Must uplug mike, then plug it back in to make a recording

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I’m brand new to Audacity.
I’m using Windows 7 Ultimate, Audacity version 2.0.5, I used the .exe installer.

Here’s my problem:

  • with my stereo mike (inexpensive, made in China, no-name) plugged in, I click the record button, and get no input
  • if I unplug the mike and then plug it back in, while record is running, then I get input
    What should I do?
    Thanks,
    jim
2

Spend some money on the mic? Can you borrow someone else’s mic to test the mic port? Or is it a USB mic?


Gale

3

If you leave the mic plugged-in, does it show-up in the Windows Control Panel? If Windows doesn’t see the mic until you un-plug it and re-plug it in, Audacity won’t see it either. (I think this a Windows/driver issue… I don’t think it has anything to do with
Audacity itself.)

Have you tried selecting the mic as your [u]recording input[/u]?

What might be happening is that Windows is selecting something else as the default recording source, but then it switches when you “actively” plug-in a mic. You can select your default recording device via the Windows Control Panel, but it might “permanently” revert to something else when un-plug the mic… I’m not sure…

4

If Windows makes the mic default recording device the second time you plug it in, it “should” do so the first time, unless you unplugged some other input before you connected the mic the second time. This made me think the problem could merely be that the connection is weak and you needed to push it in more firmly.

If you still don’t get the mic to record in Audacity after explicitly selecting it by name in Audacity’s Device Toolbar, can you attach an image of the Recording tab of Windows Sound? Here is some help with Windows Sound http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer_Toolbar_Issues#vistacp . Please see here for how to attach files: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/how-to-attach-files-to-forum-posts/24026/1 .


Gale

5
  • with my stereo mike

Nobody anywhere said either Windows or Audacity natively supports stereo mics, either. If you plug it in and it doesn’t electrically “look right” to windows, anything is possible. That’s an undefined condition.

Koz