- Audacity Vocal Recording Music
- Vocal Recording Tips
- Line In Recording Audacity
- Audacity Vocal Recording Vocals
- Voice Recording In Audacity
- Welcome to Audacity Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing. Audacity is available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux® and other operating systems. Check our feature list, Wiki and Forum. Download Audacity 2.1.3 Mar 17th, 2017: Audacity.
- Audacity voice post-processing. Once recording completed it is time to finalize the production. You can choose to listen to your audio first to make sure the overall recording is done right. It means you should have enough of a good read to cover for issues if any.
People who love singing and record it or who often need to edit sound track in work may all have heard or used Audacity. Audacity is an open-source and cross-platform audio software which can both record and edit audio. As an open-source app, it possesses powerful editing functions, however, it often doesn't work in terms of recording. It can be quite irritating if you hear nothing after having spent much time and efforts in recording your fully-prepared singing or some other precious voice.
Here are how to fix Audacity when it is not recording mic or sound on Winodws. If none of the solutions work for you the simplest solution is to install another professional recorder software - FonePaw Screen Recorder.
Set Audio Host to MME
MME is the acronym of Multimedia Extensions which is the default audio host for Audacity to make sure sound of any sources on the computer can be input and recorded. But sometimes the default option maybe altered and we need to switch it back on.
Welcome to AudacityAudacity® is free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing.Audacity is available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux® and other operating.
Click the icon of Audacity
On the homepage, check the option marked in the picture below.
If it is Windows DirectSound or Windows WASAPI but not MME, just click the down arrow beside it and click MME.
Enable All Disconnected and Disabled Recording Devices
Another way to fix Audacity that cannot record sound on Windows is to enable all disabled or disconnected devices as to ensure all sounds will be input on the computer.
Right click the speaker icon in the system tray and click 'Recording devices' (Or click Windows Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound ).
Under the Recording devices tab, right click anywhere and select both 'Show Disabled Devices' and 'Show Disconnected Devices'.
Then you will see multiple devices, just enable them all.
Switch to A Simpler Audio Recorder
If you find none of the above solutions is helpful, the only solution may be just switching to a professional and simple audio recording software.
FonePaw Screen Recorder is usualy used to record screen activities in videos, while it also has a audio recorder that can record sound from system and microphone. Therefore, with this recorder, you can record your voice using a microphone as well as streaming music or other sounds coming from your computer.
And unlike Audacity that comes with so many settings and options, FonePaw Audio Recorder is much more simpler, with only two buttons: turn on system sound and enable microphone voice.
The recorder can record audio on computer in easy 5 steps.
Step 1 Click the button below to download FonePaw Screen Recorder.
Step 2 Double-click the icon of FonePaw Screen Recorder and you will see a clear and concise interface with three options. If you turn on system sound and microphone option, please enable 'Microphone noise cancellation' and 'Microphone enhancement' to optimize the sound quality.
Step 3 Click the second loudspeaker icon to start your audio recording.
Step 4 In the Audio Recorder setting page, you can choose whether to turn on both system & microphone sound or just turn on one of them by just clicking the switch button below their icon. And you can adjust the volume of them by sliding the volume bar.
Step 5 After the appropriate setting, you can try 20-second audio recording with sound check. Next, hit the orange button REC on the left side and there you go.
During audio recording, there is a float panel for you either to pause & stop the recording or adjusting the volume of both system sound and microphone sound. Clicking the double-vertical-bar icon can temporarily pause the recording and clicking the icon again will resume it. Clicking single horizontal bar allows you to minimize the float panel into the system tray.
To stop the recording, hit the blue square button. After you hit stop button, a player window will pop up to play the recorded audio and clicking the 'Save' on the right bottom corner will show a window for you to select file path for saving. After selecting, click 'Next' and your audio will be saved in the selected path.
Another feature worth mentioning is the scheduled recording function. During recording, clicking the clock icon on the float bar enables you to set the recording time. By this way, it will free you from waiting by the laptop when you try to record some online or live streaming audio.
So much for audio recording. If you feel it useful, why not share with your friends?
Audacity is a free multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It is great for voice-over recording and audio editing purposes. With the right equipment used Audacity needs very few settings changed to produce perfectly sounding audio.
Before I explain what Audacity settings you need to produce the clear voice-over audio I want to give a shout out to the amazing team who made Audacity software. They have done an incredible job making such powerful and great software available for FREE. And I encourage you to use Audacity software as it perfectly suits beginner voice-over talent.
And please do not forget to show your appreciation to the Audacity team if not right away, then at least after you start making money in voice-over using Audacity.
Audacity Vocal Recording Music
Download and install Audacity
Go to https://www.audacityteam.org/download/ to download Audacity for your operating system. After download completed install and open Audacity.
Correct setup for Voice-over recording with Audacity
As mentioned with the right equipment Audacity is ready to use out of the box. If you use quality microphone and audio interface you save your time on audio processing and fixing issues. See this article to get an idea of what is the recommended setup for voice-over from home.
The reason I am stressing out the importance of using the quality setup is to avoid wasting time and potentially downgrading your work in the future. With Audacity, you can improve your recording and fix many mistakes at the cost of time and often losing the quality of audio.
But it is really unnecessary and can be avoided if your gain level is set properly, you use the correct reading technique and the recording equipment is chosen right for the job.
Select the recording interface
Regardless of what microphone you own or use you need to properly connect it to the computer where you intend to run Audacity. Once connected select your recording microphone or audio interface.
For demonstration purposes, I have connected Focusrite Scarlett Solo audio interface and Blue Yeti microphone to my laptop. Remember to select the correct device you intend to use, otherwise, no or poor sound will be recorded.
Set gain to the optimal value
On your microphone or audio interface set Gain level so your recorded voice peaks between -9 and -6 dB. Anything above -3 dB is considered clipping.
This alone is one of the most important settings that can make your audio recording experience much easier.
Because I believe it is easier to avoid a mistake than correct it, I am not going to explain in this article how to fix clipping. But I give you an extra tip.
How to avoid clipping in voice-over. How to avoid clipping without changing the gain level. If you are required to record in different pitch levels let's say you have a whisper and screaming passages in the script you can keep the same gain level on your hardware. Use this technique, for a quieter voice move your mouse closer to the microphone, and for a louder voice move your mouse a few inches further from the mic and turn your head so you are not facing it directly. That will allow you to perform as required and not to clip or be too quiet.
Record your voice-over
When recording your voice use the instructions I am providing above and on this website. Simply try to keep the distance between mic and mouse about 6 inches. If possible monitor and maintain a waveform about the same shape and size without clipping. If you made a mistake or lost a line in a script, just re-record it and continue. Mistakes and pauses are easy to remove. At the end of the recording session stay quiet and maintain silence for 3 to 5 seconds to record a room noise. You will need this section in the next step.
Enable All Disconnected and Disabled Recording Devices
Another way to fix Audacity that cannot record sound on Windows is to enable all disabled or disconnected devices as to ensure all sounds will be input on the computer.
Right click the speaker icon in the system tray and click 'Recording devices' (Or click Windows Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound ).
Under the Recording devices tab, right click anywhere and select both 'Show Disabled Devices' and 'Show Disconnected Devices'.
Then you will see multiple devices, just enable them all.
Switch to A Simpler Audio Recorder
If you find none of the above solutions is helpful, the only solution may be just switching to a professional and simple audio recording software.
FonePaw Screen Recorder is usualy used to record screen activities in videos, while it also has a audio recorder that can record sound from system and microphone. Therefore, with this recorder, you can record your voice using a microphone as well as streaming music or other sounds coming from your computer.
And unlike Audacity that comes with so many settings and options, FonePaw Audio Recorder is much more simpler, with only two buttons: turn on system sound and enable microphone voice.
The recorder can record audio on computer in easy 5 steps.
Step 1 Click the button below to download FonePaw Screen Recorder.
Step 2 Double-click the icon of FonePaw Screen Recorder and you will see a clear and concise interface with three options. If you turn on system sound and microphone option, please enable 'Microphone noise cancellation' and 'Microphone enhancement' to optimize the sound quality.
Step 3 Click the second loudspeaker icon to start your audio recording.
Step 4 In the Audio Recorder setting page, you can choose whether to turn on both system & microphone sound or just turn on one of them by just clicking the switch button below their icon. And you can adjust the volume of them by sliding the volume bar.
Step 5 After the appropriate setting, you can try 20-second audio recording with sound check. Next, hit the orange button REC on the left side and there you go.
During audio recording, there is a float panel for you either to pause & stop the recording or adjusting the volume of both system sound and microphone sound. Clicking the double-vertical-bar icon can temporarily pause the recording and clicking the icon again will resume it. Clicking single horizontal bar allows you to minimize the float panel into the system tray.
To stop the recording, hit the blue square button. After you hit stop button, a player window will pop up to play the recorded audio and clicking the 'Save' on the right bottom corner will show a window for you to select file path for saving. After selecting, click 'Next' and your audio will be saved in the selected path.
Another feature worth mentioning is the scheduled recording function. During recording, clicking the clock icon on the float bar enables you to set the recording time. By this way, it will free you from waiting by the laptop when you try to record some online or live streaming audio.
So much for audio recording. If you feel it useful, why not share with your friends?
Audacity is a free multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It is great for voice-over recording and audio editing purposes. With the right equipment used Audacity needs very few settings changed to produce perfectly sounding audio.
Before I explain what Audacity settings you need to produce the clear voice-over audio I want to give a shout out to the amazing team who made Audacity software. They have done an incredible job making such powerful and great software available for FREE. And I encourage you to use Audacity software as it perfectly suits beginner voice-over talent.
And please do not forget to show your appreciation to the Audacity team if not right away, then at least after you start making money in voice-over using Audacity.
Audacity Vocal Recording Music
Download and install Audacity
Go to https://www.audacityteam.org/download/ to download Audacity for your operating system. After download completed install and open Audacity.
Correct setup for Voice-over recording with Audacity
As mentioned with the right equipment Audacity is ready to use out of the box. If you use quality microphone and audio interface you save your time on audio processing and fixing issues. See this article to get an idea of what is the recommended setup for voice-over from home.
The reason I am stressing out the importance of using the quality setup is to avoid wasting time and potentially downgrading your work in the future. With Audacity, you can improve your recording and fix many mistakes at the cost of time and often losing the quality of audio.
But it is really unnecessary and can be avoided if your gain level is set properly, you use the correct reading technique and the recording equipment is chosen right for the job.
Select the recording interface
Regardless of what microphone you own or use you need to properly connect it to the computer where you intend to run Audacity. Once connected select your recording microphone or audio interface.
For demonstration purposes, I have connected Focusrite Scarlett Solo audio interface and Blue Yeti microphone to my laptop. Remember to select the correct device you intend to use, otherwise, no or poor sound will be recorded.
Set gain to the optimal value
On your microphone or audio interface set Gain level so your recorded voice peaks between -9 and -6 dB. Anything above -3 dB is considered clipping.
This alone is one of the most important settings that can make your audio recording experience much easier.
Because I believe it is easier to avoid a mistake than correct it, I am not going to explain in this article how to fix clipping. But I give you an extra tip.
How to avoid clipping in voice-over. How to avoid clipping without changing the gain level. If you are required to record in different pitch levels let's say you have a whisper and screaming passages in the script you can keep the same gain level on your hardware. Use this technique, for a quieter voice move your mouse closer to the microphone, and for a louder voice move your mouse a few inches further from the mic and turn your head so you are not facing it directly. That will allow you to perform as required and not to clip or be too quiet.
Record your voice-over
When recording your voice use the instructions I am providing above and on this website. Simply try to keep the distance between mic and mouse about 6 inches. If possible monitor and maintain a waveform about the same shape and size without clipping. If you made a mistake or lost a line in a script, just re-record it and continue. Mistakes and pauses are easy to remove. At the end of the recording session stay quiet and maintain silence for 3 to 5 seconds to record a room noise. You will need this section in the next step.
Audacity voice post-processing
Vocal Recording Tips
Once recording completed it is time to finalize the production. You can choose to listen to your audio first to make sure the overall recording is done right. It means you should have enough of a good read to cover for issues if any.
Then there are a few manipulations I usually do with recorded audio for the regular no audiobook voice-over job. And I do them in a certain order because I believe in less is more when it comes to audio processing. Less programmatical changes to audio, more authentically it sounds.
Firstly, I do Noise Reduction. That is why I recommended recording a few seconds of a room noise at the end of the recording. These few seconds serve as a baseline for the noise reduction on the track. It is important there be no smallest spike in this background noise chunk.
Select this section and click on Effect > Noise Reduction… the sub-window will open, click on Get Noise Profile. Now Audacity has your background noise pattern that includes a microphone self-noise. In the next step, it will apply on the whole track and even out similar noise distortions.
Select whole track Ctrl+A then click on Effects > Repeat Noise Reduction.
Next, I clean the recording by going from the beginning of the track to the end. Whenever needed I add space between voice and most often I remove excessive pauses.
Line In Recording Audacity
I also remove the mistakes and replace the leftover noise like deep breathing or air gasping with about the same length of a quiet noise. Yet again repurposing that room noise from the end of the recording.
And lastly is Normalization. This effect will proportionally set the peak amplitude for your track. In simple words, it will set the highest peak to the defined level and then adjust the whole track proportionally.
To perform Normalization in Audacity select your track and click on Effect > Normalize… the sub-window will open where you select the checkbox Normalize Maximum Amplitude to. I recommend using the value close to -3 dB, -3.3 dB works fine. Then click OK.
Now your track is ready to be exported into .wav or .mp3 file and delivered to your client unless something else is requested.
Fixing errors and voice fine-tuning in Audacity
There can be scenarios when the recording level is uneven, then I apply Normalization to the portion of the track only. But most of the time post-editing is a quick and not an invasive procedure.
Audacity Vocal Recording Vocals
It is obvious that not always everything goes smooth and some errors cannot be re-recorded and need to be fixed in software.
Also, your situation may require to apply compression of the recorded track to bring quite and louder passages to the same level. This would be the topic for another article.
Voice Recording In Audacity
You can learn from my course how to improve your recording technique so you have fewer errors to deal with.
