I have a question for the ones of you that have audio interfaces, especially those with more than 2 inputs! I’m seeing some folks reporting that they have trouble recording with these interfaces and would like to get to the bottom of it. The issues I’ve seen so far are recording errors (-999x) and very quiet recordings. To help with testing, please do the following:
- Try to make a recording with your audio interface.
- If you see an error, take a screenshot of the error, and a screenshot of Audio Setup → Audio Settings.
- If the recording works, try to make the recording go into the red (ie, intentionally clip or peak).
- If you cannot get things to clip, report this in the thread, along with a screenshot of Audio Setup → Audio Settings.
- If you can get things to clip, everything is normal. In this case, delete all tracks you just recorded and try changing your setup (but remember what worked for you previously!). Particularly interesting is using the following:
- Host: WASAPI (Windows), doesn’t matter on mac/linux
- Recording device: (your device); this sometimes shows up as both a stereo device and a Multi-track device. The multi-track variant is more interesting.
- Recording channels: 1 (mono) or as high as your device goes (so a 24-input device would go all the way to 24 channels here).
- Project sample rate: 44100 or 48000.
Please post in the thread with screenshots of the settings you used along with the device name if you managed to break things!
As an initial example, For my device, a 2 input Focusrite Solo, when recording to mono I never can get above -6dB
I have tried everything mentioned here and nothing works. I have the latest version of Audacity, Windows 11 on a PC. I either get this error code or nothing happens when I hit record. I have even checked mic settings in my computer. It always worked fine before, and I can’t figure out why. Help on this please!
Hello @crabtree ,
maybe the findings posted here can help you.
nothing happens when I hit record
Make sure you don’t select a microphone labeled (loopback) ; this may be the reason for this behaviour.
Testing on W10 and Audacity 3.7.1 with my Edirol UA-1EX
1) Plugging in the UA-1EX
When I first plug in my UA-1EX not only is it invisible to Audacity it is also invisible to Windows (Disabled by default)
Even more curious the UA-1EX IS set to be enabled AND default - which is less than ideal as there is no output device connected to it.
2. Initial Recording - default MME host
So after I enable the UA-1EX for recording and with the output switched back to my onboard soundcard and following a Rescan Audio Devices, I readily get clipping
Note that I can mitigate the clipping by turning down the mic slider in Audacity (I recall from many postings that this is/was not always possible for users of USB cards)
3) Audacity Mic slider versus gain control on the UA-1EX
I can also mitigate the clipping even with the Audacity mic slider turned up to full - but I observe that I get different results.
a) UA-1EX gain control at max and Audacity mic slider choked back
with this I get what looks like a strictly limited waveform
b) Audacity mic slider set to max and UA-1EX choked back
here I see an unlimited, unrestrained, waveform
Not all USB cards have a gain control
(the Edirol has two, input and output, that’s one of the reasons I bought that device)
4) WASAPI and mono
As requested by @LWinterberg in his step5 I switched to WASAPI and mono
And with this I still readily get clipping with both the UA-1EX and Audacity mic input slider both set to max
And similarly with WASAPI I can control the signal to mitigate the clipping with either the Audacity mic slider or the UA-1EX gain control.
Hope that helps,
Peter.
