USB sound card

My internal sound card died and I found a good deal on a USB sound card. It works great, but audacity will not record from it. I used the “preferences” menu and selected “USB Audio Device” under both playback and recording, and that is what shows in the dropdown bar in audacity as well. Does anybody have any idea of what I’m missing??? It’s got to be some stupid oversight on my part, but I can’t figure it out.
Barry

Side note:my USB sound card is identified as device 1 under “devices” in the “help” menu, so Audacity knows it’s there.

The first thing missing is the name and model of your new soundcard.

Koz

I assume you’re recording from a microphone? Did the mic work with your old soundcard?

Does your old soundcard have separate mic & headphone jacks, or a combo jack? Is this a laptop or a desktop/tower computer? (I assume the USB soundcard has separate jacks?)

My internal sound card died

What broke? Maybe it will still record if it can’t play? Or maybe your mic broke and your old soundcard is OK?

It’s got to be some stupid oversight on my part, but I can’t figure it out.

Or maybe it’s defective…

Or maybe it’s defective…

Right. It’s rough to do troubleshooting without knowing more about the hardware.

Koz

This is not a mic problem- since I don’t use one. I’ve been trying to copy a podcast I heard. The podcast plays fine, but Audacity doesn’t “hear” it. I have it set for USB sound card, but it just doesn’t work.

This is not a mic problem- since I don’t use one. I’ve been trying to copy a podcast I heard.

In that case you’re not really using the soundcard either but you need to "tap into’ the drivers. See [u]Recording Computer Playback[/u].

This can be tricky because normally you record from the ANALOG sound coming INTO the soundcard, but in this case you’re trying to capture what’s coming OUT (or what’s going-in digitally). It depends on your version of Windows and your drivers.

Since you have two soundcards, be sure to select the one the sound is coming out of so you’re tapping-into the correct drivers.

I used the “preferences” menu and selected “USB Audio Device”

That would probably work if you plug a mic to the USB soundcard. :wink: But, now we know you’ don’t want to do that.