This is it:
I start recording from the computer. When my stopwatch is at 40", Audacity is at 45".
Therefore, when I want to listen to the recording, it sounds slower and grave.
However, the second time I start recording, it records perfect (perfect timing and key).
By the way, the Audacity log has a lot of sentences of this kind:
15:13:28: Error:Failed to get file system statistics (error 2: El fitxer o directori no existeix)
(error 2: file or directory does not exist)
Any idea?
I’m not sure why that happens, but I think you will find that it only happens for unsaved projects. If the project has been saved then Audacity is able to “gather statistics” (no error message). As far as I can tell, this error has no affect on recording - I think it only affects the reporting of available disk space.
Yes, there is probably a sample rate mismatch occurring somewhere.
Which version of Linux are you using?
What settings are you using in the device toolbar?
What are you trying to record?
Any other information that may be relevant?
My Linux version is:
Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty. (it’s xubuntu)
In fact, I started using Linux at 12.04 and I had no problem with Audacity. It worked well.
But now, after updating it to 14.04, it has this behaviour.
It is not very annoying: I record for first time, throw the reccording to the bin and start again. The second time is well recorded. But it’s strange.
The Log file reads:
15:12:10: Audacity 2.0.5
15:12:14: Retrieving FFmpeg library version numbers:
15:12:14: AVCodec version 0x362300 - 54.35.0 (built against 0x362300 - 54.35.0)
15:12:14: AVFormat version 0x361404 - 54.20.4 (built against 0x361404 - 54.20.4)
15:12:14: AVUtil version 0x340300 - 52.3.0 (built against 0x340300 - 52.3.0)
15:13:15: Error:Failed to get file system statistics (error 2: El fitxer o directori no existeix)
And a lot of Error lines like the last line
I can’t think of more information
Joan
The log looks normal.
What settings do you have in the device toolbar?
What are you trying to record?
I want to record from a TTS web (Text To Speech).
My Device Toolbar reads as follow:
ALSA default default: Line:0 1 (mono)
What’s that, a website? a program?
Ah, no, it’s not a program! 
It’s the Acapela demo web page where you write a sentence and it says it!
(You can choose a language too: I use it with the children at my school)
Then I record the sentence with Audacity…
Joan
OK, so that will be using PulseAudio.
Are you using PulseAudio volume control (pavucontrol)? If not, how are you telling PulseAudio to record what is playing from your web browser?
Ok! Just came back from shopping!
Yes, I’m using PulseAudio.
And in PulseAudio I say All streams, All output devices and All input devices.
I’m not on Xubuntu, so you will have to tell me how you do that.
Ok: there we go! This is how I configure Pulse Audio.
The Gui for Pulse audio looks like this (it’s a Catalan interface):
On the first tab I’ve got Playing:
(I choose All input devices)
On the second tab (Recording):
(I choose All streams)
On the third tab (Output devices):
(I choose All output devices)
On the fourth tab (Input devices):
(I choose All input devices)
On the last tab (Settings):
(I choose All streams)
This is how I do it.
(PS Thanks very much for your help and patience. I don’t know much about Audacity and you’re spending a lot of your time on this topic.)
If you actually have permission to do that then you can probably download the generated file from their server (I can do it on Windows but we’re not telling you exactly how to do that). 
The files are 22050 Hz sample rate. Does changing the project rate bottom left of Audacity give more consistent results?
Is your Firefox up to date?
Gale
If you actually have permission to do that then you can probably download the generated file from their server (I can do it on Windows but we’re not telling you exactly how to do that). >
I think I should say I don’t have explicit permission: as a demo web site, I write the sentences and get the sound of the sentences. I catch them on the fly using Audacity. (I would be much easier to have that sound as a file, but it’s Ok for me!) So I’m a simple user of the site, for educational purposes only 
…
The files are 22050 Hz sample rate. Does changing the project rate bottom left of Audacity give more consistent results?
The files are 22050 and I export them as mp3 VBR 9, because for voices the files keep the quality and they become really small. I am no using ogg files because the educational program which manages the sound, text and images, does not accept ogg files.
Mmm… Wait a minute…
Yeah! I have just changed the preferences, closed Audacity and entered again. And the first time I recorded a sound is Ok!
Let me try again if I change the sample rate again to 22050…
Close…
Open…
And it works again!
Let me think… I’m a bit shocked. I’m not really sure if the issue is this sample rate change or that I reconfigured the Pulse Audio settings before…
Anyway: the question is that now it works! Surely you may know why does that happen. I don’t understand at all
Tomorrow it may no work: but as for today, thank you two for your help and your time.
From,
Joan
OK, that’s the “Pulse Audio Volume Control” (pavucontrol).
The second tab (recording) is blank because Audacity is not recording. If you open pavucontrol while Audacity is recording you should see Audacity listed as a recording application, and to record what is playing on the computer it should be set to record from the “monitor” input.
Should you need to refer to it in the future, this is all covered in the manual Audacity Manual
It’s quite likely that it is the sample rate change.
Try it out for a few days and let us know how you get on.
I’m not sure if you are changing the project rate bottom left every time or actually did change it at Default Sample Format in Quality Preferences.
If you are only working with speech audio it will probably be more convenient to make the change in Preferences then for each new project and each time you launch Audacity you will start with 22050 Hz sample rate.
Gale
I’m not sure if you are changing the project rate bottom left every time or actually did change it at Default Sample Format in Quality Preferences.
That’s what I did: if I change directly on the screen, the next time starts with the older sample rate.
If you are only working with speech audio it will probably be more convenient to make the change in Preferences then for each new project and each time you launch Audacity you will start with 22050 Hz sample rate.
Exactly: that’s why I do it that way!
And now… I find that Audacity doesn’t work well again. 
When I start the program, records too fast (and when I play the sound is too grave and slow).
Then I record again, and works well.
I don’t understand at all. 
Joan
It does happen on Linux sometimes.
When you launch Audacity, do you just click on the Audacity icon or do you click on an Audacity AUP file or WAV file?
What happens if you just click on the Audacity icon then CTRL + P to open Audacity Preferences and then click OK in Preferences (without changing settings from 22050 Hz)? Does it record properly then?
Gale
When you launch Audacity, do you just click on the Audacity icon or do you click on an Audacity AUP file or WAV file?
I usually start by clicking the Audacity icon.
What happens if you just click on the Audacity icon then CTRL + P to open Audacity Preferences and then click OK in Preferences (without changing settings from 22050 Hz)? Does it record properly then?
I have just tried right now. Nope, the first recording doesn’t work. The second does.
After having tried this, I tested it again, looking at the Audacity log:
Audacity starts:
Audacity log:
08:49:13: Audacity 2.0.5
08:49:15: Retrieving FFmpeg library version numbers:
08:49:15: AVCodec version 0x362300 - 54.35.0 (built against 0x362300 - 54.35.0)
08:49:15: AVFormat version 0x361404 - 54.20.4 (built against 0x361404 - 54.20.4)
08:49:15: AVUtil version 0x340300 - 52.3.0 (built against 0x340300 - 52.3.0)
I start recording for the first time (at 08:49:30):
08:49:13: Audacity 2.0.5
08:49:15: Retrieving FFmpeg library version numbers:
08:49:15: AVCodec version 0x362300 - 54.35.0 (built against 0x362300 - 54.35.0)
08:49:15: AVFormat version 0x361404 - 54.20.4 (built against 0x361404 - 54.20.4)
08:49:15: AVUtil version 0x340300 - 52.3.0 (built against 0x340300 - 52.3.0)
08:49:33: Error:Failed to get file system statistics (error 2: El fitxer o directori no existeix)
08:49:33: Error:Failed to get file system statistics (error 2: El fitxer o directori no existeix)
08:49:33: Error:Failed to get file system statistics (error 2: El fitxer o directori no existeix)
08:49:36: Error:Failed to get file system statistics (error 2: El fitxer o directori no existeix) (file or folder don’t exist)
…
Until I stop recording.
The next time I record, nothing else is added to the Audacity log.
I don’t understand all the reasons that message occurs, but I know it can relate to file/path name tests as well as disk space tests. I have occasionally seen that message appear when there are dropouts in a recording Recording stops, happens with cracks and hiccups, so it can indicate recording problems.
Have you tried initialising audacity.cfg? Quit Audacity then open ~/.audacity-data/audacity.cfg in your favourite text editor and follow Audacity Manual. This will reset Default Sample Rate to 44100 Hz but setting it to 22050 Hz is not always helping.
How much of a nuisance is this, versus doing R and SPACE first time you launch Audacity? There are lots of alternatives, like working out how to download the files, recording with a loopback cable (if you have stereo line-in) then choosing the (hw) input instead of pulse, or seeing if your audio device can be configured to default to 22050 Hz. That probably means messing with ALSA configuration files, and you would not want to do it if you ever use the computer to play music.
You could also try reinstalling pulseaudio.
By the way on Ubuntu 13.10 I don’t have CubebUtils Firefox audio callback driver as a playback device in pavucontrol when playing a phrase on acapela-group. It just says “audio stream” with Firefox icon. And I don’t have your recording speed problem or log messages even when recording at 44100 Hz, using Audacity 2.1.0-alpha.
Gale
Have you tried initialising audacity.cfg? Quit Audacity then open ~/.audacity-data/audacity.cfg in your favourite text editor
Aha! It had to be that!
I made it simpler: I renamed the audacity.cfg, for if…
Started again and… worked.
Then I went to Preferences, turned to 22050 Hz, quit, started again and worked!
Then I went to Preferences again, Devices and turned to Mono. Quitted, and worked again as I started Audacity.
You were right! And I can’t be more thankful!
You should win a trophy for you knowledge, your patience and your perseverance!
Thanks so much for your help!
Joan
PS: How can I edit the title so that I can write solved in it?
