I can track a A mic’d amplifier and a DI at the same time -Stereo tracking -Easy enough…
BUT…
There is only one volume control for both of these channels/ trx while tracking in Audacity.
Is there anyway I can give each channel (The DI and the Mic’d amp) their own volume control?? I really hate hearing the DI when tracking…
Also, not sure if this is an Audacity issue, but I use a lot of clean boosts on my rig (boosting my guitar signal…). Whenever I boost my guitar, the elevation in volume is normal on the mic’d track (guitar amplifier), but the level spikes WAY up on the DI trk. Not sure why… Any thoughts?
Yes, I am actually familiar with how to do this. I was wondering if there was a way to do it WHILE tracking…
-I want to know if there’s a way to record two trx simultaneously, each with their own playback volume. In other programs I’ve used, each individual track is given it’s on playback volume. Whether it’s four, five, six tracks or whatever. I feel like there should be a way to do this in Audacity… No?
Sorry, I probably didn’t explain that clearly enough…
Audacity records whatever audio it receives. The only adjustments available during recording are the adjustment that can be made through the computer sound system - usually just recording level.
Right. So, if I have an audio interface with 2 channels, there should be a way to assign each trk to it’s own channel from the get-go and not have to separate them in post… No??
Or, would that be recording two tracks in mono??
I just want to be able to dial down the volume of my DI track while recording. It gets rather distracting with all the boosting I’m doing to my guitar signal. Especially being in just one ear during stereo tracking…
In Audacity, each input channel goes to the corresponding track channel. Audacity does not provide custom “mapping” of input channels to track channels, it’s always 1 → 1, 2 → 2, …
I’m using a Roland Quad capture and yeah, it has the same knobs as the Pre Sonus you linked. The recording level you are referring to functions as the gain, correct? If I turn down the recording level on my interface I’m also turning down the gain, no?
So, I suppose the only way for each track to have it’s own volume and panning faders is for me to get an interface with more than two channels, correct?? It’s impossible to do with just two channels, correct?
If you record 2 channels (as a stereo track), you can split the stereo track after recording to create 2 mono tracks.
Each mono track has it’s own pan and gain sliders.
When you use the word “tracking”, do you mean “recording”?
(the verb “record”, meaning “to convert sound into a permanent form for subsequent reproduction or broadcast”)
If your USB interface has independent gain controls for two inputs (most 2 channel USB audio devices have this), then you can independently set the correct gain level for each channel. When recording the two channels, Audacity will record as a 2 channel stereo track - the first channel will be recorded as “Left” and the second channel as “Right”. You can then split the stereo track into two mono tracks and pan each mono as desired.
Right. My problem is that I hate hearing the DI (raw guitar signal track) while I’m recording. So it was my hope that there would be a way to silence that track without reducing the gain so I wouldn’t have to hear it so strongly while recording, but it sounds like while recording in STEREO in Audacity, the only way to reduce the volume of one track or the other is by reducing the gain from the interface. It is my understanding, however, that this dilemma would be solved by purchasing an interface with 3 inputs or more, as Audacity would then give each input it’s own volume and panning faders, then giving me the ability to have each track where I want it volume and panning wise while recording… Correct??
Haha! Sorry for any lapse in communication! It’s hard in the forums sometimes!!
I’m using a Roland Quad capture and yeah, it has the same knobs as the Pre Sonus you linked. The recording level you are referring to functions as the gain, correct? If I turn down the recording level on my interface I’m also turning down the gain, no?
Yes. Usually the pot is an attenuator between the preamp and the analog-to-digital converter, but you are reducing the overall gain when you turn-down the volume.
however, that this dilemma would be solved by purchasing an interface with 3 inputs or more, as Audacity would then give each input it’s own volume and panning faders,
No. Panning is done in software and Audacity can only pan after recording. Plus, don’t need 3-channels (and from what I’ve seen here on the forum Audacity has a lot of trouble with multi-channel recording).
Most [u]DAWs[/u] will allow you to set-up a separate monitor-mix (with panning and effects and everything) but whenever you monitor through the computer you get latency (delay) and it can be a pain getting the latency down to the point where it doesn’t make it hard to perform.
You can get a USB mixer with panning but unless you go high-end (expensive) you’ll record the panned stereo mix so if you’re not hard-panned you won’t be recording the mic’d and direct channels separately.
It’s possible to set-up a mixer for “live monitoring” and use an interface at the same time but it’s more cables & equipment to mess with.
I really hate hearing the DI when tracking…
That’s confusing… If you’re using a guitar amp you should be able to hear it without “monitoring”. Or, if you are monitoring a backing-track maybe you can hear the guitar amp while wearing headphones, or take the headphones off of one ear, etc.
That’s confusing… If you’re using a guitar amp you should be able to hear it without “monitoring”. Or, if you are monitoring a backing-track maybe you can hear the guitar amp while wearing headphones, or take the headphones off of one ear, etc.
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Yeah. The DI I’m referring to is the “naked” guitar signal coming straight from the pickup. When I’m recording in stereo, I’m recording a mic’d amplifier and the naked guitar signal from a Radial DI box, unadulterated, going straight into the interface -That is the sound I was hoping to reduce in volume. Was hoping I could do it without sacrificing the gain, but doesn’t seem so…
That’s all I’m trying to accomplish -Reducing the volume of that track…
With most decent mic preamps, the gain pot is certainly not an attenuator. It’s in the feedback loop of the mic preamp and controls the gain factor of the preamp. Hence the difference between a gain control and a volume control and also the reason why it sometimes is reversed. Meaning moving it in the same direction as turning the volume up will turn the gain down.
It’s important to understand the difference. Turning volume up will not add significant noise. Turning the gain up will add noise. How much depends on the impedances and the mic used. It’s analog, so you need to do proper gain-staging.
It’s also the reason why you can’t turn the volume completely down via the gain control. A zero gain still has the same output level as the incoming signal, as it results in a gain factor of 1X. Zero volume otoh, is muted.
Or, if you are monitoring a backing-track maybe you can hear the guitar amp while wearing headphones, or take the headphones off of one ear, etc.