I’m running version 2.0.3 on windows XP. I’ve read the entire manual and FAQ and have a good idea how overdubbing works. Problem is I hear broken up audio when monitoring the first laid down rhythm track. I’m using a PreSonus Audiobox USB with a mic input for recording. I have selected the Audiobox for both recording and playback and am monitoring with headphones straight from the Audiobox. I have Overdub ‘on’ and Software Playthrough ‘off’. If I listen to the first track through headphones, it sounds great. As soon as I click record to lay down the second track, the audio is broken up/terrible from the first track, even if I haven’t begun to actually sing/play guitar for the 2nd track. Any ideas on what can help me is much appreciated?
Chances are really good your computer doesn’t have enough processing power and speed to do overdubbing. Overdubbing takes a computer that can keep a perfect recording session and an independent perfect playback up in the air at the exact same time. The software also has to manage delays and latency while it’s doing it.
It’s not easy.
Koz
Thanks. I assumed that was part of it. Even though it is an older PC, I do have an updated motherboard and 3 GB of memory. Any specifics or performance options I can check on my pc?
Disk I/O is a part of it, too. Audacity has to read and write very quickly. Audacity will not work into a full or fragmented drive. It won’t work into network services, either. It has to be a local drive.
Computer speed problems kill people immediately in both audio and video. Live production is nothing like recalculating a spreadsheet or gaussian blur in Photoshop.
People use XP all the time with Audacity, so it does work. You have to find where your bottleneck is.
I have no numbers for you, but other elves will be along.
Koz
I suggest you need at least a 1 GHz processor.
Make sure Presonus has the correct drivers for Windows XP.
If you have not already seen it, this link might help you - sample rate mismatches could be the problem Audacity Manual .
Gale