Cant record stereo with audacity

I’m using a HP with windows 8. I have recorded stereo recording from vinyl a few months ago, and I moved my set up to a different location, and now for the life of me I cannot record in stereo.

I switched between windows direct, and mme; primary, line in and stereo mix; and mono and stereo tracks. I tried going into the control panel options and into sound and detecting disabled drivers/devices and enabled my realtek stereo mix hd audio sound card, and I’m getting the same results. I’m getting very annoyed, and I don’t know what else to do.

Can anyone please point me in some direction?

I cannot record in stereo.

Are you recording one single mono track (one blue wave) or a stereo track with only sound on the upper (left) track?

The sound settings in Audacity are in two different places. The sample rate and bit depth are under Quality, but Stereo/Mono is under Devices. Do you have Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Devices > Recording > Channels set to stereo?

Koz

I try to record a stereo track (two blue wave forms) and it only records one. Even the red input shows one incoming signal. Its not my cables, because I just got a new Y adapter today, and my audio cables are just fine.

Before I moved everything, I was recording into a Sony tape deck, and playing that into audacity, and that was recording a stereo track (two blue wave forms). I even recorded directly onto my pc from my dj mixer and it was giving me two waves in stereo form. Now I’m only getting one, could it be my drivers? or some setting that went back to default somehow after UN-plugging my pc?
Honestly I didn’t change one thing after I moved my stuff, it just isn’t acting the same.

The Mic-In of a sound card is mono. Could you have plugged into that instead of the Stereo Line-In? Pink instead of blue ( on some sound cards).

Dig in the Windows Control Panels > Sound and make sure it’s set to stereo (probably) and if your system has pan (left and right) controls make sure they’re centered. Make sure the Audacity track volume and pan controls to the left of the blue waves are centered, too.

Koz

One more. Unplug the sound connectors at your computer and plug them back in again. Sometimes if you don’t get the plug pushed all the way in, you can get mono by accident. Koz

I appreciate the reply, it feels good talking to a person, instead of reading stuff.

And to reply to you, I did not plug my cable into my mic input, I made sure that my
control panel that it was set to stereo, audacity track volume pan controls are centered, also
in control panel> Hardware/Sound> Sound> Manage audio devices> Recording tab> stereo mix is checked and levels are balanced. It is enabled, and default.

I unplugged and re plugged my cables, no change, I am about to un-install and re-install audacity.
I’ve tried all combinations of settings on the main audacity window. I can record stereo while
listening to music or watching videos on my pc, but anything coming in the line jack, only records in mono! I’m actually getting quite frustrated.

I’ve followed all of your suggestions, and followed some stuff I’ve read on
some sites i found searching in google.

Have you ever heard of this issue?

That will achieve nothing.

What are you recording when you set Audacity to record two channels? Is it left channel with signal and the right channel empty (flat)? Or the same signal in both channels?

If the latter, it’s probably a Windows setting (not stereo mix, which is the input for recording computer playback).

Right-click over the speaker icon by the system clock, then choose “Recording Devices”. Right-click over the line-in then choose “Properties”. Then click the “Advanced” tab. Look in “Default Format” and ensure it is a stereo choice.

How many rings are on the jack that plugs into line-in - one or two?



Gale

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/RCAMiniStereo.jpg
Koz

I had the same problem. After a few minutes of looking online, I switched the inputs on the turntables. It looks like one of the inputs is bad and one turntable is bad since the move. Does anyone know how to fix a slow table? It will not keep a consistent speed. I havent opened it up yet…

Please start a new topic: http://forum.audacityteam.org/posting.php?mode=post&f=46 .

Tell us in the new topic what version of Windows you are on. Give us the make and model numbers of the turntables. Are they USB turntables? Have you looked at the manual for the turntables?

And tell us what exactly the same problem is.


Gale

Indeed - thanks and this is mentioned in many places in our documentation, for example FAQ:Recording - How do I record in stereo? .

By the way the green box there will mention Windows 8 in the next release of the Manual.

I’ll lock this topic now and split the last two posts to a new locked topic on the Windows board to save confusion.


Gale