Awful Audacity

[brock]

Hi Folks,

I'm just getting my feet wet here in the whole podcasting field. My gear includes an Alesis multimix 8/USB board, an M-Audio condenser mic; I'm running this into a Mac G5 or my TiBook.

The problem I'm having is that when I try and record my voice (speaking) using Audacity, I get horrible "scratching" sounds all through the track, like the levels are clipping (they're not).

I can use the same exact hardware set up and record my voice into iMovie and the levels and sound are just fine.

I'm also not impressed with the USB codec coming out of the Alesis; I've had much better luck using the two-track in/out RCA jacks and running that into an iMic converter and using THAT as my USB in and out.

The USB signal coming from the Alesis is extremely "dirty" for some reason.

Anyone want to venture a "solution" for how I can get a clean signal going into Audacity? Are there some settings I'm missing?

Thanks

[yaz]

man, we've been having shitty problems with audacity too, if you find out what the hell it is, or if anyone knows, let us know...thanks...

[Version3]

I can't stand Audacity. It's clunky, and I had a lot of problems with aif files. I am using Peak 4 and/or Logic Express and having great luck.

I would venture to say that your Alesis piece may be a real problem, and perhaps sample rate or something is magnifying the sound? What settings are you using in Audacity when you record?

[brock]

Okay, it took me a few days making a run at this problem but I figured it out the solution is so simple I'm almost embarrassed to explain it.

Audacity is FINE as it turns out and quite capable for being a free and open source piece of software.

The problem, for whatever reason, was that my set up did not like the USB input.

Stupid me, I "forgot" that this G5 has a built-in "audio-in" just waiting to be used, albeit, one that needs the 1/8" jack. So instead of using the USB built into this Alesis, I just ran the "tape out" (RCA type jacks) into my Mac's audio-in using an RCA cable that terminates in the 1/8" jack. I did the same thing for the output of the Mac, running it back to the "tape in" of the Alesis mixer using the same type of cable; I monitor everything from the headphone jack off the mixer.

Result: super clean sound... sheesh, what a dolt I was.

I have no idea why the USB connection would give me such nightmares, I'm just happy to have the thing working; I'm thinking now of taking the Alesis back and upgrading to a Mackie, not because the Alesis isn't a fine piece of equipment (it is) it's that I just don't need that USB connection built into it.

[Whistler]

I wonder if there is a way to get the usb working nice and clean... I took noticed this problem and I'm quite bothered by it..

I just got the stupid thing today and I'm quite disappointed.. wish I would have seen this post first..

rats.

[djacobs003]

I had been getting massive noise as well, even with a griffin iMic which is generally pretty good. I switched usb ports and walla, that fixed it. Weird. This was on a Mac Mini, so no built-in line in.