Bluetooth Audio Source

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

I am having an issue with Audacity 2.1.0, Windows 7.

I have been recording into Audacity this morning using a Bluetooth device as the input source. I was able to make several recordings and listen to the audio without any problems. However, in an attempt to make additional recordings in a new session with said Bluetooth source, the cursor doesn’t move left to right. It just remains at the “0:00” mark while flickering. I stop the recording and no audio is present. I get the following message:

“Latency Correction setting has caused the recorded audio to be hidden before zero…” etc.

??? :open_mouth:

If I change my input source to anything other than the Bluetooth source and begin recording, the cursor moves left to right normally (even though I don’t have any other input connected). If I switch the input source back to Bluetooth, the issue remains. There are no other tracks recorded in this session. It is a brand new session!

I’ve tried restarting Audacity, and I have turned my computer off and back on again. I have checked the “overdub” setting in Audacity (even though there is nothing recorded in the session, so I am not looking to overdub). I’ve tried looking this issue up in the Audacity Forum, but all I have seen so far are instances of other users not being able to record when using a USB input device, not Bluetooth. And I have also seen the suggestion to “cold boot” the computer (whatever that means), but when I click on the Start menu, I don’t see a Power button/menu, but I see the option to Shutdown. (I’ve tried holding down the SHIFT button while powering down the computer, but it appears this is not the same thing. At least, it hasn’t resolved my issue.) I’ve tried searching for instructions on “How to Cold Boot a Windows 7 PC”, but my search comes back with either "How to cleanboot" or links describing problems with a Windows 7 cold boot.

I hope to have provided all the necessary info in my post. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Regards.

2

“cold boot” the computer (whatever that means)

Back in the dim, dark days of computing, starting a computer from dead zero (lights out, nobody home) was called “booting” from “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.” The computer learns a little bit and that allows it to learn more, then even more, etc, etc, etc, until it’s a working computer. It’s not somebody fires a gun and suddenly it’s a working computer. It doesn’t work like that.

Windows kept the metaphor, but not the process. Rebooting a modern Windows machine means turning off most but not all of the computer with the idea of starting almost everything fresh, but leaving enough stuff running so the reboot process doesn’t take forever. That was a common complaint.

“I have enough time to get an icecream cone while it’s booting!!”

If you’re in trouble, the very last thing you want is to second guess Microsoft whether you cleaned out the damage or not. That’s cold boot. Gracefully shut down all the workings to power off condition. There should be just enough stuff working so the power button still works and on laptops, the battery charging system still works. It’s very nearly pull the plug out of the wall.

I have been recording into Audacity this morning using a Bluetooth device

I probably wouldn’t fall in love with doing that. Safe, stable, reliable communications and BlueTooth are rarely spoken of in the same breath. Those ear-mounted phone interfaces you see people wearing can get away with BlueTooth because if your voice drops for a split second on a cellphone call, who would know?

If the production data stream drops in Windows or Audacity, the connection may be lost, or worse, becomes half-damaged and not come back. A good way to “lose” a USB microphone is to unplug it and plug it back in. Most times, Audacity will not automatically recognize it after that.

I can go look up the official manual, but you can try manually pushing the track back into alignment. Select the Time Shift Tool (two sideways black arrows), click on your track and push to the right. That should make your whole track later in time and solve the portion that’s starting before time zero (to the left of the 0 point on the timeline).

I am having an issue with Audacity 2.1.0, Windows 7.

Doesn’t surprise me. Audacity 2.1.3 has a lot of improvements over the earlier versions.

As we go.

Koz

3

One note. Audacity has a pretend mode, too. Audacity keeps settings and presets separate so when you upgrade, all your carefully prepared settings automatically go with you. Of course, that’s assuming there’s nothing wrong. If there is something wrong, the evil will stick to you like…something evil.

If you think there is something wrong, reinstall or upgrade Audacity and in the Windows installer, it will ask you if you want to reset settings and preferences. Say yes.

I don’t see anything in the manual. I’ll see if a forum search turns up anything.

Koz

4

https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/latency-correction-setting-solved/45352/1

Koz

5

As the original poster implied, that does not apply to Windows 7. It applies to Windows 8 and later which default to “hybrid boot”, where Shut down stores the existing kernel session to the hibernation file on disk. When you boot next time, the kernel session is reused, speeding boot, but this is bad for USB devices which need a new kernel session.


Gale

6

The current Audacity version is 2.1.3 Audacity ® | Download for Windows.

Audacity does not officially support Bluetooth devices as far as I know. Exactly what is this Bluetooth device (make and model number)? Is it connected to the computer via a USB dongle? Is it still in range of the computer?

To test whether it’s an Audacity problem, record several short sessions with Windows Sound Recorder.


Gale

7

Hi, Gale.

The Bluetooth device is a JK Audio BlueDriver F3 (http://jkaudio.com/bluedriver.htm), which connects to a standard dynamic microphone to allow it to transmit via Bluetooth. The BlueDriver is paired to my PC’s Bluetooth/NIC. When I speak into the mic, I can hear the audio coming out of the PC, so I know there is no issue with the Bluetooth connection.

As for Audacity not supporting Bluetooth, when I terminate the Bluetooth connection, Audacity only offers me 2 input sources: Microsoft Sound Mapper and Stereo Mix. (I currently have nothing connected into my PC’s mic input.) When I re-establish the Bluetooth connection between the BlueDriver and the PC, Audacity now offers me 3 input choices: the two options above, plus “Bluetooth Microphone”.

This morning, I am having no problems recording into Audacity via the Bluetooth device.

Regards,

ACJ

8

Stereo Mix should work, and with Win7 you should also have the option of using [u]WASAPI (loopback)[/u].

Note that with these two options you are capturing/recording the sound coming out of your soundcard to your computer speakers, not necessarily what’s coming-in through Bluetooth.