Hi. I have quite a strange problem. So I get the usual error, however it is only when I have another application/audacity audio track open. For example, say I have Hearthstone open. I would be able to record perfectly until I open the game. After opening any attempts to start recording are met with the error message. The same goes with audio tracks. If I record on and then try to record another it will throw up the error. Honestly I dont really know the cause of this - one of the bright sides of USB was supposed to be plug and play. From what I can gather any time another application tries to use the mic it errors. This has only happened since I got the Podcaster though, I had no issues with my Snowball previosuly. Oddly enough the Snowball now gives the same errors.
I am using Audacity 2.0.3 on Windows 7 SP1 fully updated.
one of the bright sides of USB was supposed to be plug and play.
It does. The microphone hasn’t failed, it’s just being stolen by other applications and processes. Nowhere is it written that Windows is always going to get the sound and USB routing right all the time. The forum is rife with people complaining that they plugged their USB microphone in and their speakers dropped dead. Unfortunately, that’s normal.
Open up Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Devices and make sure you’re still connected to the microphone. If you have an interactive game, nobody would be shocked if the game reassigned the microphone to itself. You should know that Audacity only checks for USB devices when it opens, so if the microphone becomes unplugged, just plugging it back in may not do it. Restart Audacity or Transport > Rescan.
Microphones also usually arrive mono, not stereo. If your computer routing has become scrambled, it may be Stereo now and that may not connect to the microphone. Reset in Audacity > Preferences > Devices > Recording: Mono.
Oddly enough the Snowball now gives the same errors.
Did you start using Skype? Skype is famous for it’s stern approach to managing microphones. If you don’t need the microphone for Skype, Make sure it’s closed and not just sleeping.
Same thing. Make sure Audacity is trying to connect to the actual microphone and not something else or another service.
Hi. I have been doing those options in audacity. “Rescan Audio Devices” etc to make sure its trying to get audio from the correct one. I have also been recording in momo. I have a feeling its some sort of bizzare driver issue, epsecially with the way it works if I record multiple tracks or try to append to a current one.
With audacity being the only thing open, connected to the correct device and reocrding in mono I can record a track as normal. The thing is that if I stop and then try to append a recording to the current track it throws up an error. The only way I can append is by clicking on the waveform and then appending. Its really, really puzzling.
I’m not on Windows, but in the Windows Control Panel, you may find an “Exclusive Mode” checkbox in the device settings. If that is enabled it will probably only allow one application at a time access the device. If it is enabled, try disabling it.