No waveform activity. Whatever I try.

Hi there,

I have the latest version Audacity in KDE Mint Qiana 17, on a Lenovo desktop. But with only a short time left, in-between now and a momentous family event, and still a lot of music to prepare for that, Audacity lets me grandiosely down. Getting waveform seems impossible. I have been trying since early morning, but to no avail.

An overview of my settings:

Alsamixer:
Selection_001.png

  • Edit>Prefences>Devices: Audio host: ALSA or Jack;

Edit>Preferences>Playback:
Output: HDA Intel HDMI 0 (hw. 0.3), hdmi, jack, default*;
input: HDA Intel ALC662 rev 3 All Analog (hw:0,2) → Front & Rear Mic 0 & 1, Line 0 & 1*;
jack–> Front & Rear Mic 0 & 1, Line 0 & 1;
default*

*Not a single combination of output and input options yields the slightest result. Output and input on default produces an error message. Consistently.

Edit>Preferences> Recording: Overdub & Software Playthrough are checked.

Transport tab: Overdub & Software Playthrough are checked.

Track tab: Sync-Lock Tracks is unchecked.

Furthermore, I’m using my Zoom R16 as pre-amp/interface/monitor. From desktop output, RCA/minijack to Zoom input. Another RCA/minijack from Zoom output to desktop input. Both wires are brand new.

Everything seems present and correct, on the face of it. But still no waveform activity of any kind. So what am I missing?

tnob

RCA/minijack from Zoom output to desktop input.

If you plug headphones into the output of the Zoom in place of the computer, are you in fact sending sound? My Zoom needs to be either “Armed” or “Recording” to send sound.

Koz

Has the Zoom R16 worked with your Linux setup?

I seem to vaguely remember the driver being dropped from the kernel recently. You didn’t by chance update your kernel?

I used to have an R16. Back then, Linux support was spotty. Output didn’t work, recording did work. But that could’ve been me. I never was lucky with audio on Debian.

RCA/minijack from Zoom output to desktop input.

I don’t know you’d need much support to plug an analog sound cable into your sound card. This should be pretty simple. The Zoom isn’t playing music to its analog output. I used to have a way to touch your earbud plug into the end of the sound cable, but the microphone connection seemingly shipped with all earbuds now messes that up.

Koz

Please give us all three numbers from Help > About Audacity… .

What happens when you get no error message? Flat waveform?


Gale

I dunno…

Furthermore, I’m using my Zoom R16 as pre-amp/interface/monitor.

Is the Zoom in interface mode?

Is the Zoom in interface mode?

Exactly correct. Mine will not ‘feed forward’ unless I intentionally set it to that.

Plug the headphones into the Zoom. I bet it’s silent.

Koz