Audio is ruined after exporting

[dark3tar15]

This seems to be an issue that just popped out of nowhere for me last night, and it's still there. I use a PX21 Turtlebeach Headset as a mic to record audio for videos I make, and I (of course) use Audacity to record my voice for said videos.
When I play the audio back in the actual program, it sounds perfectly fine. After exporting though, it sounds terrible when I play it in Quicktime. I'm assuming this isn't my mic since again, it sounds great in Audacity, but when I export to a .wav it sounds really bad. I tried all different types of file formats and different export settings, using the noise removal option, everything, but it's not working at all. There's an echo and a buzz sound for some reason, and I can't get rid of it for the life of me.
Also for some reason, it also sounds bad in Quicktime. When playing the exact same .wav file in iTunes or VLC, it sounds perfectly fine just like in Audacity. Why is this?

I use Audacity 2.0.5. I attached a sample file with this post for reference, just in case.

[steve]

Perhaps a little quiet, but sounds fine here. It must be something to do with the player. Check that the player is not adding any effects or "enhancements" to the sound.

[kozikowski]

Here it is coming back with gentle volume boost.

Also you might listen to these short clips.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/LRMonoPhase4.wav
http://www.kozco.com/tech/organfinale.wav
http://www.kozco.com/tech/piano2.wav

Pay particular attention to the LR thing. If my voice is not surgically correct coming out of the left and right speakers, then your machine is messing with the sound.

Koz

[dark3tar15]

The audio is still coming out bad when I play the version you gave. I checked to see if the program has any effect on it through the settings, but nothing.
If it helps, it also plays well in my video editing software, just like it does in Audacity, but then when the video is exported it goes back to bad. Same goes for after it's uploaded online.

[kozikowski]

Have you ever used Soundflower?

It's a free program that allows you to record what's playing on your Mac. It's the Mac version of "Stereo Mix" on Windows machines and it's a good way to record, for example, a YouTube sound clip.

It's also a good way for you to record your distortion so we can hear it.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tu ... n_mac.html

Record the distortion and post a short bit of it on the forum. Or, if you have access to a file posting service, post a longer sample there. WAV is good. You can also, in this case, export an MP3 as long as it's very high quality, 250 or higher for a stereo clip.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Use show sound that's easily recognizable. It does no good, for example, to use a fuzz guitar performance as an example of extreme distortion. The guitar is naturally distorted. How would we know?

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 49&t=72887

Koz

[dark3tar15]

I attached a soundflower recording of what I'm hearing on my end.

[Gale Andrews]

it also sounds bad in Quicktime. When playing the exact same .wav file in iTunes or VLC, it sounds perfectly fine just like in Audacity.

iTunes uses QuickTime. It does not seem to be an Audacity fault if the Audacity export plays OK in VLC.

Does the file sound bad in QuickTime if you play it through the built-in sound device?

Open Finder, Go > Utilities then open "Audio MIDI Setup". Check what sample rate and bit depth you have the headset output set to. Try something simple like 44100 Hz 2ch 16-bit.


Gale

[Alan Jardine]

I'm a new user of Audacity.

I have exactly the same problem.
I'm using the new Rode NT1 mic
A Focusrite 2+2 preamp
Sony MDR 7506 headphones

Basically, all very good gear.

But an old computer........... a Packard Bell Easynote TR87

When I'm recording, it all sounds wonderful.
Then I export.......and playback......... it sounds crap........ nothing like what I recorded.......everything sounds different.

My thought was that my computer sound card is just too old to replay the quality of the Audacity programme.
Then I tried it with my friends, top quality, brand new, all singing and dancing computer...............
And guess what....... exactly the same.......

I'm starting to think that I shouldn't have wasted my money on a home studio................... and just go to a pro studio to get my recordings.
Because this system.......Audacity + home studio really doesn't work.

I'm not a techno geek..........just an ordinary guy.....who does voice-overs as a hobby/living.
I would love to hear your comments.
Best of all happinesses.....................
Alan

[Gale Andrews]

I'm a new user of Audacity.

I have exactly the same problem.

And what problem is that, exactly? If VLC plays the files and they sound OK there, it is not an Audacity problem.

And you are on Windows, not Mac.

Please begin by confirming you have the latest 2.1.3 version of Audacity from http://www.audacityteam.org/download/windows. Please see the pink panel at the top of the page for how to check your Audacity version.

What format are you exporting to? If you are exporting to a lossy format like MP3, then you are getting what you asked for - quality degradation as the quid pro quo for small file size. Try exporting to WAV (Microsoft) signed 16-bit PCM and ensure the project rate bottom left of Audacity is 44100 Hz. WAV is lossless, but files are larger. The maximum possible file size for a WAV is 4 GB.

Headphones do not sound the same as speakers. "Everything sounds different" does not help us understand what the differences are that concern you.


Gale