How To Record Correctly

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Windows 10, Audacity 2.4.2

Hello, I wonder if anybody can help me.

I have a track recorded from line input. I wish to record a second track over it. So I create a new track, and start recording into it. I can hear the first track while recording, but the problem is that the second track records the first track as well as recording the second track. So I end up with the first track twice, which is not what I want.

So my goal is to play the first track and record the second on top, without the first also being recorded on the second track. Obviously I can mute the first track, but then I can’t hear it.

Record/transport options are set to “overdub” .

I should be grateful for any help. It’s probably something simple I don’t know about Audacity (I hope not: I’ve been using it for years!)

Many thansk

Andy.

2

It is not necessary to manually create a new track. You can just press “Shift + Record button” or “Shift + R” to start recording to a new track.

Set the “recording device” in the Device Toolbar to the actual device that you wish to record from (for example, your microphone).

3

Thanks Steve. That solved it! For some reason the record input had changed to “speakers” without me noticing.

I thought it odd, as I had not noticed it happening before!

Many thanks!

Andy

4

One possibility: Conferencing apps (such as Skype / Zoom) have a habit of changing the sound settings, which in turn can affect Audacity.