Audacity Forum

Thanks, I'll check out that Tascam option.

Coincidentally I just purchased a thrift store mic with a 1/4inch plug type. I got an adapter to bring it down to 3.5mm [mono to mono] and just tried it out and incredible overbearing hiss (and low level results of recorded material/with mic volume to max [and boost option on] and acoustic guitar playing loud and close to mic)-- Way worse than any plug-in to the computer type mics I've tried before. Which makes me wonder if the new version of Audacity got something wrong somewhere in this department? OR just a coincidence? Last time I tried recording with Audacity was with a USB mic a few versions back and the noise was not this bad. ALSO with out even having a mic plugged in and monitoring my recording levels I''m at about -36 dB! Where's that from? That can't be right, either my computer is noisier now or something ..SOS ..HELP

PS My mic and headphone jacks are an after-market USB plug-in that by-passes my original computers jacks that failed about a year ago. I've been using the headphone jack--no problem. This is the first I've tried the mic jack.

Trebor wrote:When you are recording Audacity could be also be simultaneously recording from other devices as well as the USB microphone , (e.g. "line in").
Go to Windows recording devices and disable all other recording devices , as they could be contributing hiss noise to your recording.

[ right mouse click on the loudspeaker icon , (next to the clock), then left mouse click on "Recording Devices" ]

Just to clarify, Audacity can only record from the selected recording device, so noise from other recording devices must be leakage surely?

If you are checking there, in my opinion it is also worth checking the playback side, in case any inputs are capable of being unmuted for playthrough. You don't want any unmuted inputs there.

Gale

Hello Gale - Not sure I'm clear on what you're saying, my apologies. I don't really know too much about audio recording. I don't understand what is meant by playthrough. I'm thinking you mean I should mute any other devices that are listed in the Sound > Playback tab, is that correct? Sorry if I've misunderstood, thanks for providing info.

I'm curious, what is your input recording level with the room quiet? With mic plugged in (and on), and without mic plugged in.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/m/imag ... eabove.png

Here's how to check:

"Start Monitoring/Stop Monitoring (recording meter only): Starts/stops monitoring of the input (recording) level without actually recording a track. You can also start and stop monitoring by left-clicking on the recording meter."

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/me ... .html#menu

kwartz wrote:I'm thinking you mean I should mute any other devices that are listed in the Sound > Playback tab, is that correct?

Yes, if there are any other devices. Lower end computers probably won't have that feature, so the Playback tab will only have a volume slider for the speakers and/or headphones. But if you also see sliders for inputs like mic or line-in, you should mute those sliders.

"Playthrough" just means that if the input's playback slider was enabled, the input would play through the speakers or headphones of the built-in audio.


Gale

Black Dog Bluez wrote:I'm curious, what is your input recording level with the room quiet? With mic plugged in (and on), and without mic plugged in.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/m/imag ... eabove.png

Here's how to check:

"Start Monitoring/Stop Monitoring (recording meter only): Starts/stops monitoring of the input (recording) level without actually recording a track. You can also start and stop monitoring by left-clicking on the recording meter."

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/me ... .html#menu

Howdy - When I've got the monitoring turned on, and I'm not speaking, nothing is registering at all. I expanded the levels bar so I get a good detailed view, and nothing registers. So it doesn't appear to be any environment noise that's causing my hiss, at least nothing that is registering on the monitor levels. If you were getting at something else, let me know.

Thanks.

Gale Andrews wrote:

kwartz wrote:I'm thinking you mean I should mute any other devices that are listed in the Sound > Playback tab, is that correct?

Yes, if there are any other devices. Lower end computers probably won't have that feature, so the Playback tab will only have a volume slider for the speakers and/or headphones. But if you also see sliders for inputs like mic or line-in, you should mute those sliders.

"Playthrough" just means that if the input's playback slider was enabled, the input would play through the speakers or headphones of the built-in audio.


Gale

Sorry for the late reply, I've been sick.

In my playback tab I've got:

• Realtek HDMI Output (ATI HDMI Audio - Not plugged in)
  Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio - Default Device)
  Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio - Ready)
  Speakers (USB Audio CODEC - Ready)

I'm thinking that bottom one is related to the mic, so I shouldn't mute it, and maybe not mute the Speakers that are currently the Default Device... but maybe mute the others? What do you think?

Thanks.

kwartz wrote:

Gale Andrews wrote:

kwartz wrote:I'm thinking you mean I should mute any other devices that are listed in the Sound > Playback tab, is that correct?

Yes, if there are any other devices. Lower end computers probably won't have that feature, so the Playback tab will only have a volume slider for the speakers and/or headphones. But if you also see sliders for inputs like mic or line-in, you should mute those sliders.

"Playthrough" just means that if the input's playback slider was enabled, the input would play through the speakers or headphones of the built-in audio.


Gale

Sorry for the late reply, I've been sick.

In my playback tab I've got:

• Realtek HDMI Output (ATI HDMI Audio - Not plugged in)
  Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio - Default Device)
  Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio - Ready)
  Speakers (USB Audio CODEC - Ready)

I'm thinking that bottom one is related to the mic, so I shouldn't mute it, and maybe not mute the Speakers that are currently the Default Device... but maybe mute the others? What do you think?

Experiment, but the first experiment could be to mute all but the USB "speakers".

It's only likely to make a difference if when you double-click the Realtek Speakers to open their Properties then click the "Levels" tab, you find that there are unmuted sliders for the computer inputs like mic or line-in.


Gale

kwartz wrote:

Black Dog Bluez wrote:I'm curious, what is your input recording level with the room quiet? With mic plugged in (and on), and without mic plugged in.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/m/imag ... eabove.png

Here's how to check:

"Start Monitoring/Stop Monitoring (recording meter only): Starts/stops monitoring of the input (recording) level without actually recording a track. You can also start and stop monitoring by left-clicking on the recording meter."

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/me ... .html#menu

Howdy - When I've got the monitoring turned on, and I'm not speaking, nothing is registering at all. I expanded the levels bar so I get a good detailed view, and nothing registers. So it doesn't appear to be any environment noise that's causing my hiss, at least nothing that is registering on the monitor levels. If you were getting at something else, let me know.

Thanks.

wow that quiet? not even registering/doesn't seem right. Are you even able to record? (I guess). Record with the mic switch on the mic off and then check the level by effect/amplify--it will show you the level. Also try with the mic on and room quiet. BUT make sure the mic's working both times, by checking with the "monitor" ..say, check check to make sure the monitor shows activity. If your on a computer with a built in mic tap on that too/with a pen to see if it's somehow still on too. Not sure where your levels should be.. but Microsoft is very noisy,Windows 7 (the highest I've achieved so far) even states this in their info and offers a noise suppression feature that seems not well developed/HQ any way. Happy hacking.