Black box reloaded - no audio into Audacity

I am using the:
Self installing version of Audacity on a Vista computer with the Black Box on Mic Preamp with a Audio technica Mic

I can not get any sound not even sound waves of it being recorded from a Mic threw Black Box reloaded in Mic Preamp Mode.
Headphones on the black box confirm audio.

I have read the tutorials, they have not provided an answer.
I also searched the Web site threw its search function, no answer, not even remotely close.

I am guessing i am missing some setting, something I have not been able to determine thus far.

The wiki has no help in this case, I believe it may be a compatibility problem, more so the M Audio Black box is not compatible with Audacity software.
Please don’t point me back into the wiki, I need help not search directions. My searches have come up dry and flavorless. More so no help related to my issue.
I do not have the Pro Tools software, that normally ships with the Black Box.

I had hoped Audacity could intercept the audio signal from the black box.
Yes it is loaded in Audacity under Input device
Play threw is not enabled under transport, Although i tried it enabled, no difference.
Sound levels Output and Input are at Max
Yes I click on the mic Slider to enable, it shows i have clicked it, but no sound or sound waves on recording panel.

Most Frustrating, it is like the Program is Dead, But when i plug my computer mic in, It works, Not so with the Black Box.

I could really use a hand by a experienced Audacity user.
Many thanks if you have any direct ideas for me to try, besides searching the tutorials, I have searched those out and ended up here.

Regards, Doug

I have made “some progress” but still not quite right.

If I set the input device to stereo I get the ‘right’ track recording.
Its a mono Mic, With audacity in mono there is no sound nor sound waves.

I Have gone over the settings, trying the mono, left , right, and stereo settings on the drop down menu from the reported but no sound track menu.

I have my Vista’s laptop recording setting under ‘sound’ set to max and both left & right balances are maxed out.

If i record thru the sound recorder function, In Vista under accessories,under all program in the start menu of the computer, it records in full mono, left and right.

I feel I am getting close to success, but need some advice on what to check next or uncheck as the case may be.
Almost there… I will take any and all tips, as I am a first time user of Audacity.

According to the Black Box manual, basic functionality should be available without loading any drivers.
Let’s leave Audacity out of the equation for the moment and look at the Windows setup.
Plug in the Black Box and open the Windows Sound Control Panel.
Can you see the Black Box device listed?
Does it indicate that there is a signal being received by Windows?
Check the sample rate here and whether it is set up for mono or stereo.
Set the Black Box as the default recording device.
If that all looks OK, try recording with Windows Sound Recorder. Does that work?

I do have the Black box’s driver installed, it does show up in my control panel with its image, which i can click and it does allow me to set guitar or Microphone. I have selected microphone in that menu,Midi channel set to all, although i am not using a midi,it has choices of 1 to 32 or all midi channels but no off.

There is no mono/stereo on off function, on the laptops realtec HD audio control, there is a left and right slider to set balance with, of which i have them both maxed out, as it matches the system volume as it is adjusted it moves the balance slider in unison.
I reinstalled the laptops audio driver with the latest realtec version, it did nothing for the problem.

Headphones on the Black Box confirm left and right channels are working.
Computer test tone confirms left and right speakers are outputting by playing test tones.

As before only right channel is recording/has sound in audacity.
Under audacity the left channel is clicked by the program automatically, even tho sound is output from right channel only.
If i select mono from main option in Audacity i can adjust the recording menu stereo left right mono, but no effect is realized, no sound is outputted for recording or listening while in mono, Put in stereo and i get the right channel, as I mentioned the record menu stereo mono left right adjusters is automatically reset to left channel, with only right channel actually working.
the struggle continues. exhaustive work, going threw all computer options possible, coming up dry, retrying audacity controls same old same old, right channel output.
A new development has arising, left is outputting on the left.
Mistake on my part, i have just figured out i had the speakers reversed, left on right side, right on left side. So it is outputting sound on the left side as the menu under recording suggests. Still does not work when put in mono mode, no sound, stereo mode outputs left only, using my mono mic with the mic preamp feature of the Black Box.

I think it is a computer setting somewhere… as The black box plays left and right threw the headphones connected to it.

I fixed it. And I do not know what i did, as i was trying everything.
I did download a older copy of Audacity, 2.0.0 installed it after removing the first copy.
But the problem persisted, i remember going into device search flipping a few options then trying it again.
It showed it was now recording on both sides of mono, but no sound to be heard, then i noticed a mute was on on a setting somewhere on the computer. Not the main audio mute, another one. flipped it and bingo , both sides of the mono played loudly clearly and completely.

So I am Now A proud new User of Audacity.
what fight, I was up late last night, slept poorly got up at 3:00 am this morning and began trouble shooting The problem.

As I and the poster who posted to help with my issue had suspected, it was a computer setting, hiding out of immediate sight.

Thanks for your attempt with helping me. Moral support goes along way.
Regards, Doug

And thanks to the moderator who put my post threw, It was good to know i had support.

I just remembered,as i am Kinda weary right now. I installed a new AC power adapter, The one i was using was 9 volt ac, as the stock one was, but only 780ma when the stock one was rated at 1000ma.

I swapped in a 12v AC 1.26 Amp AC power adapter. It started to record on both sides of mono after that, but no sound was output. Audio output was set to Black box in the main Audacity controls(left over setting from one of my many attempts to rectify the problem. I switched the to Speaker output and Bingo Sound, Sweet, I fixed it and it was a hardware problem not a software problem.
I will look for the proper rated Ac, Ac adapter as the 12v one seems to get the Black Box’s bottom slightly warm, I suspect its internal voltage regulator has to burn off the extra power in the form of heat.
Hope this can help someone down the road.

Doug M Black Box signing off.

Could you cancel my last post, the one with the ac adapter issue.
As I tried the smaller AC adapter and it does in fact work as well as the bigger 12v ac one does.

So it was not that, MY post before that one was correct it was a computer setting issue.

Sorry for making you read all that, then have to cancel it…
The 1st post i sent that has not been posted yet should be posted as it was the fix, although vague it gives people a direction to go in.
Thanks again. Doug

So could you just reiterate what the solution was?

I have replicated the problem. And fixed it, again.
I felt brave and in the interest of fellow audacity users I uninstalled Audacity
and reinstalled it. To wit I experienced the same problem.
No sound reported with Audacity while in mono mode, only one channel in stereo mode, despite using a mono mic.

What the fix was was to have Audacity open and go to Sound in the control panel and disable M-Audio recording device,disable Speaker output as output.
Then re-able M- Audio as recording and re-able Speakers as output. Bingo it worked, first try. Thank god I was able to redo it.
& Quickly I might add, as opposed to 19 hours :imp: yesterday. It was just that easy, happy now :smiley: I can begin recording a Video, with Kick ass Audio.

Solved YAHOOO !