Quality and volume degrade after a few seconds of recording

[dudewithaguitar]

I have been trying to record my guitar into Audacity, but after only a few seconds of recording, during which time the audio sounds fine, the quality and sound level steadily degrades. I am using a high quality USB microphone, a Blue Yeti, plugged into an HP laptop. I have tried different guitar amplifiers, different microphones, even different audio recording programs (Goldwave), and for some reason, I always have the same problem. I'm thinking it's a very obvious setting that I'm overlooking because very few people seem to have this problem.

[Gale Andrews]

I have been trying to record my guitar into Audacity, but after only a few seconds of recording, during which time the audio sounds fine, the quality and sound level steadily degrades. I am using a high quality USB microphone, a Blue Yeti, plugged into an HP laptop. I have tried different guitar amplifiers, different microphones, even different audio recording programs (Goldwave), and for some reason, I always have the same problem. I'm thinking it's a very obvious setting that I'm overlooking because very few people seem to have this problem.

Try turning off "noise cancellation" and other "effects" or "enhancements". On Windows Vista / 7, go to "Sound" in the Windows Control Panel, click the "Recording" tab, right-click over the microphone > Properties and look for an "Advanced" or "Enhancements" tab.



Gale

[dudewithaguitar]

Thanks for getting back so quickly. I did as you said, but there were no active enhancements. I also tried reducing the input level, since I thought that maybe the program was compensating for the level being too high, but that did not work either. Any other suggestions?

[Gale Andrews]

Thanks for getting back so quickly. I did as you said, but there were no active enhancements. I also tried reducing the input level, since I thought that maybe the program was compensating for the level being too high, but that did not work either. Any other suggestions?

What version of Windows? If Vista/7, do you have other applications playing sound and competing with the mic? On the "Communications" tab of "Sound" in the Windows Control Panel, have you chosen "Do nothing" for adjusting sound levels?

And what other microphones have you tried - all USB microphones? I've known this happen with inbuilt sound devices, due to generic Microsoft drivers, but that wouldn't apply to using a USB microphone that does not have its own drivers.

Other possibilities would be sample rate mismatches - but again more likely on Vista/7.

Audacity doesn't adjust the input level in response to the strength of the signal.


Gale

[kozikowski]

Windows machines are designed for communications/conference/voice connections, not entertainment recording. Because of that, all the Windows microphone input processing defaults to ON and many times you don't notice it until you try to record your guitar. That's "Auto" or the Echo Cancellation thing.

The complaint is almost always the same -- my music is OK for the first few seconds and then goes way down in volume and starts sounding honky/gargly. That's the Room Noise Cancellation kicking in. Normally, that would be a good thing. It's trying to suppress your air conditioning noise so it doesn't interfere with your conference call.

Not so good for theatrical recording.

We ran into a machine a bit ago where the Windows Control Panels wouldn't turn some of the conference tools off. That's highly not good.

Koz

[dudewithaguitar]

Hahaha wow you guys were completely right. I thought that just because I'd plugged in my USB mic that it would become the default mic as long as it stayed plugged in. It had been recording with the built-in mic on my laptop the whole time, which was set to "reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%," and those "other sounds" were the ones I wanted to record. Thanks a lot! Problem solved.

[GuitarRiffs]

I have the same issue, but I have no idea how to resolve this.
I have already selected "Do Nothing" under Sound->Communications

Still, it becomes "tinny, computerized, and waterlogged" after about 6 seconds of sustained input.
Where can I change the microphone setting? What do I change it from/to ??

Thanks for any help !!

[GuitarRiffs]

PS: I am going directly from my Pandora digital effects device directly into the "mic" jack of my Realtek sound card.
I use a 1/4" to 1/8" converter jack to plug the guitar cable directly into the sound card.

[Gale Andrews]

I have the same issue, but I have no idea how to resolve this.
I have already selected "Do Nothing" under Sound->Communications

Still, it becomes "tinny, computerized, and waterlogged" after about 6 seconds of sustained input.
Where can I change the microphone setting?

Have you checked first to see if enhancements are actually enabled and turned them off?
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/FAQ: ... hancements

Does that "Communications" feature actually turn down inputs when there is a VoIP phone call, or only playback (outputs)? I though it only affected playback. Are you listening to the mic input while you are recording it?

I am going directly from my Pandora digital effects device directly into the "mic" jack of my Realtek sound card.I use a 1/4" to 1/8" converter jack to plug the guitar cable directly into the sound card.

That will give you (unwanted) distortion unless the Pandora output is really intended to be plugged into a mic port, or unless you have switched the mic port to line-in (if there is a way to do so).


Gale

[GuitarRiffs]

Have you checked first to see if enhancements are actually enabled and turned them off?
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/FAQ: ... hancements

Does that "Communications" feature actually turn down inputs when there is a VoIP phone call, or only playback (outputs)? I though it only affected playback. Are you listening to the mic input while you are recording it?

I am going directly from my Pandora digital effects device directly into the "mic" jack of my Realtek sound card.I use a 1/4" to 1/8" converter jack to plug the guitar cable directly into the sound card.

That will give you (unwanted) distortion unless the Pandora output is really intended to be plugged into a mic port, or unless you have switched the mic port to line-in (if there is a way to do so).
Gale

Yes, that did it!
(Another n00b who refuses to read the FAQ)

The Pandora sounds fine, as long as I turned the mic input level down to 20.
The Pandora output is a digital output than I guess can go anywhere (headphone, amp, etc)
No, I have not differentiated between a mic vs. line in.
Is it better to stick with the BLUE line in jack?