Help with recording to my laptop from a mixer

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I have an HP laptop running Windows 7 Home Premium, using Audacity 2.0.6 from the .exe installer (why that matters, I don’t know). I’m plugged into my laptop’s USB port from my mixer. The only choices offered in the drop-down menu in Audacity for recording devices are Line-in and Microphone, neither of which do the job. Why isn’t USB given as a choice, especially when in the manual it talks about connecting a mixer via the USB port? After that, no mention is ever given again to USB…only Line-in and Microphone. I have no Line-in on my laptop. And my computer speakers are plugged into my Microphone port. My XLR Mic is connected to my mixer, along with my music source from my phone. I need to record myself singing along with the backup tracks on my phone and burn them to a CD as soon as possible. Btw, My mixer is also connected to an amp. That’s how I’m listening to myself sing along with the tracks.

Larry

2

My mixer is also connected to an amp. That’s how I’m listening to myself sing along with the tracks.

Stop doing that. You should never have a live microphone and show speakers running in the same room. Headphones only.

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I’m plugged into my laptop’s USB port from my mixer.
(why that matters, I don’t know)

You can’t give us too much information. Now I’m going to stop dead until you tell me which mixer you have down to model numbers. Some mixers don’t transfer sound down the USB connection. In addition, some mixers don’t work right with overdubbing, but I won’t know that until you tell me all about it.

We wrote a thing about overdubbing.
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tutorial_recording_multi_track_overdubs.html
You might glance through that while I’m figuring out what’s wrong.

Koz

3

If Windows sees the mixer, Audacity should see it too. Does the mixer show-up in Windows Control Panel? Does the mixer manufacturer supply drivers?

The only choices offered in the drop-down menu in Audacity for recording devices are Line-in and Microphone,

I’d try both of those. Sometimes the drivers mis-label the device, and sometimes Windows thinks a USB audio device is a USB microphone, especially if you are using the Microsoft-supplied drivers.

And my computer speakers are plugged into my Microphone port.

I assume that’s a combination headphone/microphone (TRRS) jack?

4

We don’t know if Windows sees the mixer.

Did you restart Audacity after you plugged the mixer in?

If you’re getting the music from a stand-alone player, that will get you around the latency and delay overdubbing issues, but you still need to be on headphones.
Koz