[LAU] Trying to record!

I told some friends to come over tomorrow to make a recording ... and, of course, I can't get things to work on the computer. Hope someone can set me straight. I'm using pulse and audacity ... yeah, I know someone will tell me that will never work, but it's worked just fine in the past. So, lets continue :) I'm using a Audiobox USB interface with a single mic. I have tried different mics and cables, so I'm pretty sure that's not the problem. In the pavucontrol program the audiobox shows and I select Analog Stereo Output + Digital Stereo (IEC958) Input Now, when I bring up audacity I have 3 inputs available. Well, this time ... sometimes I have a list as long as my arm. But, for now lets use the short list: HDA Intel ... Pulse Default Both Pulse and Default appear to work as recording devices. Funny, though is that at other times I've gotten a raft of HDA lines, USB lines, etc. Doesn't seem to make sense to me. First off, lets test playback of a track in audacity to phones. Great ... perfect. Audacity (and everything else on the system)plays though the device into the phones. I'm happy. Now, I will record. I get the waveform. I speak into the mic ... and then I play back ... and it is just awful, scratchy crap. So, if you've read this far my problem is that I am getting crappy, very crappy, recording quality with the audiobox interface and audacity. Suggestions? I should add this output as well: arecord -l **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices **** card 0: USB [AudioBox USB], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio] Subdevices: 0/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 2: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC887-VD Analog [ALC887-VD Analog] Subdevices: 0/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 2: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 2: ALC887-VD Alt Analog [ALC887-VD Alt Analog] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 4: U0x46d0x802 [USB Device 0x46d:0x802], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio] Subdevices: 0/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 Thanks to all. -- **** Listen to my FREE CD at http://www.mellowood.ca/music/cedars **** Bob van der Poel ** Wynndel, British Columbia, CANADA ** EMAIL: bob(a)mellowood.ca WWW: http://www.mellowood.ca