Voice barely audible after recordind

dark angel · Post by **dark angel** » December 16th, 2006, 4:22 pm

A couple of months ago my computer went nutts and I reinstalled everything, bur since then I´ve been having problems recording.
I reinstalled audacity, I double checked the speekers and microphone connections and everything seemed to be fine! I didn´t know what else to do so I quit trying for a while. Now I tried again and I can record my voice, but it's barely audible! The micro is ok, the volume is max in the speekers, the micro, in audacity entrance volume, everywhere I remembered to check!
I don't know what else to do, because even if I read something I'm not sure if you'll be able to hear anything, since I almost can't. Can someone please help me? What am I doing wrong?

brianlojeck · Post by **brianlojeck** » December 16th, 2006, 4:25 pm

have you checked the SOUNDS AND MULTIMEDIA control panel? It's got a volume control for each different recording interface (under the AUDIO tab). You can also make sure the right device is selected for audio recording (you sometimes have to check these settings when using usb microphones especially...)

when you record, does Audacity show big spikes or little spikes in the recording window?

kri · Post by **kri** » December 16th, 2006, 4:26 pm

dark angel wrote:A couple of months ago my computer went nutts and I reinstalled everything, bur since then I´ve been having problems recording.
I reinstalled audacity, I double checked the speekers and microphone connections and everything seemed to be fine! I didn´t know what else to do so I quit trying for a while. Now I tried again and I can record my voice, but it's barely audible! The micro is ok, the volume is max in the speekers, the micro, in audacity entrance volume, everywhere I remembered to check!
I don't know what else to do, because even if I read something I'm not sure if you'll be able to hear anything, since I almost can't. Can someone please help me? What am I doing wrong?

Did you check the system volume? If you're using a windows here's how you do it. Go to Control Panel, then Sounds and Audio Devices. Then click on the Voice tab, and look at the Voice Recording section at the bottom. There should be a volume button there, and if that is the problem you'll notice the volume slider all the way down.

dark angel · Post by **dark angel** » December 16th, 2006, 4:57 pm

About the spikes, it shows none at all. My voice sounds like an echo. But... thanks to both of you I went to control panel and started cruising around Sounds and Audio Devices and found out that the computer doesn't recognize my microphones. It's like they're not there. The sound is recorded through SoundMaxdigital audio. I did a test to check the reception and it just didn't receive anything. Now I'm not sure if the problem is in the computer itself, or if it's with the microphone.

Well, thanks for the help. I'll see what I can do fix the problem, because I'm really sad for not being able to record.

brianlojeck · Post by **brianlojeck** » December 16th, 2006, 5:17 pm

usb or mic jack for the microphone connection?

dark angel · Post by **dark angel** » December 16th, 2006, 5:20 pm

By the way, I have two other questions.

First: what's the difference between readers wanted and readers found? Because in the wanted they select a part of the text and they record it and it seems to me that that's what happens in the found section as well.

Second: what are we suposse to do when in a text we find stars (***) indicating a change in the set or we find part 1 or part 2. We say it? "part one"? So far I solved this problem by excluding those texts.

EDIT: oh, since it's not usb it must be the other option.

kri · Post by **kri** » December 16th, 2006, 5:23 pm

dark angel wrote:By the way, I have two other questions.

First: what's the difference between readers wanted and readers found? Because in the wanted they select a part of the text and they record it and it seems to me that that's what happens in the found section as well.

Second: what are we suposse to do when in a text we find stars (***) indicating a change in the set or we find part 1 or part 2. We say it? "part one"? So far I solved this problem by excluding those texts.

EDIT: oh, since it's not usb it must be the other option.

Readers Wanted is the place you go if you're looking for something to record. Readers found is where projects go when they have no more sections open for people to record, but still need to wait for readers to submitt their works, and general project management.

I would just leave the stars out, but if it says Part 1 or Part 1, it would probably be best to read that.

dark angel · Post by **dark angel** » December 17th, 2006, 2:10 pm

I just can´t put this thing to work! How can I know whether the problem is with the micro or in the computer? Why does it not recognize the micro? It did before the computer crash!

Starlite · Post by **Starlite** » December 17th, 2006, 2:19 pm

brianlojeck wrote:usb or mic jack for the microphone connection?

If the mic is not USB, it will not recognize it. It will recognize your soundcard. Chances are your mic is not working. Can you test it on a friend's computer?

Esther

dark angel · Post by **dark angel** » December 17th, 2006, 2:37 pm

Can you test it on a friend's computer?

Why didn't I think of that?

That would be a simple way!

Which are better? USB or the others? Or there are no differences?

Post by **hugh** » December 17th, 2006, 2:46 pm

USB tends to be a cleaner sound... since it does not go thru your soundcard.

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » December 17th, 2006, 4:57 pm

If it has a small jack plug that goes into your sound card, why not try recording onto a cassette recorder?

Peter

GlassMask · Post by **GlassMask** » December 17th, 2006, 7:56 pm

I just noticed something the other day which might help. On the Master Volume Control panel in Windows (accessible for the Control Panel or the Volume Icon on the right side of the sound bar) click the Advanced button on the Microphone volume panel. The box that pops up (in Windows XP, at least) has a check box for "Microphone Boost." Be sure it's checked.

I'm using a USB mic, so it may not affect direct-to-card mics.

Good luck!

Ted

kristin · Post by **kristin** » December 17th, 2006, 10:05 pm

Hmmm, be very careful with mic boost. When I first tried doing recordings it was checked and they sounded terrible. It really messed up the quality of the recording. Much better without if you can manage.

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » December 17th, 2006, 10:52 pm

dark angel wrote:... Now I tried again and I can record my voice, but it's barely audible! ...

my guess is that you're getting a little tiny bit of audio because your computer has a built-in microphone and it's recording slightly. Try without your microphone plugged in and see if you have about the same recording level -- if so, then yeah, it's a built-in mic.

I've read all the other posts. I know you're trouble-shooting and trying to figure out why oh why has your computer lost your mic. Good luck!