what determines the sound level of a recording?

[tuongo]

Set up #1:
AMD XP 1900+
XP home
Soundblaster Live! 24 bit/On-board sound (Chaintech KTX-600)
Senneheiser gaming headphones+mic
Windows sound recorder


Set up #1
Dell 600M
Senneheiser gaming headphones+mic
Windows sound recorder


For set-up #1, I just try to record my voice. I generally have to yell to have the volume decent. I've turned up the inputs in the Windows sound options for microphone.

For set-up #2, I tried to record the music from my Wii using my amplifier out. It also comes out very low. When I turn up the volume loud enough on the recording to hear it, there's a lot of static/noise. When I use my gaming headphones+mic, it's actually very loud compared to on my desktop.

I don't know anything about sound. Is it the application I'm using? The sound card/on-board sound? Something else?

 

[SergeC]

Turn on the mic boost in windows. It's in the recording control.

 

[sieistganzfett]

the windows drivers for any soundcard will induce a lot of static when you up the volume. there is nothing to get past that. i know from recording singing and playing a guitar (music recording). best solution is
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.family

you need a preamp of some kind. and you can use a mixer for example. a pci card such as the audiophile, use the software that it includes, and use the special drivers the software will use, as soon as you introduce windows drivers to sound recording, you get a large amount of static, regardless of what you try to do. i just basically said spend 300 or so, not something you would do to record things you dont feel is worth that much, but its the solution for anyone doing serious recording that they put on cds and distribute.

 

[Slikkster]

Or, you can spend $40 and get a Philips USB Aurilium 5.1 external sound box.

Google it (froogle it).