Track 1 being recorded on track 2

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Hi, I am having an issue with track 1 (melody) being recorded on track 2 (drums).
Screenshot_50.jpg
So far there are two stereo track. Track 1 (melody) and track 2 (drums)

In this screenshot you can see track 2 (drums) are recorded in the first red box in the screenshot. When track 1 (melody) kicks in, it also records to the drum track 2. That’s basically it. I wish to monitor track 1 while performing track 2 so they synch correctly. Is there a way to monitor track 1 without it recording over track 2?

I suspect it is my USB mixer. I use a Behringer Q502USB mixer. I am not using a microphone. I have a Korg Minilogue synth plugged directly into the mixer, left and right channels in a stereo configuration. The mixer sends the data to a Windows 10 PC and Audacity.

I am monitoring this recording using a pair of Beyerdymanic DT250 headphones plugged into the USB mixing board. There are two monitoring buttons, To Phones and Main Mix. No combinations of setting for these buttons works, either there is no sound or track 1 records on track 2.

So I figured I needed to change the “speaker” output to something other than the USB mixing board. I used a FIIO Alpen DAC/headphone amp, made that the only playback device in Windows Sound Control Panel, then set Audacity “Speaker” output to the FIIO DAC. It worked to an extent. I can hear track one but I cannot monitor track 2.

This recording is a pure performance. I play the keyboard directly, no MIDI, no sequencing. While performing I change the effects parameters, reverb, delay, attack, effects depth and time, bend notes with the joystick, manually fade in and out with the Minilogue volume control. This is basically my workflow. At the end I might apply a little compression using software for mastering but all effects are done in real time utilizing the onboard digital effects library on the Minilogue synth. It is a very simple workflow that is right for me.

All I need is a simple DAW like Audacity to support multitracking. That’s it. No effects busses, no sequencer, very simple stuff. I’ve been troubleshooting this for hours without luck. Please offer any advice you have for me how to make this work.

2

Looking on page 8 of the Behringer Xenyx Q1202USB/Q1002USB/Q802USB/Q502USB User Manual suggests that you would want to depress the switch labelled USB/2-Track “To Phones”, and release the one labeled “To Main Mix”.

In Audacity do you have Software Playthrough turned off? Also, check that the Windows “Listen to this device” service is turned off for your mixer. Run mmsys.cpl > Recording > (your mixer) > Properties > Listen.

So you are thinking outside of the box. :wink: I trust you could also use a speaker or two as the syth and mixer don’t have any microphone pickups. :smiley:

3

Sorry but I don’t get what you’re doing,

The mixer will only put-out 2-channel stereo so you can’t multi-track record. (Audacity isn’t “great” at multitrack recording either.) But you CAN record multiple tracks separately and mix later. There are some higher-end USB mixers that double as multi-channel interfaces and there are lots of multi-channel interfaces but most “USB mixers” just give you the mix.

If you select the USB device as your [u]Recoding Device[/u].you’ll get ONLY what’s coming out of the mixer’s USB port. But don’t select the “loopback” option if that shows-up because that can be a mix including other sounds from the computer.



OFF TOPIC - Mixing is done by summation so you usually have to reduce the levels to prevent clipping (distortion) in the mix. And unfortunately, Audacity’s mixer doesn’t have a master level control. You can use the little sliders to the left of each waveform, or you can use the 'Amplify effect with negative amplification (attenuation). And/or you can export as floating-point WAV which can go over dB without clipping. Then re-import the floating-point mix and run the Amplify or Normalize effect to bring-down the level before exporting to your final desired format. (If the peaks on the floating-point mix go over 0dB Audacity will “show red” but it’s only warning you of potential clipping.)

4

Thank you for your reply.

The mixer will only put-out 2-channel stereo so you can’t multi-track record.

I think there may be a misunderstanding of the workflow here or perhaps the jargon I am using is wrong.

I recorded the first stereo track without any issues. I made sure there was no clipping.

I opened up a second stereo track and as you can see in the screenshot, I was able to record in stereo just fine. But once track one kicked it, it was being recorded by track two as illustrated by the screenshot.

However it occurs to me that since I do all the levels, effects, performance from the synth only, there is really no reason I just couldn’t use the track 2 as my “mixdown” (sorry if I’m getting these terms wrong) with both tracks 1 & 2 blended. Unless that is not best practice in terms of audio quality.

5

Thanks you for your reply.

depress the switch labelled USB/2-Track “To Phones”, and release the one labeled “To Main Mix”.

In this config I could not hear track 2, the track that I am recording.

In Audacity do you have Software Playthrough turned off?

Yes this is turned off

Windows “Listen to this device” service is turned off for your mixer.

This is also turned off

The Fiio solution did not work either as I could not hear track two.

Thanks again!

6

I recorded the first stereo track without any issues. I made sure there was no clipping.

But the mix can clip. For example, if you are mixing two files and they both go over 50% (more than -6dB) at the same time, the mix will go over 100% and clip (when converted to an integer format or when played through the ADC). More tracks and you have to reduce more.

One of your tracks looks a lot lower than the other so that helps. But, it’s tricky in the real world where you are adjusting by-ear for the best sounding mix. An exact 50/50 mix would be unusual.

The “safest” solution is to export to floating-point or to leave lots of headroom and then boost the mix later. Either way there’s an extra “mastering” step after mixing.

Pros typically leave plenty of headroom in the mix and then adjust the level later during mastering’. But their software has a master level control )similar to a hardware mixer) so the master level can be easily adjusted without messing with the mix… making it easier to get headroom. Pros also usually record a lot lower but that’s not important with level controls on each track, meters on each track, and a master level control and master meters…

7

Here is a much older thread discussing the exact same issue with the Q502USB: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/i-dont-want-to-record-audio-playback/41777/18

8

Thanks everyone who helped.

For anyone with the same issue here is the solution that worked for me. I installed Cool Edit Pro and mutlitracking in stereo worked right out of the box.