Error Code -9986

Audacity Help Forum macOS
1

I am trying to connect a new Audio Technica USB TT (AT-LP120X). I have followed all the instructions and configure the Mac (OS Catalina 10.15.7) and Audacity yet I don’t get any sound coming through my Mac any ideas?

When I click the microphone icon in Audacity I receive the following:

Error opening recording device
Error code -9986 Internal Port Audio

2

Do it in the Mac first. Apple (upper left) > System Preferences > Sound > Input. The microphone has to appear there and the sound meter has to jump. Do you have it that far?

Koz

3

Thanks Koz, I’ve tried that, I select USB Audio as the input and the microphone doesn’t appear in my Mac. It says that the selected device has no input controls.

4

Scott Shaw at Audacity said to go to Privacy settings in my Mac, and activate the mic, which worked. I had the same problem trying to record from a usb turntable.
Orest

5

I have the same problem and tried everything I knew to try. Seeing the comment above, I went to my Mac privacy settings. I clicked on the microphone and Audacity is already on for using the mike. Any other suggestions?

6

Check the USB lead for damage.
Check that the USB lead is securely connected at both ends.

Try “Transport menu > Rescan Audio Devices”, then check that you have the correct Recording and Playback devices selected in the Device Toolbar.

7

I have started to use mine and I can get the app to respond after I close the app and then reopen it again but if I continue to try and record from this file repeating the process it will work a couple of times or once if I am lucky. Then I have to close out the app again and restart the process again. I have checked my microphone and it is set to read the audacity application. I still get the error 9986 come up every time I go to record.

8

I have done this and I can quit the app and get to work to maybe one or two records from it reading the device and then I get the error popping up again. I close the app down and start over and it will work for another one to two recordings and stop reading the device. Know I can’t even get the app to recognize the device and my computer show it hooked up. I have been excited about using this device since I got it almost two years ago and couldn’t use it because it never supported MacOS until now. What tapes I got to record and save from my collection they great but I am not sure if I am able to use the app until this issue get resolved because I troubled shot from cable to reading my device to everyone else advice on here and I about to bag trying to figure out how to get this thing work every time I open your app to use it with my device. Thank for your help but I have already been at this point. Right now it is a hit and miss for me I either get to read the device for some use out of it our I just hang it up and go another route in converting my tapes over to digital files.

9

It would have been better to start a new topic rather than tagging onto the end of an old topic.

What is your recording device?

10

I’ve been getting this for a while, but only on my M1 Mac 2020. The application and my microphone works well on my custom made Win10Pro machine.

Using:
Audacity 3.1.3
Mac OS 12.1 on Mac Mini M1, 2020
Mic: Blue Yeti X – World of Warcraft edition.

Tried changing USB cables. Same error code. Sometimes it’ll work, but once I stop, that error code will display a few seconds after I hit the record button or ‘R’ again. Tried this on my Windows PC… works like a charm without any error codes. That error only pops up on my Mac. I could try my Macbook pro 2013? Or my older mac mini from 2014?

Audacity worked just fine on this M1 macmini just fine around late-October. No idea why it’s doing it now.