Import Audio Sound Issue

[jmbtexas4]

Hi,

I have the latest edition of Audacity: 2.1.3

I record vocals on a Tascam DR-40. When I listen to the lyrics on the Tascam, they sound fine; however, when I import that audio file into Audacity and listen to it, some of the vocals have a faint static "k" sound on them. It doesn't happen during silence, and it doesn't happen on all lyrics. I can't figure out what is causing the vocal sound to be altered like that.

Any ideas what could cause that?

Thanks!

[DVDdoug]

Does that happen during the quiet parts or the loud parts?

Usually noise is most-noticeable during silence, and distortion (clipping) happens during loud parts. So, I'm guessing it's distortion.

What are our levels like? Are your "waves" hitting 1.0 in audacity? If you are hitting 1.0 (100% or 0dB) in Audacity before any processing, your recording is probably clipped.

...I doubt you're creating 8-bit files, but there is something called quantization noise. Quantization is "unusual" because although it's most-noticeable with quite sounds (like most background noise) it doesn't exist with silence. (You can't hear quantization noise at 16-bits or better.)

[jmbtexas4]

Does that happen during the quiet parts or the loud parts?

Usually noise is most-noticeable during silence, and distortion (clipping) happens during loud parts. So, I'm guessing it's distortion.

What are our levels like? Are your "waves" hitting 1.0 in audacity? If you are hitting 1.0 (100% or 0dB) in Audacity before any processing, your recording is probably clipped.

...I doubt you're creating 8-bit files, but there is something called quantization noise. Quantization is "unusual" because although it's most-noticeable with quite sounds (like most background noise) it doesn't exist with silence. (You can't hear quantization noise at 16-bits or better.)

Hi, no, it doesn't happen only on the loudest parts of my vocals. I also am not hitting 1.0 on the waves. I'm well below .5 probably around .25. I don't think it's distortion from clipping.

[Trebor]

I record vocals on a Tascam DR-40. When I listen to the lyrics on the Tascam, they sound fine; however, when I import that audio file into Audacity and listen to it, some of the vocals have a faint static "k" sound on them ... Any ideas what could cause that?

Worth playing back your audio on a Microsoft own-brand media-player to determine if the problem is specific to Audacity.

If the static-like "k" sounds are "baked-in" to the recording, i.e. they always occur at the same point in time, attach a few seconds of audio to a post , then we may be able to identify the problem.