audacity 2.0 / Ubuntu (bodhi) /Mackie ProFX8 mixer

daka · November 13, 2012, 7:42am

I desperately need help after fiddling with this for many months.

Jack, ALSA and various selections for Playback and Microphone inputs have me baffled. I go around in circles tring to exhaust all the possibilities. I am avoiding bying Mackie Tracktion if possible as I dislike windows and feel it will be an ultimate waste of time.

Can anyone explain succinctly how to record successive tracks (clean with no previous track information…OF GUITAR AND VOICE?
ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Sean

daka · November 13, 2012, 10:22am

I am using Audacity 2.0 on Bodhi Linux which is based on Ubuntu 12.04, installed from repository (usb stick or cd)

steve · November 13, 2012, 5:46pm

Does Bodhi use PulseAudio by default?

daka · November 13, 2012, 7:29pm

See screenshot some lines missing at bottom

Thanks

Sean

steve · November 13, 2012, 8:52pm

Ah good, you have Synaptic as well - that makes things easier.

Install “pavucontrol” (Pulse Audio Volume Control) then I think we are ready to get started.

What sort of sound card do you have?
I presume that you want to record the guitar with a microphone? What sort of microphone do you have and how is it connected to your computer?

daka · November 13, 2012, 9:39pm

Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop 140G Realtek ALC888 HD Audio Driver A02

My mic is a Rode NT1A connected through Mackie ProFX8 mixer

Thanks for trying to kelp with this…I am dizzy from my efforts to date

sean

steve · November 13, 2012, 10:39pm

Let’s see if we can get some basic recording functionality to start with.

Does that have a “line level” input or just a mic input?
I’m hoping that it does have a “line in”.

To date, have you been able to record anything in any shape or form with this computer? If so, details please

Open Audacity and click on “Audio Device Info”.
Please copy and paste the output into your reply.

daka · November 14, 2012, 8:09am

Yes I have been able to record a guitar track, and then a voice track and another voice track…but the second and third tracks nearly always have the first track in the background and become unclean and distroted…I used to use windows and did not have this problem but, as usuual Windows became psychotic on me and I am forced to use Bodhi Linux based on Ubuntu 12.4.

It has a line in (blue) input and a green headphone output.

Yes, I have been able to record instrumental tracks on the first track and then tried to add guitar/voice tracks with varying degrees of success

Ok Here is the first screenshot (audacity_screenshot) and I do not see “Audio Device Info” on that screen.

When I open “Devices” I get screenshot_2 … under playback and recording there are default settings but aldo “pulse” settings

I don’t know if I sent the manual for the ProFX8 …maybe that will help?

Manual was too big! will send link … http://www.mackie.com/products/profxseries/pdf/ProFX-OM.pdf

I hope all the attachments make it through

Thanks again for your time

Sean

steve · November 14, 2012, 8:36am

Sorry, it was “Help menu > Audio Device Info…” that I wanted.

daka · November 14, 2012, 12:26pm

Here is the requested info:

==============================
Default capture device number: 12
Default playback device number: 12
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: HDA Intel: ALC888 Analog (hw:0,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: HDA Intel: ALC888 Digital (hw:0,3)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: USB Audio CODEC: USB Audio (hw:1,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: USB Device 0x46d:0x81b: USB Audio (hw:2,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 1
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.010667
Low Output Latency: -1.000000
High Input Latency: 0.042667
High Output Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: sysdefault
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 128
Output channels: 128
Low Input Latency: 0.042653
Low Output Latency: 0.042653
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    16000
    22050
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: front
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: surround40
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: surround51
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: surround71
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: hdmi
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: pulse
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: dmix
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.042667
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.042667
Supported Rates:
    48000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: default
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Selected capture device: 12 - default
Selected playback device: 12 - default
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Master:0
1 - Headphone:0
2 - PCM:0
3 - Mic:0
4 - Mic Boost:0
==============================
Capture volume is emulated
Playback volume is native

steve · November 14, 2012, 3:35pm

It looks like you’ve got something connected that you’ve not told us about

Let me see if I’ve got this right:
You have a Rode microphone,
It is plugged into a 3 pin microphone input in your Mackie mixer,
The Mackie mixer has a USB connection to your desktop computer,

and your computer has HDMI audio ??? Is this being used?

and you have a USB webcam ??? or a USB headset microphone ???

daka · November 14, 2012, 4:03pm

__________________________________________________________________________-

Sorry Steve if I have not explained the technology that is overwhelming me!

Yes to the Rode mic connected to mackie
HDMI audio I didn’t even know about until your email but it looks like I need to learn about how the Benq display might be interfering
the usb webcam I seldom have on because I did see that it was poroblematic…but I did try to skype last week and left it on

please advise what to shut down/change/configure to get the audacity working… I will write it all down and follow it religiously

I will start by disconnecting the skype camera
What about that usb connector…from the Mackie to the computer…should I disconnect it?

Sean

steve · November 14, 2012, 4:36pm

No problem.

Yes, disconnect the camera.
Leave the Mackie connected.
Probably best to reboot so that we know where we’re starting from.

Plug your mic into the mixer
Switch on the phantom power on the mixer (see the manual for details).
Plug your headphones into the mixer.
Set the mixer so that you can see a good level on the meters when you speak into the mic.
Slowly turn up the headphone control until you can hear your voice clearly (but not too loud) through your headphones.

Refer to the mixer and microphone manuals as necessary to get this part working. We can’t go further until that is working.

When that is all set up,

Open Audacity.
Look in the “Transport” menu and ensure that “Overdub” is selected and “Software Playthrough” is not selected.
There should now be one recording input option and one playback output option in the Device Toolbar for the USB mixer (probably called something like: “USB Audio CODEC: USB Audio (hw:1,0)”)
Set both the input and the output in the Device Toolbar to these USB options.

Now try recording.
If there are any error messages, make a note of exactly what they say.

daka · November 14, 2012, 5:58pm

Here is a screenshot showing that the volume is quite low on the tracks…also the mp3 shows that there is a repetitive cracking sound…
Fortunately each new track seems clean and has nothing of the previous tracks

Thanks…maybe we are getting closer

sean

steve · November 14, 2012, 9:39pm

OK, it’s basically working, just not very well.

Go into “Edit menu > Preferences > Recording”
Where it says “Audio to buffers”, the default is 100 milliseconds. Try increasing that to 150, 200, 250, 300 milliseconds, Do any of those settings stop the crackling?

daka · November 14, 2012, 11:51pm

Well Steve, after many hours of applying your simple suggestions I have it recording correctly now. I must admit however that I still don’t feel that I have mastered this because it didn’t get sorted quickly, rather, after a few restarts and rechecking of plugs. I can now go off to sleep feeling I have accomplished a lot in one day. Thank you so much for your patient and persistent help. I am hoping that I now have at least a base of knowledge upon which I can improve.

The last suggestion changing from 100 to 150 miliseconds did get rid of the crackling.

Again, many thanks

Sean

steve · November 15, 2012, 1:18pm

Hooray

Regarding the recording level - try fiddling with the mixer.
Let us know how you get on.