Hi. I’m a Windows 8 64 Bit, Audacity 2.0.3 wanting to install some plug-ins to enhance my recordings. I have not found many forum topics on my Op. Sys., hopefully I can get my question answered here? I have previously successfully loaded and used the Lame MP3 Encoder so I can export my files in MP3 format. I’m learning how to mix, master, and render my files for a more professional and clean sounding file. I was watching an YouTube instructional video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcEQJBO1Kj0 that recommended as one of the steps to use a Limiter to increase the overall volume of the track. He was using a 3rd. party plugin called the George Yohng W1 Limiter. http://www.yohng.com/software/w1limit.html My concern is if there are any known issues concerning conflicts between Audacity, Windows 8, and the W1 Limiter or third party plugins? When I looked on Yohng.com, I don’t see any mention regarding Win.8, only Win.7 and it says the Win. Limiter file is backwards compatible, but I’m running an even newer Op.Sys. and that’s my concern. If there are issues with running other third party plugins, is there another Limited other than the Hard Limiter effect that came with my version, or if that will work for what I’m trying to do? Also, I would also like to expand my effects and any additional tools, but I’m not sure if I will cause issues because of the Windows 8 Op. Sys. too? So far I have not had any issues and I’m hoping to keep that way.
Thanks!
Newbie Bill.
Audacity is a 32 bit application and I believe it only supports 32 bit plug-ins (even on a 64 bit system).
There is a simple to use Limiter that is a “Nyquist plug-in”. It is available here: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/peak-limiter/20300/1
Instructions for installing: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Download_Nyquist_Plug-ins#Installing_Plug-ins
I’m looking for a good, malware free and safe VST Plug-in Virtual Keyboard software, so I can use my Roland XP-80 music keyboard in Audacity Ver. 2.0.3 on my Winddows 8.1 Laptop PC. Is there already a VST Plug-in that you can suggest? I found a free download on line called “Virtual Keyboard” from proinstall-download.com However, my virus protection software advised not to download, because of a Malware threat. So… I thought it might be a good idea to ask the community if they have used this VST Plug-in, or if the could recommend another one. If I overlooked any essential information , please reply back with additional questions or suggestions.
Thank you so… much.
PS: Also, from your documentation “Why can’t I record my electronic keyboard using the USB cable?” at your link below, and it appears that Audacity Ver. 2.0.3 may not support MIDI anyway? Has that changed? I am using a Roland Octa-Capture Sound card that supports audio inputs with XLR, 1/4” manual ring tip jacks, DAT, and MIDI. I do think that I can accomplish what I need to do for now by connect from the AUX or Line outputs of the keyboard to the line-in port(s) of my sound card. Since I have both L. & R. Aux outs, then I would need to record a stereo track in Audacity, and not mono… correct? Anyway, it would still be nice to be able to have the MIDI capability.
Audacity Forum Topic:
“Why can’t I record my electronic keyboard using the USB cable?”
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_recording_troubleshooting.html#keyboards
PPSS: Related links below.
Free Virtual Keyboard by proinstall-download.com from CNET site.
http://download.cnet.com/Free-Virtual-Keyboard/3000-2072_4-75989972.html
Virtual Keyboard by proinstall-download.com
http://download-start.com/62831318/ddl/103467/LabvwVoEBOBTZtVabehzBYqLQttvNIsZAauIhUmcoUyGmgEkJt?b_adgroupid=2415040114&b_adid=5980081972&b_bidmatchtype=bb&b_campaignid=190728709&b_device=c&b_match=b&b_orderitemid=40653813996&b_query=free+music+keyboard+software
WARNING!!! This site may contain Malware!
http://proinstall-download.com
I am under the impression that Youtube guy doesn’t know what he’s doing. That’s just by listening to the sound, so it might be a Youtube problem.
But, still, that plugin looks very promising, as it is a Waves L1 clone. It has been in beta since september 2013 though. Could it be abandoned?
IMHO you don’t use a limiter to make things louder. And the reason given in the vid doesn’t cut it. Lower levels don’t change the sound balance. And digital gain is noise free and plenty… I think he’s fixing a problem that doesn’t exist. Use gain and a little compression if you need it. And use envelope gain to trim to your real needs, decided by ear. A waveform can be a lot louder than it looks, or a lot quieter.
Well… I’m now thinking that I might need something like the Virtual Keyboard or some other Synth plug-in anyway? I’m primarily a guitarist and most of my other devices are more current technology. I was just wanting to had a simple piano part on a separate track. Anyway, I have this old Roland XP-80 keyboard that I don’t use much, and now I don’t seem to be able to get the source into Audacity? I came mono out of the Left channel like the manual said to do, and I tried different channels and settings with Audacity and the Roland Octa-Capture and I can’t hear anything in the headphones via the sound card for some reason? I must be missing a setting somewhere between the keyboard, sound card, or Audacity? I decided to go have lunch and walk away from it for a little while. Maybe the bit rate setting I’m using in Audacity is too high for that Old School keyboard? But I tried playing around with that setting and nope, still not sound or input? Part of my issue may even be Win. 8.1, but like I said I have successfully recorded vocals, guitar via my GT-10 effect pedal, voice, and I’ve imported .wav effects. Like I said, it’s been quite a while since I played around with that old key board. I originally thought this should be fairly straight forward, but like I said before… for some reason I can’t hear the keyboard source? Do you have any thoughts or ideas for a simple setup? I’m going to go eat lunch!
Thanks Cyrano for your quick reply!
Buffo
PS: I did find this link on YouTube, and I’m going to watch if after lunch. But I’m still not sure it’s going to help me solve this current issue?
Tweaking Windows 8.1 For Audio and Music Production:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhQVkv3NM3k
There are thousands of VST plugins out there. You can always ask, but most often it is up to the user to try plugins of interest and report problems. In any case you nay want to try alternative plugins to find the one that suits yourself best.
There is no known difference between Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 as regards Audacity’s VST support.
Steve is correct that Audacity is a 32-bit host on Windows. So Audacity will not see 64-bit VST plugins even on 64-bit systems.
If you can only get 64-bit plugins, it “may” be possible to use a 32-bit “bridging” DLL (like jBridge ) to load the 64-bit plugins into Audacity.
Audacity does not support VSTi instruments:
Audacity Manual.
No - that keyboards FAQ is up-to-date. But you should consider upgrading Audacity anyway. 2.1.0 and 2.1.1 have real-time preview for most third-party effects.
Yes - if you set Audacity to record in mono you will probably only get the left channel recorded, but it depends on the sound card.
It is a popular request. I can add your “vote” but there are no short term plans to add MIDI recording.
Gale
Which is it, you’re recording a flat line in Audacity, or you are recording waves in Audacity but you can’t hear what you’re recording in the sound card?
You have to choose the correct input you want to record from in Audacity’s Device Toolbar.
You should be able to hear the input while you’re recording in Octa. If you want Audacity to provide playthrough while you’re recording (which has latency) the setting is Transport > Software Playthrough. To hear playthrough (or playback of the finished recording) in Octa, you will have to set Octa as your playback device in Device Toolbar.
Gale
You sort of half lost me? I’m not familiar with the terminology “Flat Line”, and I thought I understood the “Wave” concept… but maybe not? I was under the impression that all source input were first recorded as a .wav file, and then converted to some other file format? Like I said above, all I did is come out of the back of my Roland XP-80 “Direct” Left 1/4” jack , into my external Roland Octa-Capture sound card channel 3. I did set Audacity to that channel. Also, I did get a Latency Problem warning pop-up in Audacity, and I can hear hiss in my head phone, but nothing else? If I put the keyboard head phones on, then I can hear just fine, so I know the keyboard is working.
On page 4 of my manual it says, “Multiple outputs The XP-80 is equipped with MIX OUTPUT and DIRECT OUTPUT stereo outputs. Outputs from two independent jacks allow different instrument sounds to be processed individually using external effects units and sophisticated mixing. (p.60, 68)
I can see in the documentation that assign the Output. For Mix page 58 it says, Output Assign MIX: The direct sound is output to MIX OUTPUT jack. If Chorus and/or Reverb is selected, these effects are output together with the direct sound.” Above that is says, “General (Effects general) display Use this display to decide how effects are to be connected. Parameters on display differ with the Output Assign parameter setting. * If you have selected 2–10 for Structure Type 1&2 (or 3&4) parameters (PATCH/Common/Structure), Tone 1 (or 3) and Tone 2 (or 4) outputs are combined into Tone 2 (or 4). Tone 1 (or 3) settings will be ignored. Output Assign parameter set to MIX.”
“Deciding on the destination of sound that’s gone through the EFX. Use EFX Output Assign parameter to send it to the MIX OUTPUT jack or DIR OUTPUT jack. ¼
Make fine adjustments for EFX, Chorus and Reverb to adjust the balance between these effects.”
Page 59 .“MIX: The sound will be output from the MIX OUTPUT jacks just as it is.”
“DIR: The sound that passes through EFX will be output to the DIRECT OUTPUT jack. If Chorus and/or Reverb is selected, these settings have no effect.
Page 15. OUTPUT DIRECT R jack, OUTPUT DIRECT L jack These jacks output only the direct sound (no effects applied) or EFX’d sound in stereo.
This is why I’m thinking I need to tell the Roland XP-80 how to send the output to Audacity? But I know that I have played it in the past… Quite awhile ago now, just thru powed speaker. I know I can do this, I just have not sorted it all out. I can’t attach .pdf files that both my Keyboard and Sound card documentation have, I was going to try and make it easier for you to help me. Sorry for being such a newbie on this aspect of recording with Audacity.
Thanks!
Buffo
All recordings are stored internally as PCM, which is analogous to WAV.
By “waves” I mean a waveform like this:
.
A “flat line” would just be a line in the horizontal centre of that track - no waves above or below the line.
What is the exact name of that recording device, as stated in Device Toolbar?
Which “host” are you choosing in the first box of Device Toolbar?
How many recording channels do you choose in the last box of Device Toolbar, and what options for recording channels does it give you?
It would assist diagnosis if you provided the content of Help > Audio Device Info… (top right of Audacity). In the window that opens, right-click and “Select All”. Right-click and “Copy”. Paste in here.
So, does that mean that the recording is stalling - a track is created but it has no content, no waves and no “flat line”?
Configure the sound card so the input from the keyboard is sent to the sound card headphones. Perhaps you have it listening to the computer output.
You also need to set up Audacity correctly, which could also be the problem. See above. Are you connecting the Octa-Capture to the computer solely using the USB cable?
Gale
Well… it’s been about a year since I posted a question regarding upgrading Audacity. I wrote a few months back about VST Plugins, and Gale suggested that I upgrade then to Audacity ver. 2.1.0 or 2.1.1, so that I could have real-time preview for most third-party effects. I am now interested in trying to find another Graphic EQ Plugin. I currently have the Graphic EQ Plugins by Martin Shaw & Mitch Golden Plugin installed. Are there any others that can be suggested for my Op. System, that can be recommended? I am currently running Win.8.1 64 Bit machine.
But before I upgrade and attempt to install another Graphic EQ VST Plugin, I would like to backup any files that I have created in Audacity. And after I upgrade I assume that the code is backwards compatible, and those older files will work on the new version of Audacity? I’m really just trying to avoid in issues that might occur and cause those files to not function.
So I really need to now the proper upgrade instructions. Such as… can I install ‘Over the Top’ of the old version 2.0.3? Or… is it better to uninstall the old version, and then install the fresh or new version? If the latter is true, then I need to copy my existing files and Plugin add-on’s correct? I was reading where there have been some issues with some functionality such as shortcuts. So then I did a search and came across an older video regarding upgrading to version 2.0.3, and that’s what prompted me to write the forum to get better instructions before doing so.
Thank you.
Buffo
KEEP YOUR PLUGINS when upgrading Audacity:
http://www.freeaudacitytutorials.com/upgrade-audacity-plugins/
After upgrade to 2.1.2 problem with keyboard shortcuts:
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/after-upgrade-to-2-1-2-problem-with-keyboard-shortcuts/41277/1
There’s a whole lot of EQ’s out there. Here are some free eq’s I like and that work well with Audacity:
Kuassa Basiq. Some might not see this as an eq, as it only has three knobs. It’s tone is wonderful, however.
TDR VOS Slick EQ and TDR Nova, both from Tokyo Dawn Records. Very good, very complete and very good tone. Their other plugins are certainly worth a look too!
Toned, from LVC audio:
http://lvcaudio.com/plugins/toned/
Melda (demo version, but not limited, besides a small message in the window that doesn’t affect sound at all). Disadvantage: you need to install all the free Melda VST’s, about 50 of them. See:
That video is complete nonsense. The Audacity installer on Windows does not overwrite plugins you added yourself to Audacity’s Plug-Ins folder if you overwrite-install to the same folder as before.
It’s really a bad idea to look at YouTube videos about Audacity - we don’t make any of those ourselves and we have no control over the thousands of them that are online.
This official FAQ should answer your questions: Audacity Manual.
Yes that one is an Audacity bug, which will be fixed for the eventual 2.1.3 release. However it only affects shortcuts that are in a cascading submenu.
Gale