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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Recording → Help Russell !
Hey Russ, I have been playing with Audacity and was just wondering if you had some tips on where to set mic levels and gains and such. I did a three track recording using a shure condensor mic right into my computer and it seems like I have some hiss that shouldn't be there.
What a nice program tho, I have been messin with it for a couple of days it sure beats my old tascam portastudio.
I usually set the input levels at the source guitar,amp,recorder if you have a mixer turn the levels down, when you first open Audacity on the right is a tab next to a little microphone click on it and select Monitor input once you speak into the mic or strum the guitar you will see a red line moving on the input level meter above right if its peaking all the way to the right turn your input source down because your distorting the signal. If this is not the source of the hissing it could be your chord or adapter going into the PC sound card let me get back to you after I check and see if Audacity has a input monitor volume level control stay tuned 
I checked and the input volume has to be controlled from your amp,mixer,guitar if you want to control it from your tascam you can run a Y chord with two rca jacks to a 1/8" stereo plug this is a common chord (mp3 player) found at most electronic departments like walmart or radio shack the chord runs from your left and right OUTS on the tascam to your sound card mic input and you can adjust the volume that way then open audacity and on the right next to the little microphone is a tab click on it and a drop down menu with appear choose "monitor input" and if everything is turned on (tascam,guitar or mic) the meters on top will move this lets you know your getting a signal just make sure the red light is not all the way to the right turn the input volume so it just approaches the peak and when your ready just click record
Thanks Russ, I'm gonna give it another try today. I think I had my input levels to high coming from my out of my pedal. I had not been using the monitor input feature.
Let me know how it turns out,if the hissing is still present I woud suspect the pedal as I said earlier you can run it from the tascam if you have a Y chord and bypass the pedal but if its an effects pedal it may be the batteries or chords
Hey,
Check the properties of your microphone in Windows control panel as well. Alot of sound cards have an option for "microphone boost" usually a check box. Make sure that's unchecked. If it isn't almost every mic I've tried (wiht mic boost on) is hissy and overmodulated. I only offer this up as you'll spend time tweaking all your inputs and no matter what you do if mic boost is enabled it'll be awful. Might save you some frustration!!!
good tip Geo! I never had to worry with my gear but I have digital recording and I may have done what you suggested and forgot about it thanks for the reminder
Hey thanks,'
After further review I have found my problem, my line in mic was not working and the pc's mic was the one recording, that's why the noise. I think the change over plug from the mic to the little input jac is bad and may have messed up my computer input the same way it did my video camera. I am going to get a couple new ones and try again.
Now that I know what was going on I am surprised at how good the sound quality was just coming from the pc mic.
good tip Geo! I never had to worry with my gear but I have digital recording and I may have done what you suggested and forgot about it thanks for the reminder
Always trying to help people avoid my brainless moments!!!
I think your results will drastically improve with new replacements and you learned a few new things about audacity I dont know if you have downloaded any of the tutorials from my mediafire link at the bottom but I have a few advanced videos on the zoom and drawing tools along with track shifting so when you progress a little furthur give a holler and i will upload them to my site
Hey thanks,'
After further review I have found my problem, my line in mic was not working and the pc's mic was the one recording, that's why the noise. I think the change over plug from the mic to the little input jac is bad and may have messed up my computer input the same way it did my video camera. I am going to get a couple new ones and try again.
Now that I know what was going on I am surprised at how good the sound quality was just coming from the pc mic.
Thanks,
The new 1/8 to 1/4 input jack did the trick, now I need to learn to play and sing without so many screwups, recordings always seem to pickup my weak links.
Any way now I will just experiment till I get my sound down.
well that's good to hear and dont be to critical of yourself sometimes it helps to let others critique your recordings so put up a link and let us listen and give some feedback
I have pretty thin skin and I'm afraid you might hurt my feelings. Really I have to go on a job in the morning and will be staying onsight at the job for 10 days to 2 weeks so I will lay down some tracks when I get back. I think I have it figured out well enough to get a half azzed recording down.
I guy told me one time if I was half azzed at enough things some day I might amount to a whole azz or an azz hole.
fear not I will not hurt your feelings only offer construtive comments ya gotta take the plunge the waters fine
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Recording → Help Russell !
