Error -9985 Opening Recording Device

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I’m on Windows 10 with Audacity 3.1.3

When creating and recording on the first track in a project, everything works fine.
When I create a second track and try to record it doesn’t work. Or if I create a rhythm track , it works fine, but I can’t get a second track to record.
I can only get I track per project to record.

The Audacity monitor works fine with my mic, so it is picking up the signal from my mic and interface (M-Audio 192/6).
But when I try to record on the second track, the little mic symbol on the task bar, which indicates Audacity is receiving from my mic, appears for about a second, and then it disappears, as do the lines around the red record button that indicate recording. Both appear briefly and then are gone, and sometimes I get the error message:

“Error Opening Recording Device
Error Codes: -9985 Device Unavailable”, n sometimes I don’t get an error message. Just little flash of mic symbol and then nothing - no recording.

But my recording device is available for the first track, and appears to be very briefly available for the second.

I do not have Skype opening in my Startup.
I have gone into my Windows Settings-Sound-Sound Control Panel-Recording and enabled ‘Stereo Mix’, as well as my interface.

This is relatively new. I recorded multiple tracks for years, then I didn’t record over Christmas (and there have been Windows updates). And just to make it interesting, two tracks did record once or twice, particularly when I Zoomed with a friend to get help and tried it to show him, and of course both tracks worked fine, but not since.

Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks

2

PS: I forgot to mention, in Windows settings - Sound - I went into the Microphone Privacy Settings and turned on 'Allow desktop apps to access your Microphone" and Audacity is listed as an app that is affected by that allowable access.

3

You wouldn’t be the first person to have issues with trying to overdub with the M-Track M-Audio.

First, see if you can overdub with your headphones plugged into the computer instead of the microphone.

You may find you are unable to overdub with your headphones plugged into the M-Audio. Things to try:

  • If you haven’t tried WASAPI, try that.
  • Set everything to the same sample rate, e.g. 44100Hz: Set the Audacity Project Rate to 44100Hz (lower left corner). Start Windows Sound Control Panel: Windows-Key, “R”, “mmsys.cpl” (or Windows > Settings > System > Sound > Sound Control Panel). Playback Tab > Select the M-Audio unit; Properties; Listen > Turn OFF Listen to this device; Advanced: Default Format to project rate. Repeat for the Recording Tab. Also, check that all of your settings in Audacity and in the Sound Control Panel are either mono (1-channel) or stereo (2-channels).
  • Reboot your computer and/or start with a new Audacity project and a fresh recording.
  • Try installing a different Software driver.

Post back what you find.