Cannot hear original track when recording a second track

[JimYule]

Using a new hp laptoop, running windows 11, I can play a recorded track to earphones or external speaker. But when I try to record a second track (shift-R), I cannot hear the first track. Volume is up, track is not muted. I am using Audacity 3.2.5.

[kozikowski]

You have to set up for Overdubbing, not straight Recording. In the old forum I knew where to find those instructions…

Looking.

You are going to run into an odd sound problem. There are two kinds of overdub. There’s a simple one where you listen to a backing track and sing or perform to it. You only hear the mix later.

Perfect overdubbing is where you hear a perfect, theatrical mix of old and new in your headphones. That’s obviously desirable, but it’s much harder and possibly more expensive to do. For one thing, you can’t listen to the computer. You have to do the headphone mix in a separate microphone, mixer, or interface.

This is a Samson G-Track microphone set up for overdubbing. No, I don’t recommend Apple Earbuds for music production. They were handy and pretty.

Koz

[kozikowski]

https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/overdubbing/overdubbing.html

Try that.

Koz

[JimYule]

Thanks. That seems to have worked.