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I have been tweaking with my audio for a while now and cant seem to fix the levels. I have also noticed that many Podcasts I listen to have a similar problem.
It seems like my audio is always too low. If i go any higher the audio gets distorted. Is there anything I can do to fix this. I have a small Mackie mixer and my microphone is an ATR2100.
If you use skype for your podcast with other people turn off Auto Gain Control ( Automatically control volume check box ). It will always try to compensate. It is necessary to control the volume manually.
We record by doing a double-ender and had that problem until we started using a compressor like Levelator on our source files (after doing noise removal). That really helps get everything onto the same volume level.
If your mixer is set at the right level, you need to look at the next link in the chain, your computer. Open the Windows (or Mac/Linux) sound mixer and check that the input levels there are the same as your mixer. Often these are set too low. You can usually have them at 100%.
If the input levels are OK, do the same with your broadcasting/recording software. Then the Output levels on your streaming software, and so on along the chain.
This issue has nothing to do with audio processors such as compressors etc.
As Andrew said take a look at your chain. Start with the mixer and make sure the levels are fine here. If you are listening directly into the mixer how does it sound? I had the same issue when I was using a Mackie 1402 VLZ3. My problem was that the mixer was not leveled properly.
Can you let us know what else you have connected. any preamps/ compressors? What type of computer/ soundcard?
