I’ve been making digital copies of vinyl on my PC (Windows Vista) using Audacity 2.2.1, using a USB connection to connect a Crosley turntable. In general, things have worked. However, everything I have recorded seems to have identical left and right channels. It looks as if I have selected to record in stereo, and it is indeed recording a left and right channel, but seems to be actually making a mono recording in two channels.
My device toolbar in Audacity shows MME, Microphone Array (USB PnP Audio), 2 (Stereo) Recording Channels, Speakers/Headphones (Realtek).
Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Crosley tells me that the model should transfer in stereo, but I am wondering if that is incorrect, as I think I have followed the Audacity instructions.
I’m sure the turntable is supposed to be stereo. “Nobody” makes a mono turntable although you can find mono phono cartridges.
I’ve seen this problem reported before and it was something in the Windows settings, but I couldn’t find that thread.
It could be a defect in the turntable. Do you have a way of listening to the analog outputs? If the analog outputs are mono, it’s a problem with the turntable, or you’ve got a mono record.
And are you sure it’s a stereo record? Try running the Vocal Remover effect. If left & right are digitally-identical you’ll get dead-silence, which implies some kind of configuration or driver problem, but it could still be the turntable.
If you have a stereo recording of a mono record there will be some sound remaining and any “snap”, “crackle” or “pop” (which is random) will remain.
I can’t find it either, but I think I recall the one that you are referring to. The setting was in the Recording tab of the Windows Sounds Control Panel.
The problem was that the USB recording device was set to “1 channel (mono)”.
With recent Windows updates, it can be difficult to get into the settings to change them. These steps work for me:
Right click on the loudspeaker icon in the Taskbar and select “Open Sound Settings”
Click on the link “Sound Control Panel”
Close the “Sound Settings” window.
In “Sound Control Panel”, select the “Recording” tab
Ensure that the default device is set to any available device that is NOT the device that you want to change.
Right click on the device that you want to change and select “Properties”
Select the “Advanced” tab
Select the Channels / sample rate that you require
Thanks for the suggestions. I’m sure I’m dealing with stereo records, so that is not the issue. I also connected the analog outputs to a stereo receiver, and I am not hearing any stereo separation. I really wonder if it’s the turntable itself. The USB recording device is set to 2 channel.
