Audacity input levels are hard to control

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 28 Sep 2012 9:26 am

I'm using a digital USB interface and plug instruments straight in to record. I can't bring the volume up on my headphones enough to hear what I'm playing without overloading the volume on the recording track. Adjusting the input levels doesn't work. Anybody got an idea what's going on here?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Sep 2012 11:09 am

On some computers the sound card driver does not recognize Audacity, so the input sliders in Audacity won't work. In that case you can adjust the recording level in the Control Panel (Sounds and Audio Devices, Audio). That should solve the input overload problem. I've been dealing with this for many years. I have to set the input level in the Control Panel for each instrument I record. For overdubs you also need to Mute the "Stereo Mix" in the Audio/Recording Control. It takes some getting used to, but after a while it's easy, just a couple of clicks.

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 28 Sep 2012 11:13 am

Thanks Doug, that sounds easy. I'll give that a try.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 28 Sep 2012 11:59 am

What USB interface are you using? I have several USB interface recording devices for my Sonar recording studio. Even in Sonar, I control the record signal level at the device, not in the recording program.

The headphone volume can be an issue depending on the device. My Roland Octa-Capture has a control to feed how much of the input signal and/or the recorded signal if I want to record another track along with what has already been recorded to my headphone ports. That too is independent of the recording program.

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 28 Sep 2012 12:08 pm

Jack, I use a Tascam US-100. I've tried to control volume with the steel's volume pedal and the volume knob on guitars, but nothing so far seems to work. I haven't tried Doug's suggestion yet. The problem I have is hearing myself through earphones AND get appropriate sound levels on the recorder.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 28 Sep 2012 1:48 pm

If you are using the headphone jack on the Tascam, Audacity has nothing to do with it. What Doug is referring to is when you are using the internal PC's sound card and you are not using that.

There is a "Balance" control on the front. That should select between input, output and a mix of the two.

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 28 Sep 2012 6:41 pm

Jack, I've tried to adjust the volume from every knob and control on the guitarm digital interface and the audacity input volume control without success. Next chance I get, I'll try the sound card's controls in the laptop and see what happens.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 12 Oct 2012 5:29 pm

Go into advanced mixing condole with all of youre levels and check the, sometimes windows will set youre output levels to a default including the channel that youre usb interface is on. I have a TASCAM US-122 mk2 and I am luck I have a headphone level right on it and have no problem with volume. Also make sure youre headphones are working OK.

Right clik on the speaker icon and check all of you levels to make sure that they are up.