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

sonia0119 · Post by **sonia0119** » March 6th, 2023, 1:46 am

AdmYrrek wrote: ↑March 5th, 2023, 10:13 am
Rapunzelina wrote: ↑March 5th, 2023, 9:59 am Depending on the device you're using it on, it might be that there's not enough RAM for Audacity to run smoothly or that your device needs some updates installed, if it's the same issue like Sonia's above
I'm using my gaming computer, and the task manager doesn't show anything being unduly taxed.

I haven't installed updates yet. I was concerned it would cause problems with my in-progress recording. But this has been my experience with Audacity for as long as I've used it. It's just getting really bad today.

I was having freezing issues constantly. First Audacity would not launch right away. Second, if I hit the play button, it would not play but then would play after a long time. I would then end Audacity with task manager. Update that installed fixed the problem right away. I looked online for solutions but none of them addressed the updates. Yeah it is frustrating when you want to get your recording done when something does not work. Hope you find the solution.

berlingunning · Post by **berlingunning** » March 8th, 2023, 2:39 pm

I'm having a Dickens of a time adjusting the volume on my first recording before submission. I know it's supposed to be between 86 and 92 decibels. I followed the advice in the tutorial video and set it to 5.0. they said it was too loud. So I adjusted it to 4.7, but the options to preview and apply the changes do not work. They are grayed out, which means the tabs don't work. What should I do?

berlingunning · Post by **berlingunning** » March 8th, 2023, 2:39 pm

I'm having a Dickens of a time adjusting the volume on my first recording before submission. I know it's supposed to be between 86 and 92 decibels. I followed the advice in the tutorial video and set it to 5.0. they said it was too loud. So I adjusted it to 4.7, but the options to preview and apply the changes do not work. They are grayed out, which means the tabs don't work. What should I do?

Post by **TriciaG** » March 8th, 2023, 2:59 pm

kittycat19 wrote: ↑March 8th, 2023, 2:39 pm I'm having a Dickens of a time adjusting the volume on my first recording before submission. I know it's supposed to be between 86 and 92 decibels. I followed the advice in the tutorial video and set it to 5.0. they said it was too loud. So I adjusted it to 4.7, but the options to preview and apply the changes do not work. They are grayed out, which means the tabs don't work. What should I do?

You set what to 5.0? How did you adjust it? Please state the steps you took:

"I adjusted the microphone slider..." or "I selected my recording and did thus and so..."

but the options to preview and apply the changes do not work. They are grayed out,

This to me sounds like you're trying to amplify. Did you already amplify the recording by 5 dB and are now trying to do another 4.7? Or are you working on your original recording, that was apparently too quiet?

Where did you get the 5.0 and 4.7 numbers to try?

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » March 8th, 2023, 3:01 pm

Could you give us a little more information, please? Which tutorial video did you watch?

Do you have Checker installed? (It's a little program that carries out a number of checks on our mp3 files, including volume. After I've finished editing my recordings, I export a test mp3 file to my desktop and run Checker. It gives me an overall volume level, and I go back into Audacity to change the volume appropriately. I've not used the Audacity plug-ins to assess volume, so I can't tell you how to use them.

Peter

berlingunning · Post by **berlingunning** » March 8th, 2023, 3:40 pm

Under amplify I set the decibels to 5.0 in the little box. I was following the instructions Phil gave in the video tutorial about adjusting volume which can be found in LibriVox wiki. I don't know if I should put anything in the new peak amplitude box.

They told me 5.0 was too loud, so I reset it to 4.7. I can't click on the preview or apply options because they are grayed out, so I don't know if I successfully set the settings or not. I would imagine I didn't.

berlingunning · Post by **berlingunning** » March 8th, 2023, 3:42 pm

No checker. How can I get one installed?

berlingunning · Post by **berlingunning** » March 8th, 2023, 3:44 pm

And I attempted to adjust it both by the microphone slider and typing number values in the amplification and new peak amplitude boxes.

SowasVon · Post by **SowasVon** » March 8th, 2023, 3:49 pm

kittycat19 wrote: ↑March 8th, 2023, 3:42 pm No checker. How can I get one installed?

See info here: https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Checker

kittycat19 wrote: ↑March 8th, 2023, 3:44 pm And I attempted to adjust it both by the microphone slider and typing number values in the amplification and new peak amplitude boxes.

I would only touch the microphone slider at the start of a recording. It's recommended to set it to such a level that when you speak at normal volume, the highest peaks reach about the 0.5 mark.

Post by **TriciaG** » March 8th, 2023, 3:53 pm

kittycat19 wrote: ↑March 8th, 2023, 3:40 pm Under amplify I set the decibels to 5.0 in the little box. I was following the instructions Phil gave in the video tutorial about adjusting volume which can be found in LibriVox wiki. I don't know if I should put anything in the new peak amplitude box.

They told me 5.0 was too loud, so I reset it to 4.7. I can't click on the preview or apply options because they are grayed out, so I don't know if I successfully set the settings or not. I would imagine I didn't.

OK.

When you put 5.0 in the Amplify box, you're telling it to raise the volume by 5 dB. When you then do it again and put in 4.7, you're telling it to raise the volume by another 4.7 dB. You aren't setting the volume in that box; you're telling it how much to raise the volume (or if you put in a negative number, you're telling it to decrease the volume).

It wouldn't let you do another 4.7 because that would put you over the maximum - causing your wave forms to grow past the boundaries of the window, which is called "clipping" and can cause unpleasant distortion.

So if you have a file that's a little too loud (how much? Let's say 3 dB, since it was enough to mention by the person who proof-listened), you'll want to highlight the whole thing, then go to Amplify, and put in a MINUS 3 to lower the volume by 3 dB.

TonyMezz · Post by **TonyMezz** » March 17th, 2023, 12:56 am

Hello. I tried searching this issue, but didn't find anyone asking this, sorry if it's been answered before.

I set recording preferences to 16-bit and recorded a test, ready to edit. But when I play it back, although I show a normal waveform, and volume levels and everything looks correct, I can't hear it! With my volume turned all the way up, I can BARELY hear something, but it just seems like I need to reset something for playback.

I use a Focusrite 2i2 interface, and a Windows laptop. Whether I playback through the interface or the laptop directly, I get nothing. Help!!! What am I missing?

Thanks,
Tony

Post by **annise** » March 17th, 2023, 2:08 am

On my version there is a slider for playback volume after the slider for recording volume left hand side above the wave patterns - but I don't have the more recent versions so it is possible it isn't still there.

Anne

TonyMezz · Post by **TonyMezz** » March 17th, 2023, 2:43 am

annise wrote: ↑March 17th, 2023, 2:08 am On my version there is a slider for playback volume after the slider for recording volume left hand side above the wave patterns - but I don't have the more recent versions so it is possible it isn't still there.

Anne

OMG You're a genius! That was it! Apparently, the slider defaults to the left when you change the bit rate. Thank you a thousand times!

carriebgorman · Post by **carriebgorman** » March 25th, 2023, 9:19 am

Good morning - upon editing, when I am playing back the recording and then stop to edit, when I start the audio again, it starts where the cursor is but then jumps ahead very quickly before playing normally. Sometimes this is 4-5 seconds ahead, not just a small amount. This is a new issue. It worked just fine for months. This happens no matter how I start the playback after editing (space-bar, other shortcuts, clicking directly on the play button, etc.) I've tried all the fixes I can find online, but since none of them are specifically for this issue, nothing has worked. Anyone else experience anything like this, and have any ideas?

Post by **ToddHW** » March 25th, 2023, 2:32 pm

I am seeing something sorta like that when I mark something to edit - the track jumps and I mark something a bit shifted from what I intended.

viewtopic.php?p=2151467#p2151467

Thought earlier - see link - was that it might be that I'm by mistake hitting one of the many rather useless buttons on the fancy ergonomic mouse I have (I'm not the only user of the family computer) that really isn't ergonomic for me since it is right handed but I use a mouse with my left hand. But the problem really is sorta like what you are seeing!

Thanks, Todd