PLEASE HELP! im just started using audacity yesterday...VSTA

[stupidaznlover]

In my recording music programs, I record the guitar on one track and it works fine. When I try to lay down the second track, the vocals for example, for some reason the first track, the guitar is also being recorded into the second vocal track. This means that now the second track that should only be vocals is a duplicated guitar and my newly recorded vocals. Because the first track was just the guitar and now the second track is a duplicated guitar and my newly added vocals, it gives off a weird echo and distortion. I have used these music programs on another computer and it worked fine. I got this new motherboard and I haven't been able to record since. Please help. Oh also, I have using headphones the whole time when I am recording. So it is not picking anything up from the speakers. And my stereo mix is disabled... and my realtek digital output is disabled too...so there...

Another way I can explain this issue is If I record a guitar on one track and then I push record but dont say anything, the first guitar track is just duplicated in the second track as well. If I were to record again without saying anything or playing anything the first track would then be duplicated in teh third track as well. For some reason every time I try to record again the motherboard acts as if it can hear that first track even if the microphone is off and the speakers are silent. This seemed to happen with EVERY sound thats playing on the computer, whether in windows media player, internet (i used an online metronome) etc. Let me know if you have any ideas.

My specs are:
Hp Laptop Dv6575
Vista Home Premium 32 bit
Realtek HD audio Manager (with latest driver distributed just this June 1,2009)
Line in Mic (not a very good mic but still)

Thanks for ur advices in advance...

[steve]

You need to set your recording input to "Line in" or "Mic in" (whichever you are using) and not "Stereo Mix".
See here for more information: http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... s_Vista_OS
Pay particular attention to paragraphs 3.4 and 3.5

Also, most Vista users find Audacity 1.3.7 to be a lot better than the old 1.2 version (in fact, most users on any platform).

[stupidaznlover]

umm...yea....as i sadi before my stereo mix is DISABLED.... and mine's set to "Microphone (Realtek High Definition)...and it does the same thing in 1.3.7 becaus i have both versions installed here in my laptop...

[steve]

as i sadi before my stereo mix is DISABLED

Oops, missed that

but the symptoms as you describe them are exactly right for Stereo Mix being enabled

I bet that you've been through all of the sound card settings a hundred times by now, so on the premise that all of your sound card settings are correct I can not think of any other cause other than a sound card driver bug. I see that you have the latest drivers, so perhaps you should see if there are any older drivers available and try backdating to earlier drivers.

Other than that I'm out of ideas - how about http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docu ... 62196#N489

[stupidaznlover]

My problem's solved! i installed a different driver...lol...but now i have a new problem.. X( posting a new topic soon.. Thanks for the advices steve...great response time i say... lol.. Good Day..

[stupidaznlover]

hmm..well, ive got a new problem...my mic which is plugged in has no trouble recording the first track ( loud, clear, etc.)...but after i press record again for 2nd track it sounds WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY too low...like its disappearing from time to time...any help on this? Thanks again in Advance...

[steve]

I've merged these topics because your previous posts give important background information.

Your current issue sounds like you may have some kind of "Automatic Gain Control" (AGC) "Noise Reduction" or "Echo cancellation" switched on. These are a common source of recording problems with on-board sound cards and the select/de-select tick boxes are often hidden away in some obscure part of the sound card control panel.