Can't monitor voice levels while recording: Rode Podcaster

[WriteNoise]

Hi

I've been using Audacity 1.2.5 for about a year, on my MacBook (running OSX 10.4.11) with great results.

I recently installed a larger capacity hard drive, so I had to reinstall the system and download Audacity 1.2.5 again. When I try recording since my system re-install, I can't hear my voice in my headphones while I'm recording. I use a Rode Podcaster mic, with the headphones plugged into the mic itself. In my System Preferences, I have the Podcaster set as the Input, and Built-in Output as the Output. In Audacity Preferences I have the Podcaster as the Recording device and the Built-in Output as the Playback device. These are the same settings I used successfully before my system re-install.

I have tried using the Podcaster as both Input and Output and I still can't hear myself while recording - whether I plug headphones into Podcaster or MacBook. I've tried the Hardware and Software Playthrough options in Audacity Preferences. Still nothing. I've played iTunes music through the headphones plugged into the Podcaster and that's fine.

The weird thing is, when I set up the very first recording I did after system reinstall I COULD hear myself through the headphones. But just once. What I usually do is hit Record and Pause until I'm ready to roll. Then I hit Pause to go into live record. So I set it up that way and I could hear my voice through the headphones, but as soon as I hit Pause to start recording, I couldn't hear myself anymore. However, I can play back the recording and hear it okay, with the headphones plugged into the computer.

What am I doing or not doing? Is there some setting I'm forgetting about - or have there been further updates to Audacity now that render that live monitoring function useless now?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Virginia

[kozikowski]

We have a decision to make. Our normal inclination is to send you immediately over to download Audacity 1.3.12. If you change your computer you may have to do that anyway, but since you're on Tiger, we should be able to get his to work.

Go into Audacity > Preferences > Something > [X] Hardware Playthrough.

I don't remember exactly where it is in Audacity 1.2. You'll have to search. Restart Audacity if you change it.

You also need to drop by Apple > System Preferences > Hardware > Audio > Output and set that to your microphone, not speakers or built-in output.

See how that works.

Koz

[WriteNoise]

Thanks Koz. I tried all your suggestions, with the headphones plugged into the mic and then the computer and still, nothing worked. What did work was Software Playthrough - but I get an annoying reverb with that, and would rather work without monitoring than have that. I am still puzzled why monitoring used to work and now it doesn't.

I even downloaded the Beta version of Audacity. Still no luck. It could be some really simple setting I'm forgetting about. Who knows??

Thanks for replying anyway - you're the only one who did!

Virginia

[bgravato]

I just did a quick test on my macbook pro (os-x 10.6). Recording from the built-in mic. Audacity 1.3.12.
I can only hear my voice while recording if I activate software playthrough. I also hear the reverb. The reverb is not present on the recording.

I tried activating the hardware playthrough but to no result... What's the hardware playthrough supposed to do?

[billw58]

What's the hardware playthrough supposed to do?

I notice that "hardware playthrough" has been removed in the latest alpha versions, as it did nothing on Mac, and hasn't for years.

-- Bill