Voice Barely Registers

[Apostrophes]

Hi,

I am using Windows XP, a good microphone and good lead that a friend who records music professionally let me borrow. I plug the mic into the mic socket on my laptop, select mic volume and set the slider on high, yet my recorded voice barely registers. In the Windows control panel I have selected 'mic volume', and made sure it is on maximum. In 'options' and 'properties' every box is checked.

The same happens on my iMac, but here is the odd thing. A track I recorded on my friend's professional software using the same mic and lead, when opened as a project, is perfectly fine. The sound comes through loud and clear. But when I try to record on the same project, again, my voice barely registers.

I have tried using 'line in' but no luck.

Can anyone help?

Thank you.

Richard

[JeffB]

Are you sure you selected "microphone" on the Audacity input dropdown menu in the upper right corner of the Audacity program?

[Apostrophes]

The drop-down list is slightly different on mine, but I select 'mic volume' from the drop-down list that includes 'line volume', 'CD volume' and 'stereo mix'.

Richard

[JeffB]

The drop-down list is slightly different on mine, but I select 'mic volume' from the drop-down list that includes 'line volume', 'CD volume' and 'stereo mix'.

Richard

I wonder why they're different. Which version are you using?

Mine looked the same on both version 1.2.6 and also the 1.3.3 Beta.

[Apostrophes]

I am using 1.2.6. for XP.

[JeffB]

I am using 1.2.6. for XP.

I'm using 1.2.6 on XP as well. I'm not sure why the drop down menus would be different, even if not drastically so.

BTW, I had tried my microphone as a little experiment and I barely got any sound if any while it was on "stereo mix". I was surprise, however, when I switched it to "microphone" and still got little/no signal. I moved the slider to the right and it worked fine, but I see your slider is already all the way to the right. I was thinking that maybe it didn't "take" when I first changed input devices, but I tend to doubt it.

There were a couple of sections in the Audacity Wiki.

One section that might be of help is the one entitled: Sound Cards & Drivers

Another is: No Waveform being Recorded

[MiltonNashTN]

When you say you are using a "good microphone", you must still have a microphone whose impedance matches the MIC input on the computer sound card. If it's a professional mic (dynamic or condenser) used for live performance or recording, chances are that you must use a computer audio interface to get good results. You may actually get better results if you are plugging straight into the computer MIC input by using a cheap out-of-the-box computer mic and EQ-ing the result to make up for the mic's coloring the sound.

[MiltonNashTN]

Another issue. If you are using a professional condenser mic, it must have power (+49 volts?) supplied either by an onboard battery or from phantom power from an interface. Otherwise, silent mic!

[alatham]

Phantom power is 48 volts, usually.

MiltonNash brings up some good points. You can't plug a real microphone* into the Mic In port on a sound card. Those ports are meant to be used with computer mics (technically called Electret Condenser Mics).

* - Do you have a real microphone? If it uses an XLR plug, then you have a real microphone. If it uses an 1/8" phono plug (kinda looks like a penis), then it's a computer mic.

[Apostrophes]

Thank guys. It does appear to be that the 'good' mic I used doesn't work well with the sound card I have. I'll buy a regular one and use that. Thanks for all your quick responses.

Richard