# Help with Audacity



## Indyandy (Sep 7, 2005)

Ok, I have downloaded Audacity to make a couple of tracks. But when I plug in my mic, it doesn't register on audacity. How can I talk into my mic and make a track on Audacity? What am I forgetting?


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I'd first use sound recorder to verify that you have the mic plugged in, turned on, and setup in control panel correctly. There are many things that could be wrong. 

First...make sure you are plugged into the mic port. Next, make sure the switch (if there is one) on the mic is on. Your sound card will need to be properly configured in the control panel Look at the sounds section and make sure you have a device configured for sound recording.

If all that looks right...and you yell into the mic when sound recorder is set to record....and nothing happens. Then I'd check to make sure I don't have a problematic sound driver in my computer's device list. (Right click my computer. Go to manage...look at devices. Make sure they don't show yellow highlights with exclamation marks.)


All that said...I'm guessing you don't have it plugged into the right hole. If you have two sets of audio plugs, one set of audio plugs on the motherboard, another on a sound card....then you may be plugged into the wrong set.


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## Indyandy (Sep 7, 2005)

Well, I know it is in the right hole. There is a picture of a mic. I will check my settings again though. Thanks.


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## sychoclown (Aug 20, 2009)

I found out I had 2 ports , 1 in back and 1 in front. Back one did not work, but front one did.


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## berzerkmonkey (Oct 31, 2006)

Indyandy said:


> Ok, I have downloaded Audacity to make a couple of tracks. But when I plug in my mic, it doesn't register on audacity. How can I talk into my mic and make a track on Audacity? What am I forgetting?


If you've pressed the record button in Audacity and you're not getting any indication of sound coming in, it is likely either your mic or input port is bad.

If you have a PS2 headset mic, you can plug that into the USB port on your PC to confirm Audacity is working properly.


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## Indyandy (Sep 7, 2005)

OK, for some reason the mic had to be reconfigured. Got that working, but after I recorded a track to play with, it wont let me use any of the effects! What's up with that?


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## BTH (Jul 2, 2006)

I think you have to highlight an area of the recording before the effect button is enabled. Try selecting a portion or all of your recording by clicking and dragging until that area is highlighted blue. The select the effects button and pick the effect you want to use. I think that might be your problem.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Andy -- that happened to me a lot at first too and in my case it was just the order I was doing things in. When you can't access the "effects" commands, check your STOP button. Is it color highlighted (yellow in my case)? If so Audacity thinks you're still recording on this track; it needs to switch modes. Click the off button so it goes colorless, and you'll have access to the commands.

Dunno if that's what's causing it with you, but that's what it was for me. Duh.


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## Indyandy (Sep 7, 2005)

Been gone for awhile. Ok I will check this out, thanks.


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