Left channel recording to both channels (SOLVED)

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I’m a new Audacity user and tried searching this topic but did not find an answer.

I’m running Win7 on a Dell laptop, using a Behringer 2x2 USB Audio Interface to connect my hi-fi system to a USB port. Using either of the USB input choices (2-USb Audio CODEC or Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input) the left audio channel records to both stereo channels. I can hear correct stereo through the headphone jack on the Behringer and if I switch the input cables to the Behringer, the audio switches (right channel to the left input then the right channel signal is recorded). When I click on Audio Track "left channel is checked but greyed out. If I click Split Stereo Track and then click Right Channel it still only records the left channel.

I seems like this is something I am missing in the Adacity settings but perhaps it is a problem with the Behringer unit. Any thoughts or trouble shooting I can do to figure out where the problem lies?

2

Currently the only Audacity setting that determines the number of channels recorded is the last box in Device Toolbar .

Have you checked that Windows is set to stereo for this device:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_recording_how_to_s.html#rinstereo ?


Gale

3

Gale, thank you so much. Your link to the right spot on the FAQ was exactly what I needed and it gave me the fix. I had dug around a bunch both in the FAQ, in the forum, and in Windows help forums and not found this simple fix. Not sure why I couldn’t find it but you did, so thanks again.

Separate subject as to why Windows would default the USB port as “mono, left channel only” but there it is.

4

Because Microsoft thought that was a good idea :confused:

Excellent, I’ll mark this as “solved”.

5

To be fair, given Vista and later have the concept of Default Format (number of channels/bit depth/sample rate) for devices, an input device can’t be both mono and stereo.

You can argue that USB inputs should be stereo by default, but I can see why mono was chosen given the Windows emphasis on conference calls recording.


Gale