Hello, So here is my challenge: I am looking to record a 4-person podcast (4 xlr mics or 3+Skype) in the cheapest/most mobile way possible, and would like to record with Audacity. I bought the Tascam US-600 mixer but have been told it’s not compatible because there is no way to combine the 4 channels into 1 USB output for Audacity to pick up (Audacity can’t read 4 channels, as you probably know, and I’m not smart enough for ASIO modification).
Wondering if anyone can provide a product recommendation that can record 4 channels and combine into 1. Cheaper/lighter, the better. Thank you in advance for the help!
It would just be one input from the computer, so it’d either be 4 people in person or 3 in person and one on Skype, so I would need to be able to plug in my computer sound to the mixer/recorder.
I’ve found your previous post about the Tascam: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/only-2-channels-will-record/24506/1
Looking through that I don’t see if you tried using the Tascam Control Panel to set the output of all 4 input channels to outputs 1 and 2.
If you have not tried that, please do (see page 19 in the Tascam manual)
I did and couldn’t figure it out, then I contacted Tascam customer support twice and they were unable to help - just told me that their product is not able to mix down in that manner. Doesn’t make any sense to me but that is what I’ve been told, so I think my next move is to sell the Tascam and find something more naturally compatible with Audacity. Appreciate any recommendations you can provide!
The tricky thing seems to be finding a small mixer that has 3 or more microphone inputs.
The Behringer XENYX 1204USB has 4 mic inputs, but may be a bit too big.
For getting 2 line level inputs (from the mixer) into a computer you could use a Behringer UCA 202. It is a basic 2 input, 2 output USB interface in a plastic box, but it is compact, inexpensive and surprisingly good sound quality. You cannot plug a microphone directly into it - it is for “line level” only.
I picked up one of thesemany years ago for the equivalent of about $15 second hand (it was my first mixer )
It’s a bit bulky for what you need, but teamed up with a Behringer UCA 202 it would do the job nicely. (it must be an antique by now, but it still works )
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