I am using an 8 track channel tape machine. My band is live recording each instrument with 4 different microphones into 4 different channels. I want to play the music that is recorded on the tape machine and click record on audacity and have it recorded in audacity. Then from there, export each track into it’s on mp3 file and mix it in Ableton. My question is, How can I play all 4 channels on the tape machine at the same time and have audacity record each channel into it’s own track. Is there a way to do this? I want to do it this way instead of having to individually record each channel.
We did a thing on multi-channel devices.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/multi-channel-recording-in-audacity/15644/1
The worst you would have to do is two stereo passes to get four channels. Many people make terrific stereo devices. My favorite is the Behringer UCA-202 and its cousins.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/peaveyUCA202Lenovo.jpg
So that’s the Get Out Of Jail card.
A note about this:
export each track into it’s on mp3 file and mix it in Ableton.
Never use MP3 anywhere in the production process. MP3 creates sound damage every time you use it and and you can’t stop it. Worse, once you use MP3, you can’t use it again without sometimes very serious compression damage. This is a restriction of several personal sound recorders which do everything in MP3.
Use WAV to get the work back and forth between programs and steps in the process. Yes, this takes up a lot more room and drivespace.
When you make the final mix, make an archive WAV and then make that MP3 for your mum.
Koz