Sound will record but not make noise

[sarahtreadwell]

I downloaded Audacity 3.2.1 on a new computer: ASUS VivoBook. I have used it in the past on a MacBook and had no issues. With the new computer (using Windows 11), no sound will play from the Audacity app. I have checked the output and it is set to “speakers (Realtek)”. I can play sound from other applications.

Using both a digital audio interface and the computer’s internal microphone, the tracks show that the computer is picking up the sound and recording it. When I convert the file to an MP3, I can hear it in “groove music”, BUT ONLY WHEN I HAVE USED THE INTERNAL MIC; even though Audacity shows that it picked up sound from the audio interface, and even though a file “plays” when I convert it to an MP3, I can’t hear anything then.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Audacity. I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas what I can do to fix this, or if there’s a problem with the computer itself and I should return it. Feeling totally lost.

Thank you SO MUCH!

[jademan]

the tracks show that the computer is picking up the sound and recording it. When I convert the file to an MP3, I can hear it in “groove music”, BUT ONLY WHEN I HAVE USED THE INTERNAL MIC; even though Audacity shows that it picked up sound from the audio interface, and even though a file “plays” when I convert it to an MP3, I can’t hear anything then.

Very curious. I have heard of some strange cases where the right channel is an exact invert of the left channel and depending on how and where it is played, the two sides cancel out.

To see if this is the case you can try Tracks > Mix > Mix Stereo Down to Mono, and see if the resulting waveform is still visible.