When I am recording overdubs sometimes, it will start to skip the sounds in the original tracks I am playing back, and will begin dropping out. This builds, and then it makes a digifart noise. When I hit stop, it takes a long time to respond, then when it does stop, the meters remain frozen for a few seconds. I have thought that maybe my computer has background programs running that are major CPU hogs, or something like that.
Whenever this happens, it is usually when I am on a third or fourth overdub pass.
Any ideas
When you overdub, the machine has to play all your old tracks perfectly in sync and real time and record the new track, also in sync and real time. This isn’t like calculating a spreadsheet where it doesn’t care how much time it takes. Overdubbing cares a lot.
So it may be a combination of speed and capacity. The machine may just not be up to it.
Make sure Audacity is the only thing running when you overdub. Make sure Skype is actaully closed and not just napping in the corner. Turn off WiFi and disconnect the network.
it takes a long time to respond, then when it does stop, the meters remain frozen for a few seconds.
That sounds like you’re running out of hard drive space, or the machine can’t access it fast enough. It’s choking.
Koz