Error opening sound device.. focusrite scarlett...

Hello, forum people. I am just trying to record some vocals on audacity to start poppin’ on soundcloud. But, I only have a mic that connects into my Focusrite Scarlett USB audio interface (not sure exactly which edition it is) which I then plug into my laptop’s USB port. Well, every time I go onto audacity and try to record, it gives me the classic “Error opening sound device. Try changing the audio host, recording device and the project sample rate” message. What can I do to fix this? I’ve been stuck on this for a week or 2.


NOTES:
-I made sure it’s using the proper mic through preferences > recording device
-Yes I made sure the focsurite is on, and i’ve tried every combination of turning the GAIN on/off, plus all the other switches it has.


I realize this is a weird problem to have since many audacity users may have no clue about USB audio interfaces. :frowning: plz help

a mic that connects into my Focusrite

Which mic is it?

Focusrite Scarlett USB audio interface

Scarlett Solo? It says so on the front or the top.

Koz

yes, it is a focusrite scarlett solo, and the microphone is a MXL V63M microphone

This is a reading from the instruction manual. Did you do that?

Open the manual to page 6 if you have trouble reading it.
Screen Shot 2017-08-30 at 03.23.42.png
This little dance can get even wackier. Do the drivers say they work with Windows 10? Windows 10 takes special drivers and software. The drivers should say so. Older drivers may not work.

Koz

Greetings.

Did you recently receive the Windows 10 Developer Update? I did today and now, I too have this error after my setup working fine for months.

I’ve tried rebooting, unplugging and replugging, transport/rescan audio (though they show as being correct with my Scarlet 2i2 selected), checking project rate and channels and confirmed correct device selected in control panel.

Please advise.

Cheers.
Audacity error.png

Roll back the update? If rolling back works, we need to have a chat with the Audacity Windows elves. Also, Google time. Has anybody else’s sound services dropped dead? I need to wait until I get home…

Koz

I have no manual, the focsurite scarlett solo was a gift from my brother, he just handed me the device without any manual or box. I have installed the driver but when I click the icon on the desktop it says “no scarlett connected” even tho it is connected… I know it is because audacity has scarlett solo under my preferred recording device (but still won’t allow me to record and gives me the sound error message).

This is just not good news. The Focusrite Scarlett Solo and Behringer UM2 are the two hero, single-microphone USB interfaces. Losing the Solo is is very concerning.

This is the instruction book.

https://d2zjg0qo565n2.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/focusrite/downloads/31524/scarlettsolo2ndgenugenv1.pdf

As we go.

Koz

No problem with Google hits:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/26/stop_downloading_win10_creators_update/

https://www.onmsft.com/news/known-issues-for-windows-10-build-15055-for-pc-app-resets-crashes-and-f12-developer-tools

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/10587/windows-10-get-help-with-upgrade-installation-errors

New Windows 10 Updates Causing Serious Problems
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2016/04/23/windows-10-updates-new-crashes/#4a171a5c770f


Roll. It. Back.

Koz

That reording device entry shows that the particular device, your Scarlett, was connected previously - it may not still be.

  1. Try in Audacity Transport > Rescan Audio Devices - does Audacity still see the Scarlett?

  2. Audacity will only see a devive if windows can see it …
    a) right click on the speaker icon at the bottom right of the Windows tool bar at the botttom on your screen (or use Control Panel and select Sound
    b) select Recording Device
    c) does the Scarlett show there?
    d) If so - then is it enabled - if not then enable it
    e) If not showing, right click in the white space of that dialog and make sure both Show disabled devices and Show disconnected devices are both checked on
    f) is the Scarlett now showing as an available recording device to Windows
    g) if it is then is it enabled? If not then enable it (you may want to make it your default recording device, but that’s optional)
    h) Having enabled it in Windows and with the Scarlett already plugged in to the USB port on your PC either restart Audacity or use Transport > Rescan Audio Devices
    j) select the Scarlett in Audacity’s Device Toolbar

If Windows cannot see your Scarlett as a recording device then that is likely to be a driver issue.
You need to ensure that you have suitable W10 drivers for your device from the manufacturer.


I run W10 and have for a while now with all regular updates including recently the Creators Update that was offered - and I have no problem in getting my external USB device (the now discontinued Edirol UA-1EX) to work with Audacity current release 2.1.3 and the many alpha test builds for 2.2.0.

What I do find though is that after some W10 upgrades Windows turns off the Edirol as an available device so I have to re-enable it using the steps above.

Actually the issue I did have with it was a driver issue as I used to run it in its advanced mode (for Audacity QA test purposes) which required a specialist driver from Roland/Edirol which was fine with W7 - but when I migrated to W10 Roland/Edirol provided no updated advanced-mode drivers as it was a discontinued product line. This meant that I had to rely on the default W10 USB drivers which fortunately for me drive the UA-1EX just fine.


And note I can get into a situation where I can see the Edirol in my Audacity Device toolbar and use it. If I then unplug the Edirol from the PC’s USB port it still shows in the Device Toolbar - but if I try to use it for recording I then get the “Error opening sound device …” error message.

WC

Bah, this is most frustrating. :frowning: I cannot roll back as I already removed the 20+ GB of the previous build.

I’ve reinstalled the Scarlett driver (although it is quite old).

Audacity and Windows both still see the Scarlett. It is already set to default in Windows (I’ve even disabled others to no avail).

Since both Windows and Audacity SEE it, are we certain we’ll need a new driver? I hope not, given that their last one for my hardware, the 2i2 (1st Gen), even though I only bought it brand new this year, is from 2014.

Cheers.

Good news!

The new beta software seems to work just fine with the Scarlett and the Windows update. :slight_smile:

Thanks, team!

Cheers.

I don’t know if we actually changed anything in 2.2.0 that explains your success, or whether it is simply the reinstallation of the program after the operating system upgrade that fixes it.

(Similar is that Audacity had problems on systems upgraded to Windows 10 until drivers were reinstalled; but had no such problems when installed the first time on new Windows 10 systems. We never really knew the explanation.)

Whatever the case, I am pleased to hear it.

I have exactly the same problem. scarlett solo 2nd generation! but interestingly… the problem
is the same outside of audacity (go to windows settings/sound microphone… it is unable to do a test recording… so I think this
is a windows 10 driver problem.

I did the installation per the manual from the focusrite site, but it is giving me this.
Windows 7 works fine on another computer. no windows 10 machine I have works.

Audacity 2.1.3 of course. Windows 10 (up to date). usbsound2.sys is the driver set.