr. Microphone.

http://mcgarnagle.com/2012/05/23/mr-microphone/

Koz

[Gale Andrews]

[Audacity 2.0.5/.exe installer/winxp] I am using an used USB (Karaoke) microphone I found at a thrift store [...] The only thing seemingly wrong is the Audacity mic volume control not responding as mentioned--when I increase volume it deactivates the mic --is that normal?

No. The Audacity input volume slider should move in tandem with the system slider for the mic, or the Audacity slider should be greyed out. Do you mean it mutes the mic?

See: Windows XP support has ended - Microsoft Windows .


Gale

[Black Dog Bluez]

No. The Audacity input volume slider should move in tandem with the system slider for the mic, or the Audacity slider should be greyed out. Do you mean it mutes the mic?

Thanks Gale, yes it mutes/quits working ... and it's not greyed out.

[Gale Andrews]

I don't think there is a lot you could do. You could try selecting the mic in the recording section of Windows "Sounds and Audio Devices" which would make it default, then record it with Windows Sound Recorder to see if this changed the behaviour.

You could choose a different "host" in Audacity's Device Toolbar.

You could right-click over audacity.exe, choose "Properties", click "Compatibility" then see if setting compatibility for an earlier version of Windows helped.

You could open Windows Device Manager, right-click over the device, uninstall it, disconnect it for a few moments, reconnect it, shut down Windows and restart.

Of course it may just be a bad mic you and you got what you paid for.


Gale

[Black Dog Bluez]

Thank you Gale though none of your suggestions worked and now I notice my computer's Wave volume control is working in tandem with Audacity's output volume control which shouldn't be should it? --I even uninstalled Audacity then reinstalled and still same

[Gale Andrews]

Thank you Gale though none of your suggestions worked and now I notice my computer's Wave volume control is working in tandem with Audacity's output volume control which shouldn't be should it?

Yes it should do so, just like Audacity's input volume control should directly operate the system input volume slider for the device.

I even uninstalled Audacity then reinstalled and still same

That won't reset Audacity settings unless you enabled the "Reset Preferences" checkbox half way through the installer. I doubt an Audacity settings reset will help.

If Windows Sound Recorder was also not able to record any louder despite the slider in Sounds and Audio Devices being on maximum, this clearly is not an Audacity problem. It may be time to get another USB mic. You may be able to find one cheap on eBay.


Gale