Distorted/Phased Playback

Audacity v2.1.2 on Windows 10. Using Scarlett 2i4 input/ouput. Pre-Amp is a Peavey Triump 120 High-gain channel (low pre, mid post).
Input levels fine, no clipping, clear playback through headphones. Insert stereo track. Record with guitar. Playback is heavily distorted, muddy, with a strange alien phasing effect. No effects have been added other than pre-amp distortion. Any ideas?

No effects have been added…

…By you. However, it’s possible Windows is trying to make your music into a voice conference. Windows voice processing hates music.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_recording_troubleshooting.html#enhancements

Koz

A short audio sample in WAV format may help us to diagnose the problem. See: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/how-to-post-an-audio-sample/29851/1

Thanks for your suggestions -

I’ve resolved the issue by doing the following:

In Playback Devices, open Properties for my digital interface (in this case Focusrite Scarlett 2i4). Under Advanced, change the default format from “2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz” to “2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz”.

Hopefully this will help someone else who runs into the same problem.

It depends what the problem was. Generally, external interfaces must be set to the same sample rate as the project rate bottom left of Audacity, and the Audacity tracks must be at that rate too. Otherwise you will quite likely experience problems.

Gale