Hello folks. I’ve used Audacity (now on version 2.3.2) for a couple of years on my Windows 7 laptop to record input from a Behringer UCA 202 external sound card via USB. On my new Windows 10 laptop Audacity brings up the same USB Audio CODEC record and playback and Stereo Recording Channels with Windows DirectSound but both recorded channels are now identical. I’ve checked the Windows and Realtek settings and they all show stereo sound. Can anyone tell me why I’m now getting a mono recording and how to rectify it?
To check the laptop settings I also tried recording from an internal streaming source using WASAPI and it IS giving a stereo recording. The puzzling thing there is that it’s clipping the signal at input volumes well below the -6dB setting and producing distortion even at low volumes. As I turn the volume down the clipping level reduces in proportion. I’ve tried juggling the volume mixer settings without success. Can anyone solve this one too?
One or two people have had that problem before. IIRC, it was as a Windows setting but I don’t remember exactly what that setting was.
puzzling thing there is that it’s clipping the signal at input volumes well below the -6dB setting and producing distortion even at low volumes.
I don’t know what’s going-on with your setup, but that can happen when you record in mono from a stereo source… I assume something similar is happening to you. (But, if you are clipping the analog-to-digital converter in your interface that can’t be fixed in software, even if you can get higher digital levels.)
The symptoms that you are describing are what happens when the Windows Sound settings are not set to stereo for recording and playback. I’d suggest that you check those settings again. Unfortunately, Microsoft are making it harder to get to those settings, but there’s some guidance here: Windows: accessing the Windows Sound controls - Audacity Manual