Latency/Audio issues with Behringer UCA202

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

Hi. Hope you can help. I just got a new PC – HP Envy TE01-0034. On my previous PC, I used line in to record multi-tracks on Audacity but had to get a USB interface for this one. Based on posts I read from people here, I got the UCA202. Loaded it up today, made sure it was set to 2-Stereo 44100 in Windows 10. It’s recognized by Audacity.

Here’s my set up – instrument > Yamaha MG06x mixer > UCA202 > PC. I have lines going from my mixer’s Stereo Out to input on the UCA202. I have nothing plugged into output on the UCA202 because my computer audio goes through a stereo sound system I use to listen and for monitoring. It provides a great surround sound and it’s been set up that way since I started using Audacity 9 years ago.

The problem started when I was setting up the latency test for the UCA202. Rather than record a copy of the generated rhythm track, the second track began recording below at the end of the generated rhythm track. Not the way it’s supposed to work - even after I set the UCA202 as the output device for the latency test. So I tried to guess on the latency, but that didn’t work well. The problem is when I play the keyboard, for instance, the sound that comes through my headphones is about a half second behind when I actually strike the key. (Of course, when I listen thru the phones on the UCA, it’s perfect).

The other issue is that I can’t hear anything unless I turn software playthrough on. So, I can hear when I record – again, though, with the lag or latency. And again, only when software playthrough is clicked. But I can’t hear when I’m just playing along with a track no matter my settings. Click the monitor icon, nothing.

So, here’s my audio set up in Audacity:

Audio Host: MME
Recording Device: Microphone (USB Audio CODEC) 2-Stereo Recording Channels
Playback: Speakers (Realtek Audio)

In Recording Preferences: All Options at the top are checked.

In Windows:

Speakers: Realtek Audio
Input device: Microphone (USB Audio CODEC)

I know people, including even some of the moderators here, use the UCA202, and my system is new and pretty straightforward, so I wouldn’t think this would be a huge issue. So, I’m hoping you can help me, a.) do a proper latency test and b.) be able to record and just play (monitor) while listening through my sound system as I’ve been doing for years.

Thanks!

2

Just wanted to make sure this doesn’t get lost. Any help for these issues?

Thanks

3

If there is a selection, recording will begin at the start of the current selection. If there isn’t a selection, recording will begin from the play cursor position.
Click the rewind “<<” button to move the cursor to the start of the track.

4

That’s because there is no direct (“wired”) connection between the input device (the UCA 202) and the output device (built-in sound card). For the signal to get from the input to the output, it has to be forwarded via software (known as “software playthrough”). Software playthrough takes time - typically around half a second when using Windows drivers.

That would be the recommended way to monitor.
Alternatively you may be able to monitor directly from the MG06x mixer.

5

Try turning off “software playthrough”, and connect your sound system to the outputs of the UCA 202.

6

Thanks Steve and Merry Christmas. Turning off the software playthrough and monitoring through the UCA202 fixed everything. Except that it’s recording in mono even though I set it up for stereo in Windows settings. :angry:

7

If you get a mono (1 channel) track in Audacity, then you need to set Audacity to record “2 channels (stereo)” in the “Device Toolbar” (See: Device Toolbar - Audacity Manual)

If you are getting a stereo track, but one channel is silent, check your leads and your mixer settings.

8

If you flip the little Monitor switch on, you can listen to both directions of the sound in real time. That’s the setting recommended for overdubbing. It will give you a theatrically correct mix with the right rhythm and timing.

No I wouldn’t use earbuds, either. They were avaible for the picture.

Koz

9

I think the headphone connection is mono-mix. If they didn’t do that, then monitoring a mixture of stereo, mono and mono variations would be a nightmare.

Koz

10

Thanks Koz. Yeah, I’ve set it up for stereo in Audacity (and in Windows) and my interface/mixer set up as the same as yours above. And I’m monitoring through the UCA. Everything works except that it’s in mono.

11

Everything works except that it’s in mono.

“It” being the monitor. The show is in stereo if that’s how you captured it. You can get individual tracks for all your instruments and voices, so you an mix your brains out later.

But you don’t have to. If you listen to the whole pile of tracks and just love it, File > Export. Audacity will mix down everything down to one stereo track in the sound file unless you tell it not to.

You can do all these tricks in real time by monitoring the sound mixer, but your sound mixer needs to have a USB connection. Any analog connection you come up with has to go through the computer soundcard and that’s where some of the latency and delay is coming from. The USB service doesn’t go through the computer’s soundcard.

Koz

12

But that’s not the way I do it. I have a small but good quality stereo preamp ahead of my super sound system. The UCA-202 shows up as “TUNER” and the computer headphone system appears as “AUX.” Switch as needed. That also gives me a handy single volume control for the room sound. No having to find the correct right-click option on the screen.

Koz

13

Hmm. I’m not concerned about mono as I monitor it through the UCA, but the track I record shows up in mono. One thing that maybe affecting that – Windows shows the USB as a microphone. Because Windows sees microphones as mono could it be that I need to change how Windows sees the UCA, even though i made the settings for it 2 channel 41400? And is there a way to do that?

THanks Koz.

14

If you get a mono (1 channel) track in Audacity, then you need to set Audacity to record “2 channels (stereo)” in the “Device Toolbar” (See: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/device_toolbar.html)

15

Windows shows the USB as a microphone.

Windows sees everything as microphones. It’s their metaphor. We have just oozed ourselves into waiting for a Windows elf. I have no idea.

Koz

16

Thanks Koz. You all have been very helpful. My recording shows up as “stereo” as opposed to single mono. But my piano is stereo, so usually the right (or bottom part of the track) is different than the left (or top side) of the track. It doesn’t do that now. Both sides (L/R) are the same. But most everything else I record (guitars, vocals, etc) look like that, so when I do the mixing I can fiddle with the stereo.

Thanks again.

17

How is your keyboard connected to the mixer?

18

From the keyboard’s headphone jack to mic/line on the mixer using a 1/4" cable.

19

So that’s one mono connection.

That would require two connections from the keyboard to the mixer. One for the left channel and one for the right. You would either plug them into a stereo channel of the mixer (if your mixer has any stereo input channels), or into two mono channels and pan one left and the other right.

20

From the keyboard’s headphone jack to mic/line on the mixer using a 1/4" cable.

One 1/4" cable? I don’t think that’s quite right. I expect you to plug a stereo 1/4" to the headphone connection on the keyboard (much as I’m doing). It should look like one of these connectors.

Then you need to go into a splitter to divorce the Left and Right sound into two mono cables.

Then plug in the two cables, one into the 1/4" of Channel 1/L and the other into the 1/4" of Channel 2/R. Punch the selector button near the bottom to Stereo.

I think the only actual stereo connector on this mixer is the headphone connection on the right. All the rest of them are single channel and are labeled L and R or 1/L and 2/R.

The mixer bouncing lights sound meter should bounce slightly differently when you play, especially if you pick “full stereo” instruments. My keyboard has instruments with theater ambiance and the ability to add “Harmony” and “Dual.” Those two really spread out the sound left and right.

Koz