OS 10.9.3 on latest iMac (no audio line in)
Audacity 2.0.5
ART USB Phono Plus (bought yesterday)
Want to digitize my cassette tapes: tape deck to phono plus to iMac
I just hooked the Phono plus to the iMac today and did some test recording. For some reason the left channel is about 3db louder than the right channel even though the meter on the tape deck shows the recording was balanced. I have tested with tape deck and TV line out, used a different cable, switched cable (left output to right input) - same 3db difference, louder on left channel. (see attached file).
Am I missing something? While recording, I click on the little “Audio Track” info box on the left and it says “Gain 0 db” and “pan center”. I am at a loss.
I posted a previous question regarding input level using uca 202. It turned out the uca was faulty so I bought the ART phono plus, but I am still having problems. Help please, anyone? I feel so frustrated…
It would seem so, wouldn’t it? You can hear all the little question marks dancing cartoon-like over our heads.
Just for giggles: Go > Utilities >Audio MIDI Setup
Select your USB device from the listing on the left. USB Something Something?
You should have a control panel similar to the one I posted. Your two individual 1 and 2 sliders should be dead even, gray, and immoveable. Is that what you have?
I just unplugged the uca202 and plugged in the ART (to a different USB jack). Is Mac/Midi/Audacity reading the old uca settings? Do I need to shut down iMac and restart?
The Mac will shift between different sound devices in real time, so technically you could have them both connected. One, for example doing the recording and the other doing the playback.
Audacity will not like that very much. Restart Audacity after you change USB devices. You can also Transport > Rescan Audio Devices, but until we get settled, I would probably restart. Disconnect the UCA202 and put it in a box in the next room. How did you get audio into both devices? Is there something magic you’re not telling us?
Disconnect the UCA202 and put it in a box in the next room. How did you get audio into both devices? Is there something magic you’re not telling us?
No. I didn’t have both of them running at the same time. I unplugged the uca before I plugged in the ART, and to a different USB port. So just one device running at any given time. I don’t remember if I restarted Audacity after the change though. But I definitely restarted it after playing with the ART and having trouble.
I just restarted Audacity. Same unbalanced input level.
Click the slider and it should say 1.00x. Slide it until it does. That’s the same as the normal play button.
Play-at-speed is at 1.00x. So I’m good there. Thanks.
Another off topic question: How do I close a track? I thought I just click on the “x” at the upper left hand corner (see photo), but not so. Click on “Window” and it shows that track with a check mark. And when trying to open that track using “Open Recent”, it gives me an error msg. And I don’t know what File-Close does. I thought it will close the wav file, but apparently not. It closes something in Audacity but I can’t back into Audacity after I click File-Close. I have to quit Audacity and restart it.
If you X close a track, doesn’t yours display an empty work window like the attached?
It is true if you File > Close (Save Changes??) on a single track, Audacity will clear itself back to Audacity-File-Window-Help way up at the top of the Mac screen. File > New to open up a fresh Audacity.
Are you an administrator on your Mac? Can you make changes to it and add and subtract programs without writing memos and attending meetings?
I know we’re all going to have a good laugh when we figure out what this is.
I hope so! I already spent lots of time (not to mention money) on something I thought would be very easy. Thanks Apple! For taking away the audio line in jack! I still have my ancient xp desktop with crappy internal sound card that I really don’t want to use (set up in another room, really not convenient for the way I work, and freezes quite a bit). I was so looking forward to working on my new iMac.
If you X close a track, doesn’t yours display an empty work window like the attached?
Yes. And I am the administrator (I hope). At least I can install programs.
If you speak, do you get two identical tracks?
Yes. Balanced. So are we one step closer to solving the mystery? Am I the lucky one to get 2 faulty usb interfaces back to back?
Yes, but it’s a tiny step. We’ve cleared Audacity. That’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing. Traditionally, Audacity doesn’t do anything to the incoming show. Whatever the computer decides to provide to Audacity is what we get. The ability to apply corrections, filters and effects during recording is a Feature Request. Some time in the future we may get around to it, but not now.
Am I the lucky one to get 2 faulty usb interfaces back to back?
Anybody who walked into our movie right this second would say yes. However it’s seriously tough to believe two world-class, known-good working, top quality makers of USB equipment would both be broken, the same direction, and the same amount. If somebody walked into my office and said those words, I’d laugh at them.
On the other hand, we’re assuming you bought both of these in a new, sealed box from a reputable supplier such as Sweetwater Sound or B&H.
Thanks Apple! For taking away the audio line in jack!
I bought my 15" MacBook Pro last year new but older design in order to get Stereo Line-In. My friends are all walking around with Airs and Retinas laughing at me.
I don’t need to go to the gym. I can bench-press my MBP.
Audacity does not open and close audio files. It opens and closes project windows which may or may not contain files at any point in time. Audio files may be imported using File > Open… , File > Open Recent or File > Import > Audio… . Open Recent’s only function is to import audio files or open saved Audacity projects. It does not restore a project window containing a recording that you closed without saving changes.
I know it’s more work but but please start a new topic for a completely unrelated question.
On the other hand, we’re assuming you bought both of these in a new, sealed box from a reputable supplier such as Sweetwater Sound or B&H.
I bought the uca from eBay from a supposedly good seller (years of selling on eBay with 90+ positive feedback). It was advertised as NEW but it came in a no name box just big enough to fit the uca and a menu. They have agreed to give me a full refund. I will check Paypal later to confirm. I doubt this uca was new and could be damaged.
I bought the ART from a reputable musical instrument seller here in Canada Saturday morning. I got it from one of their retail stores. In original box and the ART itself looks unopened. I should be able to exchange it if it’s faulty. It is difficult to buy online from the US as sellers either don’t ship to Canada or they charge huge shipping fees, or they use UPS (and I hate UPS because they charge the receiver huge handling fees on top of what the seller charges us).
What’s the possibility you can plug these things into a different computer?
I will try that today. Sigh. Another day lost trying to test these things.
How good are the Apple sound cards that came with the computer? I may be able to find an ancient iMac (plastic casing running snow leopard) that has the audio line in, but still need to test if the sound card works. Even if it works, it means more clutter on my already cluttered desk and lots of file transferring between computers.
I know it’s more work but but please start a new topic for a completely unrelated question.
@Gale - yes, I understand that. I did say it is an off topic question but since Koz was replying I just thought I’d ask him this quick question. I promise it won’t happen again. Thanks for answering that question.
Good, and probably better than the average built-in sound device on an entry-level Windows laptop, which usually doesn’t have a sole purpose stereo line-in. Most Macs do have a sole purpose stereo line-in (or used to).
There could simply be a problem with the USB audio ports on the Mac. Can you play a known balanced stereo file in Audacity, choose the ART as the output device in Audacity Device Toolbar and put headphones in ART. Set the monitor source on ART to the computer. Is that unbalanced?
Then play a tape and set the monitor source on ART to the pre-amp. Is that unbalanced?
Just tested the ART with my ancient XP desktop. Input from a commercial CD. Still unbalanced with the left channel louder by approx 3 db. So is the ART faulty?
There could simply be a problem with the USB audio ports on the Mac. Can you play a known balanced stereo file in Audacity, choose the ART as the output device in Audacity Device Toolbar and put headphones in ART. Set the monitor source on ART to the computer. Is that unbalanced?
I’m confused here (not very good with these things, sorry). Please bear with me. Correct me if I’m wrong.
There could simply be a problem with the SUB audio ports on the Mac
the ART is already connected to a different USB port than the uca. Do you want me to try a third USB port for the ART?
Can you play a known balanced stereo file in Audacity, choose the ART as the output device in Audacity Device Toolbar
So I just play an existing file in my Mac using Audacity? Not trying to send the input to ART?
put headphones in ART
You’ve lost me. I don’t understand this.
Set the monitor source on ART to the computer.
You mean: on the front of the ART, change the Monitor Source switch from “Both” to “CPU”? It came set as Both and I did not change it. I unchecked “software playthrough” in Audacity according to the ART manual, at least that’s they way I understood it.
Then play a tape
Hooking my tape deck to the line in of the ART and play a tape using the tape deck?
and set the monitor source on ART to the pre-amp
change the Monitor Source switch on the ART to “PreAmp”?
I’m out. I can’t think of a likely scenario that would give your symptoms or how to test for it.
I can think of several very highly unlikely ones. Like a bad run of electronics chips used by several different manufacturers and both of the units really are bad — and likely to be many others as well.
I used to work for a company that had two-way radios and a central base management system. Sometimes one of the otherwise perfectly working radios just wouldn’t communicate no matter what we did. The engineering supervisor chalked it up to an attack by the “Great Signal Sucker in the Sky.”
A balance difference of 3 dB is not that unusual with USB devices and acceptable if the level is decent. What is the level like on XP, and is there a level control for ART in Windows Sounds and Audio Devices?
To ask the obvious, have you turned up the input gain knob on ART?
It would seem to make sense, yes.
Yes, simply play a file in Audacity and listen to it in ART.
It is only a suggestion, but if the USB audio is broken (input or output) I would be banging on Apple’s door. There is plenty of suspicion cast on the Mac in your two topics.
According to the Manual (see the link above), yes change it to “CPU”.
Yes, obviously.
Yes.
Note that you can correct channel imbalance after recording with Effect > Normalize… (enable “Normalize stereo channels independently”). Normalize can also boost the dB level but you don’t want to do that on a recording at -30 dB in one channel and -27 dB in the other because it will bring up the surface noise.
