Insert translation within existing native speaker recording

Hi, using Windows 7 downloaded V2.1.2 from your site yesterday, I think it was the .exe not the zip. I am a total newbie to this type of software, but was able to install your program, overdub a .WAV file and combine the two tracks into a new track within about an hour of downloading, so thanks for a very user friendly program! After more research and playing around, I have a couple of questions. My project: I am studying Chinese. I want to record my pronunciation/translation/commentary and combine it with an existing recording of a native speaker. To do this, I need to create space within the existing recording of the native speaker (every few words or sentence.) I have discovered that I cannot pause the native speaker and record my voice during the pause because the recording pauses as well. My only equipment is a Logitech USB headset, a Dell Latitude E5530 laptop, which does not seem to have any input except the one for the headset/microphone, and a couple of Sansa Clip+ MP3 players.

In reading thru the forum I found this suggestion, which may be relevant:
“You have a stand-alone sound player with the foreign language on it. It plays into one side of the Audacity stereo recording and the translator’s headphones. The translator voice goes in the other side. Audacity starts recording and stays constantly recording through the whole performance. Start the foreign monologue and pause it while the translator works. Take the player out of pause for the next segment. Repeat.Audacity will produce a ping-pong effect with foreign, say, on the left and the translation on the right. Split the show into two mono tracks to apply effects, cut and clean up where necessary. When you export to a sound file, Audacity will produce a mixed show with both voices in the middle; one mono track. It should sound like a real trial.I don’t know any way to get that effect by starting and stopping Audacity. You’re close to what happens in musical overdubbing where you play all the instruments one after the other and layer them into a finished song. I can’t see any way of getting past the first foreign monologue, because you can’t pause Audacity and record the translation at the same time.Koz”

Is there some way to connect the Sansa clip so that I can play it as a track in audacity, pausing it manually on the clip player itself, and overdubbing thru the whole monologue? How would I connect the Sansa clip as I have only the mic for input, and I need that to record? Your manual mentions an external USB soundcard, is that what I need (and not too expensive?)
It would be very tedious to have to cut and paste the silences and the commentary. I don’t need great sound quality at this point; believe it or not I was doing this by playing the native speaker thru my computer speakers, pausing the recording and using the Sansa clip to record both the speakers and my voice – so almost anything would be a vast improvement! Thanks.

connect the Sansa clip so that I can play it as a track in audacity

I’m going with no. There’s no shortage of people trying to do multiple simultaneous jobs inside a computer. Unless all the applications are designed to support each other, it’s usually a disaster.

See: Recording Skype in Audacity.

You might get away with a separate software player playing to a capture system along with your voice.

My personal favorite is a small mixer and separate hardware player. That’s how I produced my podcast test with Skype voice, my voice and music backgrounds and stingers, all independently controlled.

If you do play the bed or base track in, say, Windows Media Player, it’s possible you can mix that and your voice into an Audacity recording with a program such as Voicemeeter.

http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Voicemeeter/

I’m guessing you’ll never get the hotkeys to work. Whichever application is in front is going to steal them. But that may be close enough for you.

Koz

Ok, thanks. I’ve kludged something together that works for my purpose – noise reduction is a huge help, brilliant! Lots to learn in Audacity, kudos for the manual, very clear and well written, I’ve been able to track down answers to most of my questions. The problem I’m having now is that sync lock does not work when I Generate Silence in the vocal track, ie the labels do not stay in sync with the vocal track. The sync lock works fine when I cut and paste from another track into the vocal track, it’s only an issue when I Generate Silence. I will post this question separately, I really just wanted to say thanks!