Unable to record audio. Please help!

[Michelle Tucker]

Hi! I'm sorry my words will not be very technical, but I am having problems recording audio. When I press the record button, the audio track will start moving and the blue line will be there, but it will remain flat. (It isn't creating the various squiggles when I make noise.) And, when I press play just to make sure, no audio plays back to me.

I have used audacity just fine in the past, so I'm not sure what happened!

I have tried to record using the mic built into my laptop (Qosmio, Toshiba) , but it doesn't work.
I have tried to record using my USB mic (Blue Yeti) , but that doesn't work either.
(Until recently, both ways of recording worked just fine)

Now, I'm not great with technology, so I'm not sure what windows program I have. On the bottom of my computer, their is a sticker with the computer info, and it says 'Windows 8.1'. If this is still the version of windows I have, do you think that is why Audacity isn't working? I have Audacity 2.1.3

Thank you for your help!

[Trebor]

When I press the record button, the audio track will start moving and the blue line will be there, but it will remain flat ...
I have tried to record using the mic built into my laptop ... Blue Yeti ... doesn't work either.
(Until recently, both ways of recording worked just fine)

If you have the (microphone) "recording volume" slider control fully to the left, the result is almost flatline.
Solution: slide it to the right ...

[Michelle Tucker]

Thanks for your reply!
Unfortunately this isn't the problem. I made sure the microphone slider control is all the way to the right, but it still won't record any sound.

[steve]

Look in the Windows Sound Control Panel and ensure that the green meters move in response to sound input. If that is working, then check your settings in the device toolbar.

[Michelle Tucker]

Thank you so much for the help!
Your instructions got me on the right track, but I still have a little problem.

The problem now, is that the sound control keeps muting automatically.
(Under 'windows sound control panel' I click on the 'microphone' and I look at the 'levels' and the microphone volume keeps automatically dropping to 0 and muting.) I keep changing the volume and clicking 'apply' and then 'ok' and audacity will record for a few seconds and then automatically mute again.

Any suggestions?
I tried to find some instructions on this in the audacity help pages, but I wasn't able to fix the problem.

Thank you!

[Michelle Tucker]

Thanks again for your help!
I just took off an update that had to do with the sound and then re-updated and re-started my computer and now audacity is working again!
Thanks!

[Michelle Tucker]

Sorry, I spoke too soon haha
audacity is still having the same problem of muting automatically. It is also muting automatically in the windows sound control panel.

Thank you for your advice.