Audacity adds a high-pitch noise to playback [SOLVED]

[steve]

That was a recording of a bass phrase wav file being played back by Audacity on my new computer.

OK, but where is the original bass phrase wav file?
As Gale wrote, Audacity does not do real-time effects, so we're trying to work out where the "high pitch noise" that you are describing is coming from.
Does the file that I posted have the high pitched noise? In other words, have I removed the thing that you are describing as "high pitched noise"?

[sizemore]

Hi, Gale;

Internal sound card; external speakers plugged into computer's audio-out jack.

All audio-output signals in this computer go thru the exact same sound card and external speakers, regardless of the source of those audio-output signals.

That high-pitch added noise is only heard when the source of the audio-out signal is Audacity. So there is something different about the way that signal is being sent from Audacity.

I cannot imagine what that difference might be.

thanks

[sizemore]

Hi, Steve;

When I get home, about 6 hours from now, I will attach the exact audio file which sounds exactly as it should, when it is played back by anything other than Audacity on my new computer. You will notice that it sounds the same as the audio file I attached earlier, except it will not have the high-pitch noise.

thanks

[sizemore]

ok, attached is the original audio-file (converted to mp3 so this forum will accept the size of the attachment).

This file sounds exactly as it should, when I play it back thru my DAW or Windows Media Player on the new computer, or when played back thru any audio software (including Audacity) on the old computer.

The high-pitch noise is only added when it is played back thru Audacity on the new computer, as you can hear on the previously attached audio-file.

I created several basslines in various bass synths in my DAW on the new computer. They all sound as they were intended, except when imported into Audacity and played back from Audacity, on the new computer.

In addition, I have downloaded onto this new computer other bass-centric tracks from various websites. They all sound great --- except they have an added high-pitch noise when played back thru Audacity, on my new computer.

[sizemore]

Also, I have just now installed Audacity 2.1.2

The high-pitch noise is there, exactly the same, when playing back bass sounds.

[steve]

OK, I can hear (and see) the difference between the two versions.
I do not hear the "high pitch noise" when I play the "orig G A A# rifflet 8-bars in MicroRock #17 Black Bax ctrpan.mp3" file in Audacity.

Some of this may already be covered, but I can't scroll down very far while typing, and it's worth having this information in one place:

If you shut down Audacity, then re-open it and from the File menu select "Import > Audio" then select the file "orig G A A# rifflet 8-bars in MicroRock #17 Black Bax ctrpan.mp3" and then click the Play button, do you hear the high pitch noise?

Did you "Reset Preferences" as Gale suggested? When you first started Audacity after resetting preferences, you should have been prompted to confirm that you want to reset preferences - did that happen and did you confirm?

Go to "Help menu > Audio device info". Wait for the info to appear, then select and copy all of it, and paste it into your reply.

What speakers / headphones are you using and how are they connected to your computer?
Are you using the same speakers / headphones, connected in the same way, to the same computer when you listen with Windows Media Player?

[sizemore]

Yes, I selected "Reset Preferences" and confirmed that when prompted.

Yes, I imported that audio-file into Audacity (many times) and, yes, when I played it back from Audacity it included that high-pitch noise, every time. And I hear that noise when the sound is playing thru my Cambridge Soundworks speakers, and also when I unplug the speakers and plug in the headphones.

And yes, same speakers are used when listening to everything with this computer.

Please see below the data copied from the Audacity help file, as I was instructed to do.

Code: Select all

==============================
Default recording device number: -1
Default playback device number: 1
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
    352800
    384000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek 
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
    352800
    384000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Primary Sound Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.003000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.010000
Supported Rates:
    48000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek High Definition Audio) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Selected recording device: 5 - Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Selected playback device: 1 - Speakers / Headphones (Realtek 
Supported Rates:
    48000
Recieved -9996 while opening devices

[kozikowski]

I see you have WASAPI buried in there. I wonder if you're in feedback. ...eeeeEEEEEEE

Doesn't have to scream like a bad club band. It can ring, tick or ting only when certain sounds are played.

Koz

[steve]

Thanks for the details and clarification sizemore.

Looking at the "Audio device info":
This looks weird to me (though I'm not an expert on Windows).

Your recording device is set to:
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek High Definition Audio) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI

Your playback device is set to:
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek
Host name: MME

I didn't think that was possible - your input and output devices are using different "hosts".
I think that the reason that has happened is because no MME recording device can be found (and there is no "DirectSound" recording device available either).

Do you have Skype or any other voip application, or any other audio applications running (even in the background)?
Look in the Task Manager and double check.
The most likely possibilities seem to be that either some application has grabbed exclusive access to the Realtek recording device, or there is a problem with your sound card drivers. I'm hoping that it's the first.

[Gale Andrews]

Thanks for the details and clarification sizemore.

Looking at the "Audio device info":
This looks weird to me (though I'm not an expert on Windows).

Your recording device is set to:
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek High Definition Audio) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI

Your playback device is set to:
Device name: Speakers / Headphones (Realtek
Host name: MME

I didn't think that was possible - your input and output devices are using different "hosts".
I think that the reason that has happened is because no MME recording device can be found (and there is no "DirectSound" recording device available either).

At the top we see

Code: Select all

Default recording device number: -1

which means there are no recording devices enabled in Windows Sound. However that still gives sizemore a Windows WASAPI (loopback) recording device in Audacity which never appears in Windows Sound.

It is not possible to "select" playback device from one host and recording device from another. But as we see Sizemore's selected recording device is "Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output" I assume they have selected MME host.

I don't hear the high pitched noise in the good file when playing in Audacity either. Does changing project rate bottom left of Audacity to 48000 Hz make any difference?

When you arranged to have Windows 7 installed on this new computer, did you also arrange to install Windows 7 audio drivers for it?


Gale