Can't control audio levels while recording-always high - urgent!

labecs wrote on 11/1/2009, 8:01 PM

This is regarding Audio Cleaning Lab 15. I have Windows 7 and I'm using a USB MXL .008 mike. My problem is that whenever I'm going to start a recording (mostly just voice) the level graph says levels are too high. I use the automatic level button, but that doesn't fix it. I already lowered considerable the levels in the sound control panel of windows for my device, and it's still happening.
Please somebody help me... I need this for work and I have a deadline!

Comments

NoTurning wrote on 11/1/2009, 11:30 PM

Hi,
Look for the option to normalize your recording. Try that, bring your levels way down. Also make sure you're recording using ASIO drivers and NOT DirectX

Try downloading and installing the FREE audio software Audacity (a quick search on Bing will give you the link) and see how your mic records there - that will determine if it's Magix or your mic.

Also... have you used this mic successfully in the past? MXL mics are just cheap Chinese mics with the Marshal name tag, you might have a bad mic.

Keep me posted,
Justin

Procyon wrote on 11/2/2009, 11:33 AM

I don't know about Windows 7, but most Windows OS's have their own basic sound recorder that may work in a pinch.

Otherwise, try Audacity as NoTurning suggests. Personally, I've had problems with it, which is one reason I bought MMM.

I had recorded with Audacity, and it worked well for a while. Eventually, all of the tracks I recorded developed annoying clicking and popping noises.

labecs wrote on 11/2/2009, 11:44 AM

I've had this MXL mic for a while and I love it, it's always worked great. However, Audio Lab has been doing many strange things, even before I went to Win 7. That's why I upgraded to version 15 but it didn't help. For example, if I record a track, clean it and export it, suddenly the size of the file triples. When I bring it back into the editor, I find that a whole bunch of noise is attached at the end of it, or the recording suddenly has pieces of recordings I did days before, or it just has static, etc. Then I delete those parts, export from the editor and the file is back to the normal size. The point is that for some reason all my recordings are getting corrupted like that. And now, the level problem. My mic level in the computer is down to 5! Anything higher and it tells me "levels too high".

dragus359 wrote on 12/22/2009, 3:48 AM

It's a little hard for me tell what exactly is going on with your computer, but as far as the volume goes you should make sure you don't have the decibel boost (+20db) activated in your microphone properties in Windows. If that's not it, then you might have a computer virus. If you did a clean install of win7, and the malfunctions carried over from your last OS, then it's probably not a virus. If the malfunctions began a while after the install of Win 7, then you might have a virus. Another thing to consider would be to make sure all of your drivers are up to date.