I just got a new Pyle cassette deck with USB output, plugged it in to my Mac, and I don’t see the USB Codec that used to show up in Audacity. All I see is the USB PnP Sound Device, but when I choose that, Mono is the only choice. How do I record in stereo?
Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup. Look around in there. Koz
Thanks, Koz - I tried that - no luck. The only thing that shows up there is this USB PnP Sound Device, not the USB Audio Codec the manual talks about. The USB PnP Sound Device even says it’s 1 in, 2 out, rather than 2 in, 2 out. So I’m wondering if I need a plug in or something in order to get stereo out of it.
Since we don’t have the device, it’s a little rough for us to troubleshoot it. Audacity will record whatever the computer supplies to it. If the computer thinks you have a damaged or abnormal service, Audacity is helpless.
Koz
Just to cover it, that’s Universal Serial Bus, Plug and Play. It just means the supplier is expecting it to completely configure itself when you plug it in.
Do the player instructions say in clear English that this will work on a Mac? If it doesn’t mention Mac anywhere in the instructions, it may be Windows only.
Koz
The instructions don’t say anything about Mac or PC. It’s a dual cassette deck with a USB port . All it says is “Use the included USB cable to connect this port to an available USB port on you computer when transferring tapes.” That’s the full extent of the references to the USB interface. I just assumed I’d be able to get stereo through the USB, since I’ve done this with an ION turntable and a Grace tape deck, both using USB, before with no problems. Is there no way to substitute the USB audio CODEC for the seemingly more generic plug 'n play interface within Audacity? If so, how would I get the CODEC?
If the cassette machine is expecting certain connection services when it plugs in and they’re not there, then the only other option is change software drivers in the computer. If that’s not an option or doesn’t work right, then remember where you put the receipts.
Audacity is a slave to what the computer is doing. If the computer doesn’t deliver stereo then that’s pretty much the end of the story. You can go on the manufacturer’s web site and read there or you can Google the problem. “[Maker’s Name] cassette machine stereo Mac Complaints.”
If you have Garage Band you can try to make a recording in that. I’m not a Garage Band fan, but people have been able to make recordings in it.
Koz
If I set Audacity to “Built-in Microphone,” I have the option of setting Audacity to Mono or Stereo, but if I set it to “USB PnP Device” the only option presented in Audacity is Mono.
That would suggest the Plug and Play device is supplying mono.
What happened when you looked in here:
“Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.”
Find those receipts.
Koz
djames, I am currently dealing with the same issue. Did you have any luck finding a solution? Thanks!
Did you look in “Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.”?
If that says “1 in, 2 out”, then it presumably won’t record in stereo.
You don’t say what version of Audacity, what version of OS X (see the pink panel at the top) and what type of Mac you have.
If this cassette player has a stereo 1/4 inch headphones out and the Mac has a stereo Line In, buy a stereo 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch cable and set Audacity to record from Line In.
Gale
Hi Gale.
Thanks for getting back to me. I have Audacity 2.0.6 loaded on a Mac running OSX 10.6.8.
Audacity shows the cassette deck USB as a mono device. See below:
Also, my Mac is also picking up the deck as a mono device. See below:
You will see the device shown above as “1 in two out.” According to the previous posts in the Audacity help forum, “1 in 2 out” is mono, stereo would show as “2 in 2 out.” Do you have any thoughts on this?
It should be stereo, and I have seen the model advertised as Mac and PC compatible. I have a note into the Pyle team as well but so far I only received a link to a general Audacity youtube tutorial.
Your advice on using the mic jack also sounds practical if I can’t get the USB to function properly. If I try this approach, would you expect the quality to be as good as through a USB?
Thank you very much for any help you can provide.
Best regards,
Josh
If you have issues with the description or functionality of Pyle Products you will need to ask them, or ask for a refund from the company who sold you the product.
You still have not said what type of Mac you have, but most Macs do not have a mic port. They either have a stereo line-in:
or they have a headset jack whose input is basically microphone-level but which needs an adaptor to connect a standard 1/8 inch TRS plug to it.
Some Mac’s have a combination audio out/stereo line-in but you have to switch it between audio output or input in System Preferences > Sound.
The only input that is completely suitable is stereo line-in. I would guess your “Built-in input” showing in Audio MIDI Setup is stereo line-in.
Also in Audio MIDI Setup, PnP device selected, if you click the Input tab, are there any options to right of the “Hz” box to change to 2-ch?
Gale
It does have the >o< symbol. The Mac is a MacBookPro5,1. I have an RCA to 1/8 inch cable. I suppose I can go from the RCA line out to the 1/8 stereo line-in. I would be curious to hear what the previous poster, djames, had done.
Thanks for you help!