i’m using Audacity for the first time since maybe 7 or 8 years, i don’t know much about DAWs and i’m having a weird issue.
It’s quite simple, when i click on the record button, it creates a new track but nothing else happens. Nothing is moving.
I’m trying to record my guitar with a Scarlett 2i4 usb interface on windows 10.
I’m pretty sure i’m doing something wrong…but i can’t for the life of me figure out what it is i’m doing wrong. ლ(ಠ_ಠ ლ)
I found nothing in the FAQ, nothing on Google…
If someone could help that would be great.
Connect the Scarlett 2i4 usb interface before you start Audacity.
Check in the Windows Sound Control Panel that it is working as a recording device (you should see a green meter in the Recording tab that jumps up and down when there is audio input to the 2i4).
Then launch Audacity.
In the device toolbar, set the “host” to MME and select the Scarlett 2i4 usb interface as the input and output device (it may just be labelled as “USB device” or similar).
So, i connected the interface before launching Audacity.
In the Windows Sound Control Panel, i can see that it recognizes the Scarlett interface, but the meter does not move, as if no sound is coming in.
And in Audacity, the host is already set to MME and the Scarlett selected as the input and output device.
What version of Audacity are you using? Please see the pink panel at the top of the page.
Is this first or second generation 2i4? See https://uk.focusrite.com/downloads?product=Scarlett+2i4+first+gen and under “2i4 USB 2.0 Driver - Windows - 1st gen only”, click the link “Click here for more details” to make sure you have the correct drivers for your device.
Do you hear the guitar in the headphones of the Scarlett ?
Even if no output is coming out of the Scarlett, that would not make the Audacity recording stall, rather you would record a flat line.
Make sure you do not have Transport > Sound Activated Recording enabled in Audacity.
How long is it since you did a cold boot that completely refreshes the kernel session? To cold boot, click the Windows Start button, then click the Power button, then hold SHIFT and click “Shut down”.
Ok, i uninstalled the driver.
Now, it’s not showing up in the Windows Sound Control Panel anymore and the firmware updater says “no Scarlett connected”, but i can see it in the “Device Manager”.
I’m very very lost right now.
I wasn’t able to hear the guitar in the headphones and the “Sound Activated Recording” was disabled.
Which driver, the ASIO driver? That is an optional driver so should not create problems given you were running without it before. Unless that ASIO driver allows fallback to non-ASIO, it will prevent you using Scarlett with Audacity as shipped.
If you want to record from USB devices regularly you need to cold boot at least once a week - otherwise (typically) recordings will stall or possibly have dropouts.
If that does not work, right-click the Scarlett in Device Manager, choose “Properties” then click the “Driver” tab. The “Roll Back Driver” or “Update Driver” choices might help.
If you can’t monitor in the Scarlett, and the Windows recording meter does not bounce when the input level is turned up, then you are not going to be able to record, for whatever reason. Perhaps you have a duff cable.
Ok, the Scarlett is back, windows recognises it again. I did a cold boot, but i’m back to where i was earlier.
No sound is coming out of it, the gain control doesn’t even light up and Audacity is still doing nothing when i click on the record button. yay.
Connect the Scarlett 2i4 usb interface before you start Audacity.
Check in the Windows Sound Control Panel that it is working as a recording device (you should see a green meter in the Recording tab that jumps up and down when there is audio input to the 2i4).
So it’s not working with Windows, which means it won’t work with Audacity. You need to fix it working with Windows before there’s any chance of it working in Audacity.
Have you ascertained whether or not you need to run the second generation updater from Scarlett?
