Connect your microphones to your audio interface.

Start Audacity. Do not open a file.

Locate the volume level meters on the toolbar, to the right of the transport controls. If you do not see the meters, choose View → Toolbars → Meter Toolbar, which should have a check mark next to it.

Click on the arrow next to the microphone to open the input meter's pop-up menu. Choose Start Monitoring.

Sing, talk, or make noise into the microphone. The volume level meter should show moving red bars.

Adjust the volume of the recording inputs on your audio interface. When there is no noise, the moving red bars should be very small.

If you do not see moving red bars in the volume level meter, check that your audio interface and microphone are correctly connected and powered on. If your equipment was not properly connected, adjust the volume of the recording inputs on your audio interface now.

If you still do not see moving red bars, see Section 5.3.2, “Configuring Audacity for Your Sound Card”.

Click the Record button to start a test recording. Sing, talk, or make noise into the microphone.

After a few seconds, click the Stop button to stop the test recording.

Click the Play button to hear the recorded audio.

If the recording sounds bad, you configure Audacity manually. See Section 5.3.2, “Configuring Audacity for Your Sound Card”.