Sound Activated Recording - though not selected!

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

Hi
I’m using Audacity 2.1.3 from the .exe installer on Windows 10 Home version 1703 64-bit

I’m trying to record Youtube audio and everything is fine except for the fact that recording won’t start until the audio input does even though I have unselected the Sound Activated Recording option in Preferences. This wouldn’t matter except for the fact that there has always been a little hiccup in recordings between the 3rd and 4th second which I usually got around by starting the recording a few seconds before playing the input and afterwards chopping that quiet period off.

Any ideas how to solve this would be gratefully received

Cheers

2

Increasing Audacity’s CPU-priority to “Above Normal” may cure the hiccup …

3

Hi there

I’ve struck the same problem as you.

Ever since WASAPI was updated by Microsoft you can’t start recording until sound comes through.
I’m assuming you’re using WASAPI.

There are two ways around the problem …

  1. Switch to Stereo Mix if you’re able to and then use your current method.
    Stereo Mix will begin recording without sound.
  2. Sticking with WASAPI, start Audacity recording and then begin playing your YouTube audio.
    But after a few seconds drag the YouTube progress bar back to the start and allow it to start playing again.
    Audacity will continue to record during this ‘restart operation’.
    Once you’ve finished recording go back and delete the initial ‘false run’.

I’m no expert so I don’t know why Audacity has this glaring flaw (of failing to record very briefly after a few seconds).
Never mind, the above methods work around it.

Billy

4

Same happened to me. Thanks for the workarounds. :smiley:

5

I’ve seen this happen, and the solution was to set the sample rate in the Windows Sound Control Panel to match the sample rate that I want to use in Audacity (the default sample rate in Audacity is set in “Edit > Preferences > Quality”)

6

Sorry not to have got back sooner to express my thanks for the responses. Much appreciated.
Cheers

7

Is the problem resolved?
What fixed it?

8

Thanks to Steve for the following tip …

This wouldn’t matter except for the fact that there has always been a little hiccup in recordings between the 3rd and 4th second
I’ve seen this happen, and the solution was to set the sample rate in the Windows Sound Control Panel to match the sample rate that I want to use in Audacity (the default sample rate in Audacity is set in “Edit > Preferences > Quality”)

I’ve now matched my sample rates and it seems to have fixed the problem with the unrecorded ‘hiccup’ after a few seconds into recording.
Now I no longer need any other ‘workarounds’.