The all-new "HELP! I have an Audacity problem" thread

VivianWeaver · Post by **VivianWeaver** » January 16th, 2017, 12:29 pm

tovarisch

In reply to your comment. Yes I am using Audacity. Hmmm, checking on the sound activating recording comment....NO sound activated recording is not on; checking... I just disabled all sound effects in my OS under Control Panel for my headset and under communications it was set at reduce volume by 80% or 50% and I clicked on "Do nothing"...My frequency analysis settings in Audacity are; Algorithm: Spectrum; Function: Hanning window; Size: 512; Axis: Linear frequency....Am gonna have to look up High Pass....and Notch filter.... in my head set. Thank you. let me know if what I did change is all good.

VivianWeaver · Post by **VivianWeaver** » January 16th, 2017, 12:58 pm

Carol,

Thank you, what a variety, and what a difference!!!

carolb · Post by **carolb** » January 16th, 2017, 1:11 pm

I hope you find one that suits you and ends your frustration, Vivian

Carol

tovarisch · Post by **tovarisch** » January 16th, 2017, 1:29 pm

VivianWeaver wrote:tovarisch

In reply to your comment. Yes I am using Audacity.

Doh! My bad. We're in "an Audacity problem thread"...

VivianWeaver wrote: Hmmm, checking on the sound activating recording comment....NO sound activated recording is not on; checking... I just disabled all sound effects in my OS under Control Panel for my headset and under communications it was set at reduce volume by 80% or 50% and I clicked on "Do nothing"...My frequency analysis settings in Audacity are; Algorithm: Spectrum; Function: Hanning window; Size: 512; Axis: Linear frequency....Am gonna have to look up High Pass....and Notch filter.... in my head set. Thank you. let me know if what I did change is all good.

When I look at the spectrum, I use "Log frequency" and Size 8192, that gives much better resolution.

High pass and Notch filter are effects in Audacity. They aren't part of your OS device properties. If you didn't use those effects, that's fine. It was just strange to see low frequencies essentially non-existent in your waveform, but it could be the nature of your microphone.

I thought that your device might have either "auto-gain" or "voice-activated recording" or something, which is usually detrimental to recording, and that would be in the properties accessible via your OS.

As you turn those things off in your Control Panel, try recording again. See if it makes any difference now.

Post by **TriciaG** » January 16th, 2017, 1:36 pm

High pass and Notch filter are effects in Audacity. They aren't part of your OS device properties. If you didn't use those effects, that's fine. It was just strange to see low frequencies essentially non-existent in your waveform, but it could be the nature of your microphone.

When I listened, it reminded me of my old headset microphone. I think low-cost headset mics do tend to have trouble picking up lower frequencies, which makes them sound a bit tinny.

Piotrek81 · Post by **Piotrek81** » February 18th, 2017, 5:59 am

I bought a new laptop a week ago which came with Windows 10. Are there any issues with Audacity on this OS that I should be aware of? The Audacityteam website says something about additional audio drivers that I may need to install. http://www.audacityteam.org/download/

tovarisch · Post by **tovarisch** » February 18th, 2017, 6:27 am

My advice is to fix the problem when you have it, not when somebody else might have had it. Until (and unless) you actually are unable to record, put it out of your mind. Life's easier that way.

P.S. I know of "an ounce of prevention, etc." and in this case it really doesn't apply I believe.

Post by **ToddHW** » February 18th, 2017, 6:32 am

I am running Audacity with Windows 10 and having no troubles yet. Seems identical to using it on my older Vista machine.

Thanks, Todd

mongope · Post by **mongope** » February 18th, 2017, 6:42 am

I updated my computer to windows 10 and I did not have any problems.

Piotrek81 · Post by **Piotrek81** » February 18th, 2017, 6:55 am

Thanks.

I downloaded Audacity 2.1.2 and followed the instruction to install LAME. Now, how do I check that it is actually installed properly? (It's been 5 years or so, since I last did it, and on a much earlier version).

EDIT: Wait, it says that I have LAME v. 3.99.3 Looks like a success. Now, on to setting the tech specs

SaraHale · Post by **SaraHale** » February 18th, 2017, 9:04 am

Notch Filter help

Hey! I've finished a recording but I am hearing something like a hum (that's what I think) especially at 1:38. I also tried using the notch filter but it's not working (I don't understand how to apply it). I think this sound comes from the laptop's fan. I used a headset while recording. Can anyone help me solve this problem? Or do I have to record the section again?

https://librivox.org/uploads/xx-nonproject/notch_filter_gadfly.mp3

I am so sorry to bother you with my problem. And thank you for helping me.

Post by **TriciaG** » February 18th, 2017, 9:46 am

I highlighted the "T" sound on "great" at 1:41 and did an Analyze/Plot Spectrum. Even taking into account the T sound itself, there are a lot of frequencies in your noise. The notch filter is great at filtering out noise in one or two frequencies, but not great at filtering out noise at a lot of different frequencies, since you have to filter them out one by one.

I tried filtering at 150 Hz and at 250 Hz, which were the two larger spikes, but it didn't help much.

I think this noise is too complex to use filters on. It'd be better to re-record the portions with the noise, I think. Someone else may chime in with a different answer and a magnificent set of filters to take it out, though.

SaraHale · Post by **SaraHale** » February 18th, 2017, 9:58 am

Thank you, TriciaG, for your help.

I think I will re-record it but not in the same place. Maybe the problem is in the place where I recorded the section.

gloryb · Post by **gloryb** » February 19th, 2017, 12:22 pm

Hi, I have been recording all along with Audacity and Windows 10. Yesterday when I went to record and clicked on "click here to start monitoring" nothing happened. I have checked everything I know and reinstalled Audacity and took out the old one and still nothing happens when I try to start recording. Any suggestions? Gloria

Post by **philchenevert** » February 19th, 2017, 12:26 pm

gloryb wrote:Hi, I have been recording all along with Audacity and Windows 10. Yesterday when I went to record and clicked on "click here to start monitoring" nothing happened. I have checked everything I know and reinstalled Audacity and took out the old one and still nothing happens when I try to start recording. Any suggestions? Gloria

Hi Gloria. Where is this button that says "click here to start monitoring" in Audacity? I don't remember that one?