Audacity Forum

Greetings to all at Audacity Forums

I have a question that I can't find the answer to on the internet (!) in the user guide (!) or in the forums (!).
I usually try very hard to research the topics I bring up so please consider this when replying. I am not so new to forum posts...

I am using various PC's while I relocate from various places and am without my own PC which has an M-Audio soundcard and various software for recording.
Due to financial and temporary restraint I have decided to give Audacity a go. So far it seems a lot like soundforge....

There seems to be some use of Audacity as a recording device for bands/artists putting their ideas down.
However I have come across a few limitations of the software.

Recording in steps seems to be impossible.

I have recorded a backing track and tried to record a new track on top but ... the new track also picks up the backing track.
If I mute the audio of the first track, then I don't have anything to play against.
If I record using a click track then I also pick up the noise of the click track in the new track.

This seems to be a limitation of the software as I haven't found any solutions to this problem.

Remember, I'm comparing the functionality of Audacity to that of a professional software sequencer such as Cubase, Logic or Tracktion.
The same functionalty can be found in hardware multitracks such as those built by Roland, Tascam, Fostex, Yamaha and Boss.

If anybody has figured out a way to get the same functionalty from Audacity then I would be most impressed and interested .

Thanks in advance!

<<<Recording in steps seems to be impossible. >>>

...in 1.2.
Audacity 1.3 has an append recording hotkey that I don't know the value of without looking it up. Then there's Record Pause, which will just pick right up where it left off -- assuming you don't press Stop.

<<<I have recorded a backing track and tried to record a new track on top>>>

http://audacityteam.org/help/faq?s=reco ... ulti-track

Koz

kozikowski, Thanks for replying.

I'm checking out 1.3 now. The giveaway is where it says "for advanced users" silly me.

I'll give it a try. Hopefully it'll resolve this issue I'm having. Thanks again for your help.

*Edit* Version 1.3 seems to have the same problem. I think it's more of a hardware issue than the program itself. At least I'm assuming that. I've posted a blurb on the internet about this (http://tiplet.com/tip/how-to-make-a-mul ... -audacity/) pointing out some solutions with the right hardware.

If anybody has recorded using Audacity like a multi track recorder with any success, or if you have had the same problems as me, It'd be good to hear from you. I'd like to use my problem solving skills - and part of that is communication

Cheers!

musotronic wrote:
I'm checking out 1.3 now. The giveaway is where it says "for advanced users" silly me.

I'll give it a try. Hopefully it'll resolve this issue I'm having.

Don't be scared off by the "advanced users" or the "unstable" descriptions. 1.3.7 is now pretty mature an emminently stable for day to day use. It has many more useful features than 1.2.x which is so ancient that Noah would have used it before the flood.

There is likely to be at least one more beta releas soon - 1.3.8 for some bug fixes - we are expecting the next "stable" release (likely to be called 2.0) in the fall of this year. So 1.3.7 is now pretty close to what the bext stable release will be.

WC

Using Audacity 1.3.7

musotronic wrote:Recording in steps seems to be impossible.

Press the record button (or the "R" key) to start recording.
Press the Spacebar (or "stop" button) to stop the recording.
Press "SHIFT+R" to continue recording (append recording).

musotronic wrote:the new track also picks up the backing track.

You need to set the Windows Mixer to record from the input source that you are using (microphone or line in). If you have it set to record from "Stereo Mix" then it will record all sounds that are playing on the computer, including any other tracks that are playing.
The Windows mixer can usually be accessed from the loudspeaker icon near to the clock.
If you are on Vista, you may need to set it up in the Control Panel http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... ng_devices

In Audacity 1.3 you can freely cut and paste tracks or parts of tracks to other tracks, or to a different place on the same track.
You can also use the "Time Shift Tool" (double headed arrow) to slide audio clips left/right to where you want them.

There's some great information in the Tips and Tutorials sections of the Audacity wiki (see links at top of page).