Audacity Recordings are Done at High Speed

Hi everyone,

I hope you can help me. This is a really mystifying issue. I’ve been using audacity to record audio through the line-in port of my motherboard and I noticed that while recording audacity looked like it was struggling a little bit (the monitor levels didn’t look like they were refreshing very often and the wave form wasn’t populating in the window as it normally does). When I stopped recording and played back the recording it sounded like it was recorded at 4 or 5X speed.

I’ve checked and the playback speed if 1X. Also it seems to be fairly persistent as I’ve:

  • Tried using both the rear and front panels
  • Tried using both the mic and line in ports
  • Used the default version from the ubuntu repositories (2.1.2-2)
  • Used the version in the daily build PPA

Has anyone faced this issue before. Would love to be able to continue using audacity. For reference, my machine specs are:

Intel 7th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor i7-7700K (BX80677I77700K)
ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 GAMING, 11GB GDDR5X, iCX Technology - 9 Thermal Sensors & RGB LED G/P/M, 3x Async Fan Control, Optimized Airflow Design Graphics Card 11G-P4-6696-KR
G.SKILL 32GB (4 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series DDR4 PC4-19200 2400MHz Intel Z170 Desktop Memory Model F4-2400C15Q-32GVR

Many thanks.

If Audacity usually works correctly, then it sounds like some application or process is interfering with the sound system. Try rebooting the computer.

it sounded like it was recorded at 4 or 5X speed.

Actually, it was recorded slow which produces work that plays back at high speed. Audacity is probably struggling with another application to get time in the sound channel.

Are you trying to run a game and record at the same time? Audacity doesn’t play well with others. That’s what messes up Skype, conferencing or chat recording.

Koz

If Audacity usually works correctly, then it sounds like some application or process is interfering with the sound system. Try rebooting the computer.

Steve, just got a new rig so audacity has worked correctly on other computers for me but not this one yet. Though I’d say that audacity works fine on this machine when I log into windows (I dual boot) but on ubuntu 17.10 no dice.

Are you trying to run a game and record at the same time?

Koz, I don’t generally have anything else running at the same time (unless you count chrome)

Is it just faster, or faster and higher pitched (like playing a record or tape at high speed)?

Steve, it’s faster and higher pitched.

audacity looked like it was struggling a little bit (the monitor levels didn’t look like they were refreshing very often and the wave form wasn’t populating in the window as it normally does).

So the machine wasn’t keeping up with real time. It was recording slow.

I have an Activity Monitor/System Analysis tool that provides me some idea in semi-real time of who is taking system resources. Do you have such a tool?

“Doobly-Doo Process is taking 98% System Memory…”

Koz

OK, that makes a big difference. Quite possibly there is a sample rate mismatch somewhere.

What settings are you using in the device toolbar?
What is the “Project Rate” set to (bottom left corner of the main Audacity window).

@Steve

What settings are you using in the device toolbar?

Screenshot attached.

What is the “Project Rate” set to (bottom left corner of the main Audacity window).

44100 Hz

@Koz

I have an Activity Monitor/System Analysis tool that provides me some idea in semi-real time of who is taking system resources. Do you have such a tool?

I generally use the default system monitor but any recommendations?
Toolbar.png

I generally use the default system monitor but any recommendations?

Not in Linux, no.
Screen Shot 2017-11-09 at 19.31.50.png
Koz

What do the following commands give you?

pacmd list-sinks | grep "sample"



pacmd list-sources | grep "sample"

The responses are below:

pacmd list-sinks | grep "sample"



sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz



pacmd list-sources | grep "sample"



sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz

That all looks fine.
I’m trying to find something that doesn’t :wink:

Could you post a short sample to illustrate the problem in WAV format. Just a few seconds is sufficient. (see here for how to post an audio sample https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/how-to-post-an-audio-sample/29851/1)

Also, from Audacity “Help menu > Audio Device Info”. Save that and attach it to your reply.

What’s the goal? What are you doing that resulted in the error? Reading for an AudioBook? Podcast?

What did you plug into the audio ports? In detail. Model numbers.

I’m with Steve. Post an audio sample.

Koz

Did you offend your computer in some way? Forget its birthday?

Koz

Steve, the audio is attached (it’s me counting to 10) and the audio device info is enclosed below. Hope this helps.

-Doug

==============================
Default recording device number: 19
Default playback device number: 19
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: HDA Intel PCH: ALC1220 Analog (hw:0,0)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 6
Low Recording Latency: 0.005805
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: 0.034830
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: HDA Intel PCH: ALC1220 Digital (hw:0,1)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: HDA Intel PCH: ALC1220 Alt Analog (hw:0,2)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.005805
Low Playback Latency: -1.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.034830
High Playback Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: HDA NVidia: HDMI 0 (hw:1,3)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 8
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: HDA NVidia: HDMI 1 (hw:1,7)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: HDA NVidia: HDMI 2 (hw:1,8)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 8
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: HDA NVidia: HDMI 3 (hw:1,9)
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 8
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: sysdefault
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 128
Playback channels: 128
Low Recording Latency: 0.021333
Low Playback Latency: 0.021333
High Recording Latency: 0.021333
High Playback Latency: 0.021333
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    16000
    22050
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    176400
    352800
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: front
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 6
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: surround21
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 128
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: surround40
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 6
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: surround41
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 128
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: surround50
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 128
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: surround51
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 6
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: surround71
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 6
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: iec958
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: spdif
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.005805
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 17
Device name: pulse
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 32
Playback channels: 32
Low Recording Latency: 0.008707
Low Playback Latency: 0.008707
High Recording Latency: 0.034830
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 18
Device name: dmix
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: -1.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.021333
High Recording Latency: -1.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.021333
Supported Rates:
    48000
==============================
Device ID: 19
Device name: default
Host name: ALSA
Recording channels: 32
Playback channels: 32
Low Recording Latency: 0.008707
Low Playback Latency: 0.008707
High Recording Latency: 0.034830
High Playback Latency: 0.034830
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Selected recording device: 19 - default
Selected playback device: 19 - default
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available recording sources:
0 - Front Mic:0
1 - Rear Mic:0
2 - Line:0
3 - Front Mic:1
4 - Rear Mic:1
5 - Line:1
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Master:0
1 - Headphone:0
2 - PCM:0
3 - Front:0
4 - Front Mic:0
5 - Front Mic Boost:0
6 - Surround:0
7 - Center:0
8 - LFE:0
9 - Line:0
10 - Line Boost:0
11 - Rear Mic:0
12 - Rear Mic Boost:0
==============================
Recording volume is native
Playback volume is native

I’m using audacity to record a podcast that I’m recording through a rig that’s plugged into the rear line in port. I doubt the external equipment is the issue (remember it works 100% with audacity in Windows). But for completeness I’m using a couple of condenser mics connected thjrough a behringer xenyx x1204 mixer.

I did forget to call that one time…

I doubt the external equipment is the issue

So do I, but as nobody has been able to turn up the problem so far, we need to look in an expanding ring of possibilities. Beware of microscopic misdirection. Concentrate so hard on the problem you miss other valuable information. AKA the 10,000 foot view.

I followed an internationally respected engineering consultant around once as he was doing a survey. I brought home that he was doing exactly what I’d be doing, except he didn’t take shortcuts, make assumptions or leave anything out.

Koz

Effect > Change Speed.

Convert the 0.6 second clip to ten seconds and it appears to be close to the right rhythm and meter (attached).

But there’s a lot of other junk in there and there is no convenient sampling rate change that can account for the change.

Wild-eye, blue sky observation: This is what happens when you try to play a sound file in Audacity encoded with an advanced technology (M4A, AAC) and don’t install the FFMpeg software that knows what those formats are. Audacity by itself has no idea and plays them as if they were uncompressed, plain sound files. They’re not. So a 2:1 compressed sound file plays at double speed.

Koz