Voice sounds really distorted

[samarth pawar]

I am using a cheap mic which I bought from amazon for recording my songs but it sounds really bad and distorted I tried using the mic on like an online mic testing website and it sounded fine over there but whenever i tried recording by it sounds really bad. I dont think theres a problem with the mic but I dont know why it sounds on cakewalk so weird but it sounds alright on other places. Any help on how should i get over this would be appreciated

edit: I just tried it again on audacity and I sound alright on there. The playback which I am getting on cakewalk is like a bad distorted robotic child voice if you're getting what I am trying to say

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by samarth pawar
wanted to add a few more things

[Lord Tim]

USB mics like the one you mentioned in your other threads are generally not suitable for professional use like this.

It's not necessarily that the mic itself sounds bad - some of those cheap mics can actually be quite usable - but it's more so the USB part of it is its own audio interface. Again, I'm sure the Audio to Digital conversion probably is usable (as you're finding in Audacity) but the driver itself can be the problem.

The way a lot of programs get around it is by using MME as the audio type, which has bad performance and terrible latency. And once you start to use realtime effects, you'll notice the performance especially will suffer.

If you're able to switch to WASAPI Shared in your Preferences > Audio > Playback and Recording > Driver Mode, this will give you the best shot at getting decent performance. Some devices won't allow you to do this though.

After that, you should be able to go to Preferences > Audio > Driver Settings and adjust the Buffer Size slider to a point where the project won't glitch out.

Additionally to all of that, if you've got any generic "drivers" installed like ASIO4ALL, MAGIX Low Latency Driver, etc. uninstall them - they can cause issues inside Cakewalk and other DAWs.

The best solution, ultimately, is to buy a proper interface (even a cheap one like a Focusrite Scarlett Solo) and a mic with an XLR connection to plug into the input of that device. You'll get proper professional ASIO drivers, great stability and every issue you have will simply go away.

[Byron Dickens]

1 hour ago, Lord Tim said:

The best solution, ultimately, is to buy a proper interface (even a cheap one like a Focusrite Scarlett Solo) and a mic with an XLR connection to plug into the input of that device. You'll get proper professional ASIO drivers, great stability and every issue you have will simply go away.

Didn't I say that already?

 

 

[samarth pawar]

1 hour ago, Byron Dickens said:

Didn't I say that already?

 

 

I know man but I cant afford such an expensive mic at my current stage and I am a broke college student

 

 

[scook]

Distortion may be down to a bad buffer setting.

Based on the results with Audacity, the hardware is not defective so Cakewalk should get similar results with similar settings.

For hardware that does not include a custom ASIO driver, try the WASAPI driver modes in Cakewalk first increasing the buffer size until the distortion goes away. If you cannot find an appropriate setting, try the other driver modes.

 

 

[Byron Dickens]

6 hours ago, samarth pawar said:

I know man but I cant afford such an expensive mic at my current stage and I am a broke college student

 

 

Such an expensive mic?

I feel for you, man. I've been there. I've been so broke I couldn't even pay attention. So, I ain't just some rich white guy trying to spend all your money for you but that doesn't change the facts.

Those USB microphones are suitable for podcasting but not much else. And, sorry to say, some of those Amazon cheapies not even for that.

You can easily get a usable microphone off of eBay for under $100 without even trying. If you look hard, substantially less. A good Focusrite can be had for about the same.  Good ASIO drivers are imperative to getting low latency.  Good ASIO drivers are only supplied by the equipment manufacturer.

I know that might seem like a lot, but getting quality ends up saving you money (and frustration) in the long run.

Not having much money makes it all the more imperative to do a lot of research and spend your money wisely, getting the right stuff from the beginning. Buy once, cry once.

[OutrageProductions]

I've seen Presonus Audiobox as low as $45 and Scarlett Solo at $65 used on Ebay last week. And AT 2020 mics about $60 recently. 

[Byron Dickens]

All really good stuff.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Byron Dickens

[Jim Roseberry]

After the computer itself, the audio interface is the next most critical choice for a rock-solid DAW.

USB mics are not what you want for recording music.

• Dedicated audio interface with proper ASIO driver
• Your choice of dedicated microphone/s, preamps, etc

If you go with an audio interface that's proven to be rock-solid, you'll never give it a second thought.

Then, you can focus on things like the song, parts, performance.  😉

[Steve Patrick]

Agree with Jim, as per usual.  But as an addition...if you want the best inexpensive, bang-for-the-buck mic check out the Aston Element.  We use them here at the studio for voice over AND the occasional background sing sessions.  Usually $149 but sometimes on sale for $99.