Inaudible [and various other challenges]

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7A2c3Ml
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Post by 7A2c3Ml »

Each and every time I put up a reading, it comes out virtually inaudible. I can see this for myself, just by looking at the amplitude of the wavelength. (I should clarify; the wavelength is what I see what I IMPORT my recording BACK onto Audacity for editing.) Is there anything I can do to correct this in the first place?
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TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

When you export it, it still plays loud (normal) volume?

It's only when you import it into Audacity that the wave forms shrink?

Do you always import the MP3 for editing, or do you save the file as another format and use that for edits?

What program are you using to record? It sounds like you're not using Audacity to record.
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7A2c3Ml
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Post by 7A2c3Ml »

I don't know what it sounds like before I export it: I never listen. I AM recording on Audacity. After I finish recording, I export back to my downloads. I then wait to hear what changes I have to make. (Actually, sometimes I don't wait. I know, for example, to leave only 5 seconds silence at the end.) I then import the file BACK to Audacity..It is at this time that I can see 1) the whole thing is compressed, and so the first thing I do is zoom it out again, and 2) the wavelengths are tiny. The problem is, then, that when I now go to amplify it, it doesn't seem to be doing the job!
My name is Mark
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

OK, so you record it, export it to MP3 format, and upload it. If edits need to be made, you import the MP3 back into Audacity and make the edits. This is when you see its low volume. Correct?

One stab in the dark: There's a plus/minus slider on the left side of the wave forms in the Audacity window. Do you ever move this from the center position? If you move it towards the minus, it will export the file at a lower volume.

As a troubleshooting step, I suggest:
1 - Before exporting it to MP3 and uploading it, listen to a bit of it and its volume.
2 - Then export it to MP3, and open up the MP3 to listen to its volume. If it's the same volume as Step 1, that eliminates one possible place where the volume might go down.

Yes, when you open a file in Audacity, it will show the whole track in the window, so it's compressed horizontally. As you say, zooming in takes care of that. :)
Serial novel: The Wandering Jew
Medieval England meets Civil War Americans: Centuries Apart
Humor: My Lady Nicotine
7A2c3Ml
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Post by 7A2c3Ml »

1) Is there any way of your clarifying just where this "plus/minus slider" is?
2) Even if I find it, is there anything I could do to CORRECT whatever is presently wrong with the volume, ie. "Put it back the way it was"? If not, all I can do is start over, sadder but wiser, right?
My name is Mark
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

Here it is:
Image
2) Even if I find it, is there anything I could do to CORRECT whatever is presently wrong with the volume, ie. "Put it back the way it was"? If not, all I can do is start over, sadder but wiser, right?
When something is quiet, you can amplify it. But if that isn't working for you (if it got so quiet it lost some of your vocals, and they don't come back when you amplify), then all you can do is start over. :?
Serial novel: The Wandering Jew
Medieval England meets Civil War Americans: Centuries Apart
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Post by philchenevert »

7A2c3Ml wrote: September 28th, 2022, 1:11 pm 1) Is there any way of your clarifying just where this "plus/minus slider" is?
2) Even if I find it, is there anything I could do to CORRECT whatever is presently wrong with the volume, ie. "Put it back the way it was"? If not, all I can do is start over, sadder but wiser, right?
yeah, it's frustrating isn't it? I will jump in here and hopefully not confuse things more.
1) sure, it is usually at the top of Audacity and there is a little microphone in front of it. This is the one I use to increase the gain or volume going in. Next to it on the right is a small speaker and the slider there controls how loud the play back is when you listen to the track.

2) Starting off with a nice volume is important. Since you use Audacity I will link my non-award winning video "AUDACITY: An Overview for the Completely Bewildere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QpD1vAJkY You know a lot of this stuff but it has a bit about the input volume slider bar. Watching your track as you record gives a good idea of where you want to be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QpD1vAJkY As Tricia said, stop and listen to the track every so often to see how loud it is. This is your .aup or audacity track that audacity uses. Saving this track (which I do every few minutes as I record) is good. Exporting this track will give you the same volume in an mp3 or whatever format you choose to export it as. So if your .aup track is good, your exporting one will be too. Hope this makes sense, but be patient, we have all been confused by audacity and recording at times. Somehow, with the help of a few friends, it all works out!!! keep asking questions. :thumbs:
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7A2c3Ml
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Post by 7A2c3Ml »

I've got a new problem, and I don't know where it came from. I have a blue border running along the bottom and top of the track. Then, when I go to scroll forward or backward, the track itself contracts or expands. What's going on?
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Post by redrun »

Edit: Ignore me, complicating things!
Last edited by redrun on September 29th, 2022, 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

Did you ever solve the first problem - the volume?

The blue border: you've got the multi-tool selected. Click on the tall I button to get it back to normal.
Serial novel: The Wandering Jew
Medieval England meets Civil War Americans: Centuries Apart
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7A2c3Ml
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Post by 7A2c3Ml »

Wow, I guess that was an easy one. Thanks!
My name is Mark
mightyfelix
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Post by mightyfelix »

7A2c3Ml wrote: September 29th, 2022, 1:46 pm Wow, I guess that was an easy one. Thanks!
I used to do this all the time, until I figured out that I could hide those tool buttons so that I wouldn't click on them by accident. If you want to give that a try, go to View>Toolbars>Tools Toolbar. It will disappear! :D
7A2c3Ml
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Post by 7A2c3Ml »

You know, I've looked at every tutorial I can find, and I still cannot figure out how to replace wrong words with right words. Part of the problem is that the older tutorials show an older version of the Audacity screen, the other problem is that I just am not getting it. Can you point me to what you think is the BEST How To on this subject?
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philchenevert
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Post by philchenevert »

7A2c3Ml wrote: September 30th, 2022, 6:49 am You know, I've looked at every tutorial I can find, and I still cannot figure out how to replace wrong words with right words. Part of the problem is that the older tutorials show an older version of the Audacity screen, the other problem is that I just am not getting it. Can you point me to what you think is the BEST How To on this subject?
Well, it is obviously time to make an up to date video :thumbs: . My current version is 3.1.3 but that should be current enough. I will title it Replacing Wrong Words With Right words and make it today. What a great suggestion. You mentioned that this was just part of the problem though. Were there other things that you found confusing or hard to understand in the procedure used? Steps skipped or assumed? Those could be fixed too if I knew what they were. And if you could give me a sample of a wrong word or phrase to use as an example that would be even better yet. I replace so many words and redo so many phrases every day in editing my recordings (I make a lot of mistakes) that i may unconsciously skip steps in the process.
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Post by redrun »

philchenevert wrote: September 30th, 2022, 7:30 am Well, it is obviously time to make an up to date video :thumbs: . My current version is 3.1.3 but that should be current enough.
Just a heads-up, Phil! One of my soloists noticed some differences in the process for version 3.2.0, some message about not having "enough room" when trying to swap in the replacement word.
It may or may not have to do with the Preferences > Recording > "Record on a new track" checkbox, which had been checked before, but somehow got un-checked by this update!
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