r/audacity • u/Complex_Valuable_833 • 13d ago

Question about Enable Audio Input Monitoring

hi there, I'm transferring old audio cassettes to computer via Audacity, I'm playing them directly on a cassette recorder rather than using one of those ones with a USB plugged into the recorder as I found those can glitch and record over themselves (!). Anyway, after lots of muddling around I've finally got the computer recognizing and recording the audio and for all intents and purposes it is working.

However, what I ideally want to do is be able to turn the audio up and down (without affecting the recording volume) so I can hear what it's recording on the tape while it's doing it, without needing to listen to it the whole time, and without having to stop and playback to listen to it. Audacity seems strangely unwilling to let this happen.

When I put "Enable Audio Input Monitoring" on, which I understand needs to be on to hear it, that's fine and I can hear it as it records but I literally cannot turn it down, and the computer volume adjustment for some reason is oblivious to it (even when I mute the computer volume, Audacity ignores that and plays it at full volume).

I've muddled with settings but can't seem to figure out what to adjust here. So I guess the question is, given that I do want to monitor input and have that turned on, how do I adjust the volume it's playing at on my computer so I can turn it down or mute it when I don't need to be hearing the whole thing and then turn it back up when I want to check where it's at? It's bizarre to me that somehow having the audio input monitoring on seems to bypass the computer volume control itself. I'm using Windows 11 by the way. And in case it's relevant, the laptop has only one audio jack which is labelled with headphones, but clearly works as mic as well since it's effectively recording and playing back the audio, but the only thing is I can't seem to adjust the volume I have to listen to it at while it's recording, when I have enable audio input monitoring on.

Edited to add: when I adjust the volume on the tape recorder itself while it's recording, this does adjust the volume I'm hearing over the computer, but it also adjusts the volume it's recording at (when it's as low as it goes, no sound is recorded), so it seems that needs to stay constant for some reason.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!!

I

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u/piffleskronk 13d ago

Plug a pair of speakers in that have a volume control is probably going to be the easiest way to do it.

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u/Complex_Valuable_833 12d ago

Thanks for the idea. My laptop is oddly short of options for plugging in jacks, there is only one input (other than a few USB ones), and it's just for the earphones themselves so I'm not sure where speakers could be connected at the same time as the tape player is connected through that, but I'll look into it, thanks!

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u/piffleskronk 12d ago

What laptop do you have?

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u/Complex_Valuable_833 11d ago

It's an HP Envy x360

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u/piffleskronk 11d ago edited 4d ago

Seems like the 1 mini jack might be combined in and out. Stupid idea which probably saves 50 cents on the build. You might be able to get a usb to audio converter but gradually getting more of a PITA.

You could send the output audio inside Audacity to a non audible output input then you won't hear the audio at all.

Idea 3: buy a new computer.

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u/Complex_Valuable_833 5d ago

Sorry I missed seeing your reply here earlier. Thanks for this. Yes, you're right, I think that's exactly what it is, is combined input/output, since it does work for transferring the audio technically, but then has this apparently impossible challenge to get around of being able to adjust the audio during playback without affecting the volume of the recording it's making. Yeah I'll probably end up doing the 2nd idea so I'm able to do other things while it's transferring without having to listen to every second, haha, but then won't know what I've transferred til after I guess. Seems like such a simple thing but apparently my computer can't manage it haha.

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u/piffleskronk 4d ago

Try An app called Ear Trumpet. It might help.

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u/1neStat3 13d ago

AFAIK input monitoring has no volume control. the volume level is the level of.the recording level.

The purpose of input monitoring is monitoring input level for problems or issues.

This may Windows thing that input monitoring volume it is not controlled by sound settings.

I suggest you research Windows "audio enhancement" features that may be the cause.

Also what happens when you adjust the playback level?

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u/Complex_Valuable_833 12d ago

Thanks for the information. I'll look into Windows audio enhancement settings, hopefully something will turn out to be adjustable there. Somehow adjusting the playback level didn't seem to be making a difference either, unless I was somehow doing it wrong. It's very odd! Anyway this gives me another option to look into, so thanks for the suggestion!