Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic Posted by: MikeUp Date:5/28/2015 5:12:51 PM This issue is driving me crazy and, in the interest of not wasting anyone's time, I'm going to provide a lot of detail to head off any questions I've already answered myself. The problem is that my mic is not picking up any audio. Nothing on the meter and certainly nothing audible in my headphones. What's weird is that is that I was able to record an entire podcast episode with no problems and then this issue popped up without any change to settings. So this is definitely not a hardware problem. I'm running Windows 7. DAW: Sound Forge 10 Mixer: Alesis MultiMix 4 USB (obviously, connected to my PC through the USB port) Dynamic XLR mic Sound Forge audio settings: Audio device type: Windows Classic Wave Driver (NOTE: this is the only device for which the USB codec shows up in Sound Forge; if I try to use ASIO4All, my mixer does not show up) Default playback: Speakers (USB Audio Codec) Default recording: Microphone (USB Audio Codec) Windows settings: Default recording device: Microphone (2-USB Codec) Level is maxed No other microphones enabled Exclusive mode is off (though I've tried it on as well) If I use Audacity, I get a terrible background hiss and my voice is just barely audible, so at least the mic is being recognized. I just can't get it to an acceptable volume. But I don't want to use Audacity. I want to figure out what's going on in Sound Forge. Thank you for your help. I'm really going nuts with this problem. Message last edited on5/28/2015 5:20:44 PM byMikeUp.
Subject:RE: Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic Reply by: pwppch Date:5/28/2015 8:43:24 PM The first thing I would try is to use a different audio device as your windows input/output. Use the built in audio hardware for you PC as the Windows default output and input. Not all devices like to be shared by the OS and an app. The other option is to leave the Alesis as your Windows default hardware, and then select the Windows Mapper as the input and output in Forge. Make sure that you tell windows the exact input (mic?) to use for input so the "mapper" is set to us it. Peter
Subject:RE: Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic Reply by: MikeUp Date:5/29/2015 8:34:18 PM Sorry, I'm a novice and I don't think I'm following you. If I use Microsoft Sound Mapper as the Audio Device Type in Sound Forge, my choices for input and output device look like this: Default playback device - Microsoft Sound Mapper (grayed out) Default recording device - Three choice of Microsoft Sound Mapper, or Microsoft Sound Mapper Left or Right Are you saying I should try not using the Alesis at all and just try the built-in mic on my PC and my PC speakers as i/o into Sound Forge? You may need to walk me through the settings you're describing step-by-step. Thanks for your help, Peter.

Subject:Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic

Posted by: MikeUp

Date:5/28/2015 5:12:51 PM

This issue is driving me crazy and, in the interest of not wasting anyone's time, I'm going to provide a lot of detail to head off any questions I've already answered myself. The problem is that my mic is not picking up any audio. Nothing on the meter and certainly nothing audible in my headphones. What's weird is that is that I was able to record an entire podcast episode with no problems and then this issue popped up without any change to settings. So this is definitely not a hardware problem.

I'm running Windows 7.

DAW: Sound Forge 10
Mixer: Alesis MultiMix 4 USB (obviously, connected to my PC through the USB port)
Dynamic XLR mic

Sound Forge audio settings:
Audio device type: Windows Classic Wave Driver (NOTE: this is the only device for which the USB codec shows up in Sound Forge; if I try to use ASIO4All, my mixer does not show up)
Default playback: Speakers (USB Audio Codec)
Default recording: Microphone (USB Audio Codec)

Windows settings:
Default recording device: Microphone (2-USB Codec)
Level is maxed
No other microphones enabled
Exclusive mode is off (though I've tried it on as well)

If I use Audacity, I get a terrible background hiss and my voice is just barely audible, so at least the mic is being recognized. I just can't get it to an acceptable volume. But I don't want to use Audacity. I want to figure out what's going on in Sound Forge.

Thank you for your help. I'm really going nuts with this problem.

Message last edited on5/28/2015 5:20:44 PM byMikeUp.

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic

Reply by: pwppch

Date:5/28/2015 8:43:24 PM

The first thing I would try is to use a different audio device as your windows input/output.

Use the built in audio hardware for you PC as the Windows default output and input.

Not all devices like to be shared by the OS and an app.

The other option is to leave the Alesis as your Windows default hardware, and then select the Windows Mapper as the input and output in Forge.

Make sure that you tell windows the exact input (mic?) to use for input so the "mapper" is set to us it.

Peter

Subject:RE: Sound Forge 10 - intermittently unrecognized mic

Reply by: MikeUp

Date:5/29/2015 8:34:18 PM

Sorry, I'm a novice and I don't think I'm following you.

If I use Microsoft Sound Mapper as the Audio Device Type in Sound Forge, my choices for input and output device look like this:
Default playback device - Microsoft Sound Mapper (grayed out)
Default recording device - Three choice of Microsoft Sound Mapper, or Microsoft Sound Mapper Left or Right

Are you saying I should try not using the Alesis at all and just try the built-in mic on my PC and my PC speakers as i/o into Sound Forge?

You may need to walk me through the settings you're describing step-by-step.

Thanks for your help, Peter.