This is probably not a new topic but I haven’t seen a satisfactory answer to the problem.
I have copied many stereo LPs to my computer using Audacity 3.0.0 on a Windows 10 laptop.
Am using a USB audio capture device (EZ Cap) which supports stereo, via a Yamaha 2 channel stereo receiver.
In Audacity, I’m using software playthrough and the stereo recording option (which is what Audacity manual suggests).
The recording appears in the upper (left) channel only. Can not find a way to record in both channels.
The playback is OK from computer. I get true stereo sound (it seems). When I transfer music to MP3 player however, I get sound in left ear only.
I have used the suggested fixes (splitting stereo etc) so I can hear music from both ear phones but this is simply a mono signal for each channel. Also I can only “fix” one song at a time. My question is “With this setup, is it possible to record in stereo and get a true stereo recording that will play in both channels? If so, how is it done, and if not, should I be recording in Mono in spite of the fact that the manual tells me to record in stereo”? If I use the second option will my MP3 play in both earphones?
Make sure that Audacity AND Windows are BOTH [u]configured for stereo[/u].
I have used the suggested fixes (splitting stereo etc) so I can hear music from both ear phones but this is simply a mono signal for each channel.
Yeah, that’s worse than regular mono because you’re probably only recording one channel and the sound from the other channel is lost.
…Just FYI - A true-mono is only one track, not separate left & right tracks with the same audio. And everything (analog & digital) is mono-stereo compatible so a mono track plays-back through both speakers. Or if you play a stereo source on a mono system the left & right channels are mixed together. CDs are “different” because they are always 2-channels and on mono CDs the left & right audio is identical.
P.S.
There are few early stereo records with “weird stereo” where the vocals are on one side and instruments on the other. There is at least one Beatles record like that and I think there is a Mama’s & Papa’s mixed like that. If you happen to run-across a record like that, make a note and save it as a “test record”.
Control panel has sound set up for 2 channel audio for recording. So both Audacity and Windows set up for stereo.
OK, the next thing would be to disconnect the left & right one at a time, and try swapping the left & right to see if that reveals any clues… And it will tell us if the left & right are being combined or if one channel is getting lost. Maybe one of the outputs from the receiver isn’t working? I assume you have speakers connected to the receiver so you know both speaker-outputs are working?
Or maybe one of the EZ-cap inputs isn’t working. In that case we’re pretty-much back where we started because it’s hard to tell if the EZ-cap hardware is bad or (more likely) if there’s something wrong with the computer-software setup…
OK, will try that. In the meantime with my current settings and equipment, am I right in assuming that both left and right (upper and lower) channels in Audacity should show recording tracks for stereo?
Tried reversing stereo channels in Audacity. Only difference is audio was recorded in right channel instead of left. Am getting sound out of both regular speakers, also from both computer speakers. Not sure what you mean by disconnecting left & right, one at a time. There is only one RCA type plug to the receiver. Do you mean the composite cables? If so I unplugged the red cable and the recording still appeared in left channel but not quite as loud. When I unplugged the white cable no recording showed up at all.
Tried reversing stereo channels in Audacity. Only difference is audio was recorded in right channel instead of left.
That’s the connection between the receiver and the EZ-cap, right? That tells us the EZ-Cap & computer are capable of recording the right channel so the problem is either the receiver not putting-out a right-channel signal, or you’ve got a bad cable.
Hopefully, it’s the cable… You might have to switch both-ends of the cable (red-to-white and white-to-red on both ends) to figure-out if the cable is bad.
If one of the RCA outputs on the receiver is bad another option is using the headphone-output (with the appropriate adapter/cable, of course).
There is only one RCA type plug to the receiver.
I’m assuming there is a stereo pair on the receiver and on the EZ-cap. (There’s more than one thing sold as an “EZ-cap” so I have an idea of what you have but I’m not 100% sure.)
Am getting sound out of both regular speakers,
And that tells us the turntable and the connection to the receiver is OK.
Hi grosstea,
Got a different or spare L/R cable to replace the existing one from the stereo to the recorder input? Worth a test.
Which E-Z CAP … 216?
Respectfully, ZARDOZ
Hi again;
Tried reversing the connections (white to red & red to white). Only difference was sound appeared in right channel instead of left. Also tried new cable, no difference. An odd thing though, when MP3 player is connected to earphones I still only get sound in left ear, BUT when I pull the jack partly out of the MP3 player I get sound in right ear only.
It’s looking like your receiver has a problem. It’s probably a simple problem (a bad RCA jack or a broken/bad internal connection) since the receiver is otherwise working in full-stereo. But even a simple repair will have a minimum labor charge if you can’t do it yourself.
You can try opening-up the receiver to take a look and maybe wiggle some wires. But of course, DON"T TOUCH the AC power if it’s plugged in! There might be a wire soldered to the RCA output that you can trace to another internal connector and maybe there’s some corrosion on the internal connector that can be scrapped-off, or maybe just un-plugging it and plugging it in again will fix it…
The next thing I’d try is a [u]Headphone Adapter[/u]. I’m assuming the receiver has a 1/4-inch headphone jack.
Or, you can get a stand-alone [u]phono preamp[/u] which would connect in-between your turntable and your USB interface (no receiver) or there are some [u]USB audio Interfaces[/u] with a built-in phono preamp (so no receiver or EZ-cap.).
An odd thing though, when MP3 player is connected to earphones I still only get sound in left ear, BUT when I pull the jack partly out of the MP3 player I get sound in right ear only.
Well… That’s completely different hardware and it’s not THAT unusual for the spring contacts in the output-jack to fail. …Reminds me of a Bob Dylan song - Everything Is Broken! 
Hi …
Could be something as simple as a dirty contact of the stereo’s front panel push-button switch or rotary switch. If it is a push-button switch try to clean the contact(s) by simply working the switch several - several times when the stereo is Powered Down. Another thing might be intermittent/wore/loose contacting of the push-button or rotary switch (you would want to briefly re-configure your stereo set-up for speaker monitoring of the output you are using that ports the e-z cap to Audacity while jiggling the switch to ’ hear ’ if contact is being made … I have a few Oscilloscopes)
Switches that have remained dormant for long periods of time become a culprit 70% of the time
Hope this helps out.
Respectfully, ZARDOZ
Could be something as simple as a dirty contact of the stereo’s front panel push-button switch or rotary switch.
I thought about that too but the “tape-output” normally just “taps into” the signal without going through any extra switches & controls that the main-signal doesn’t go-through. (Of course, the tape input has to be switched.)
It’s usually a bad switch or connector, especially in this case where everything else is working. It’s probably not the RCA jack because you’d usually get intermittent contact when you plug-in or when you wiggle the cables/connectors.
It’s certainly worth “exercising” the switches & controls and maybe even spaying-in some contact cleaner…
even spaying-in some contact cleaner…
I did not mention that as some times without opening the cover [CAUTION: SERVICE OUGHT ALWAYS BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OR HAVE ANY DOUBT(S)] injection through the front panel gets really messy and may not always react well with the face-plate …
Respectfully, ZARDOZ
Hi Guys;
Tried pushing buttons & turning dials etc. No difference. I guess I’ll have to recording in mono. At least I will hear out of both earbuds.
Thank you for your assistance.
I guess I’ll have to recording in mono.
I hope your receiver has a mono switch… If not you’re going to loose the right-channel sounds.
HAVE FOUND THE ANSWER!!!
My laptop has an input that I thought was just for headphones, but it turns out it is a multi-function input. I discarded the EZ cap USB harness and connected the receiver directly to this input via a mini RCA plug. A menu gave me 5 options, one of which was “line in” I selected this and in Audacity chose Microsoft sound Mapper input. The songs recorded in both channels and also play in both ears from my MP3 player! The EZ cap was supposed to assist in recording in stereo and I think it did, just that it put both stereo channels on the left side. Anyway, now I’ll have to re-record the cassettes and LPs that I thought I had finished.
Hi grosstea,
Happy you located good resolve. Enjoy the re-record time.
Respectfully, ZARDOZ