Very Annoying Error

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

So I was recording some lines for an audio book last night, saved and went to bed. Woke up this morning and went to finish editing the audio I had and suddenly I’m getting this error “error while opening sound device”. It was working perfectly last night, and I never bothered to even close the window, knowing I’d be working on it again in the morning. I’ve searched for some solutions online, but they all seem to say the same thing. Enable stereo mix in your sound options. My stereo mix was already enabled.

I’ve managed to get a workaround going by using the drop downs in Audacity to change my audio out then immediately switching back, (switch from my headset to speakers then back) but then the stupid thing switches over to not recognizing my mic and I have to do the same thing with that (swap from my condenser mic to my headset mic and back) to get IT working again. It’s not exactly the ideal situation. I can live with it, but I’d much prefer to have it just work properly again.

Does anyone know any solutions other than enabling stereo mix?

2

We’re going to need more information since much of what you said isn’t required to record audiobook sound.

Do you really have a headset, or just good headphones? What’s the part numbers and maker? Same with the microphone. Who made it and which one? Some headsets—combinations of microphone and earpieces—can require special drivers or software to work.

Which three-number Audacity do you have? Do you use Skype or other conferencing service and do you leave it “napping” rather than turning it off?

I know this is a standing joke, but did you restart the computer and launch the applications again? Has this been working for months, you’re an experienced reader and suddenly this morning you have troubles?

I know of no reason you would need Stereo Mix to record an audiobook.

Koz

3

Do you really have a headset, or just good headphones? What’s the part numbers and maker? Same with the microphone. Who made it and which one? Some headsets—combinations of microphone and earpieces—can require special drivers or software to work.

My headphones are a pair of Turtle Beach - Ear Force Stealth 500P.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MNP9PD8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And my Mic is a Samson C01 Condenser Microphone.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002D080C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Which three-number Audacity do you have? Do you use Skype or other conferencing service and do you leave it “napping” rather than turning it off?

Audacity is 2.1.2. Theres no Skype or anything else on my computer right now at all. And I’m sorry I forgot to mention in my main post I’m on Windows 10 Pro.

I know this is a standing joke, but did you restart the computer and launch the applications again? Has this been working for months, you’re an experienced reader and suddenly this morning you have troubles?

I’ve been making recording for the past two months with absolutely no problems. I just recorded some lines last night and did a bit of editing, as I said I left the window open and went to bed knowing I’d finish in the morning, and it was that same window that started giving me the issue. It’s since carried on through restarting Audacity and my computer.

I know of no reason you would need Stereo Mix to record an audiobook.

This just seems to be the thing everyone says will make the issue go away, it’s not like the system knows I’m recording audio books, I get the error as soon as I press Record or Play.

4

That could explain some of the confusion. Your system, given a Windows laptop, has three microphones to choose from. Laptop built-in, the one in your Turtle Beach headset (and yes, it is a headset) and the C01 microphone, although we still don’t know how you’re getting the C01 into the computer. The C01 demands some device such as a mixer or stand-along preamp to supply 48v Phantom Power, amplify the sound volume and convert it to digital for the computer. So how are you doing this; there’s still a piece missing.

We have a cousin forum posting that appears to be having troubles with a wireless system. Wireless connections and audio (or video) production don’t mix well. Wireless systems have error correction and transmission processing. Most people don’t notice if there’s a tiny hit or tick in the headphones, but a microphone system can collapse or worse start having timing errors if the radio system is ratty.

Worse, if the radio system starts having troubles, either Audacity or the computer may decide to switch automatically to something more reliable. So it’s possible you’re not recording from the C01 any more.

How are you recording the C01?

Koz

5

Your system, given a Windows laptop, has three microphones to choose from. Laptop built-in, the one in your Turtle Beach headset (and yes, it is a headset) and the C01 microphone, although we still don’t know how you’re getting the C01 into the computer. The C01 demands some device such as a mixer or stand-along preamp to supply 48v Phantom Power, amplify the sound volume and convert it to digital for the computer. So how are you doing this; there’s still a piece missing.

How are you recording the C01?

Well it’s not a laptop it’s a desktop, and I built it so I can tell you there was no built in mic. I have the C01 set as the default mic both in my main settings in windows and in Audacity. I’ve got a Mixer and an amp plugged in. I will more than admit I’m no audio engineer, but after searching online and some trial and error I got it all hard wired connected and working fine. The only wireless component is the headset.

Mixer is a Lexicon Alpha 2-Channel Desktop Recording Studio
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HVXMNE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Preamp is a Behringer Xenyx 802
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J5XS3C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

6

We have to build your system in our imagination to try and divine what’s wrong and in the absence of good, clean data, we have to fall back on the system that Most People Have, and Most People have a Windows laptop.

switch from my headset to speakers then back

That would be rational if the machine was having troubles maintaining reliable contact with the headset. This could be really interesting to fix because not only do you have a wireless “headphone,” you also have a “headset” so you are going through multiple drivers and processing just to hear what you’re doing.

Do you have a plain, wired headphone in the closet somewhere? Even earbuds with an adapter. I’d be powerfully tempted to plug into the Lexicon and make that the microphone and headphone. I bet the playback problems vanish if you do that.

the stupid thing switches over to not recognizing my mic

That’s much more serious. You could have two different problems.

switch from my headset to speakers then back

OK, so that means you have a conventional soundcard in the machine?

As a grand generality, I’m peeling off layers of complexity to try and identify the parts that don’t work right. If you have multiple problems you could be peeling back to the soundcard and not using the USB connection and the Lexicon—if only to get enough information so you can figure out what’s wrong.

If you do have a “real” soundcard, it should be possible to adapt your mixer analog output (I use my Tape-Out) to the blue Stereo Line-In of the soundcard, eliminating the entire Lexicon/USB system.

After you get a stable system (even if it’s not optimal for a performance), put the more complex system back together piece at a time carefully inspecting it as you go.

The only other note is that Audacity doesn’t actually connect to any hardware. It connects to Windows and Windows supplies the connections. So next time it fails, go into Windows setups and see if Windows can still find all the pieces you think should be there, keeping in mind RF systems can have “magic” failures: radio interference, cancellation, “flickering”, etc.

Did you, by any chance, recently buy another Convenient Wireless Device?

Koz

7

That might solve “error opening” if you actually wanted to record computer playback, but you don’t.

This is our official FAQ about it: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/faq_errors.html#sound_device. Might you have changed the project rate bottom left of Audacity, or the audio host in Device Toolbar where you choose devices?

Was there a Windows update just before this went wrong?


Gale

8

I started playing with some stuff and I think I figured out what it was. I got it working properly again at least. The very first drop down has an option called windows wasapi. I have no idea what it is but that’s what was selected. I changed it to Windows Direct sound and now it’s working with no errors again. If I swap back to wasapi though it gives me the same issues. I don’t know if I should be on wasapi or not, it seems to record just as well on either option. I’ll keep answering questions for now in case you guys inform me there’s something special that I should be recording on wasapi for.




We have to build your system in our imagination to try and divine what’s wrong and in the absence of good, clean data, we have to fall back on the system that Most People Have, and Most People have a Windows laptop.

No worries, I understand. That’s why I tried to clarify. I just appreciate the help :smiley:

Do you have a plain, wired headphone in the closet somewhere? Even earbuds with an adapter. I’d be powerfully tempted to plug into the Lexicon and make that the microphone and headphone. I bet the playback problems vanish if you do that.

No, unfortunately I only have the wireless pair at the moment.

OK, so that means you have a conventional soundcard in the machine?

No real sound card, just basic on-board audio. Everything is connected to the computer via USB ports. Mic is XLR cable to Preamp, then left right audio cables out to the mixer, then the mixer connects to the computer via a USB cable.

Next time it fails, go into Windows setups and see if Windows can still find all the pieces you think should be there, keeping in mind RF systems can have “magic” failures: radio interference, cancellation, “flickering”, etc.

Everything is still set to the default I had it set to. I wasn’t having issues with any other program that used my headphones. I could use them fine on everything else. It’s only in Audacity and only when I hit record/play. I don’t currently use a the mic for anything but recording on Audacity.

Did you, by any chance, recently buy another Convenient Wireless Device?

Nope. No new wireless in my house.



Was there a Windows update just before this went wrong?

Nope no new updates or anything.

9

I could use them fine on everything else.

Any other recorders? As a fuzzy rule, recorders or content producers are very particular about tiny errors.

Nobody cares if your wireless headphones skip a beat or produce very tiny holes in the music as you’re jogging on the beach. But tiny holes in an important recording are very serious. Audacity needs all its data streams on-line and perfect to work right. It’s one of the reasons Audacity doesn’t do well over network drives. It doesn’t speak network collision detection, direction swapping and routing delays.

Koz

10

The main use for WASAPI host is a special “loopback” recording device to record computer playback, and lower latency. You are not recording overdubs so you don’t need to worry about latency. It is probably possible to fix the error by delving into the Windows Sound control panels, but you don’t need to use WASAPI.


Gale