Help with input volume

[Annabanana22]

I'm using Audacity 3.3.3 and having issues with the input volume. The checker keeps saying I'm out of the target range. How do I view the dB? It seems like my program is off by an order of magnitude...it's just not adding up.

I've increased the mic gain to the maximum, moved closer to the mic, and played around with the amplify effect.

Any advice with the software is greatly appreciated. I want to get to reading!

[redrun]

It would be helpful to know what dB checker reports as the volume of your recording - is it too low, or too high? Checker should have two sections you can switch between, where one tells you about any problems, and the other tells in detail what the length, volume, etc. are.

If the volume is too low, then the recording can be amplified, so long as the background noise isn't too bad.
If it's too high, then it can be quieted down, but sometimes there's a distortion from maxing out the volume, which quieting doesn't fix.

If you're using Audacity, it has an effect that will amplify or quiet the file to "hopefully about right". It's called Loudness Normalization, and Phil has prepared a video on how to use it:
https://youtu.be/aSKR55RDVpk

It works best if the volume was close to begin with, but watching how it affects your recording can help you see what the right volume looks like on the screen, too. The highs and lows as you speak should usually be about halfway from the center line to the top or bottom lines.

You can find many more videos on our wiki, too:
https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Instructional_Videos#Additional_Recording_Tips

[TriciaG]

Does the microphone have a gain knob?

Have you increased your input volume in Windows/OS?

[iBeScotty]

Hi!
What mic are you using? If you are having trouble with gain it may be either a dynamic mic (gain hungry as they are designed for loud instruments) paired with low gain preamps or possibly even a condenser mic requiring 48v phantom power itis not getting.

The general recording chain would be: voice and room -> mic -> preamp (could be built in to usb mic) where gain should not be set too high, avoiding distortion, and not too low, avoiding excessive noise (better preamps allow lower gain settings with minimal noise which is handy for dynamic voices) -> audio interface (again, built in to usb mic) with A/D converter that makes signal readable by computer (most also have the mic preamp) -> recording software (aka DAW like Audacity or Reaper or Ableton Live, etc.) where raw signal is mastered, usually with equalization (altering tone to correct faults like a boomy sound or enhance clarity) -> compressor (making loud parts quieter) -> expander/gate -> making quiet parts like noise and breaths quieter -> amplification to bring overall signal back up to a normalized level.

Hopefully I didn't butcher the concepts or confuse things. We have to be our own audio engineers and it is ever so helpful to have some of these basics.

scotty

[anneflebari]

Back to basics...make sure you connect your mic before opening Audacity, and then select mic from drop-down box... experience speaking

[Annabanana22]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful advice!

Now I know where to find the detailed information in the checker (very helpful... it's actually too loud, not too quiet). And now I have some new settings to check and play with.

Any Mic recommendations? Or thoughts on the one I got? it's a MAONO 192KHZ/24Bit Plug & Play PC Computer Podcast Condenser Cardioid Metal Mic Kit