Audacity Forum

Hi there, my name is Lloyd. I would like to describe my issue: I am a little overwhelmed with technology and would really appreciate a simplistic answer to my post! Ok. I have Pioneer CD-J's and an Ecler mixer. It is hooked up to a mini amp with little speakers. I have wanted to record my mixes for some time. I bought a Behringer UFO 202 Interface that has a USB to my laptop. On the interface, I have the L & R input connected to my line out on my mixer and the output to the Rec. out. Is this right?
I have downloaded Audacity and here is the problem: it will not record. Sometimes I hear a really odd sound like it is picking up the track that is playing but it not the track. Before it was picking up my windows media player but it sounded muffled, really bad. I have read a lot of your tutorials and am really trying but honestly I feel confused by it and would really appreciate your help. Also, I have Windows Vista.Thank you.

Which Audacity version do you have?

You posted in the 1.2.x section of the forum, but if you're on Vista you should have Audacity 1.3.13.
You can get it from here: http://audacityteam.org/download/beta_windows

You said you got a Behringer UFO-202 right? That's for connecting a device such as a turntable to a computer. For connecting a mixer or amp you should probably have got its cousin UCA-202.

You connect the output of the mixer/amp to the input of the behringer and then the usb cable to the computer as in this pic:


Then you run Audacity and in Preferences -> Devices you select the USB device as the recording device (it's the one with USB in the name, something like "USB Codec").

Thanks for the reply bgravato. Well, I'm sorry to sound dumb but how can I tell which version I have? I did try to find out but I can't see where it says what version it is. I will download that link you sent me. the guy in the shop recommended the UFO 202, will that not be ok? I will get the other if it won't work. Could that be why the sound is so weird on it? I wish I could describe the sound when it tries to record...it's like waves and it's screechy: it sounds bad and I got paranoid that it would blow my speakers. Is that possible? I will download that version you recommended though. Thanks so much for your help. And look forward to your reply Also does that mean I should delete the old Audacity program I have before downloading the new one? thanks

lloydcopper wrote: how can I tell which version I have?

Look in the Help menu and click on "About Audacity".

If you are connecting the mixer to the UFO 202, ensure that the switch on the UFO 202 is set to "Line" and not "Phono".

I don't know the UFO-202, but according to Steve comment it seems to have a switch, so put it in the "Line" position and you should be fine!

If your version is not already the latest 1.3.13 (check in Help menu -> About Audacity as Steve said), then download the installer from link I posted before and run it. You don't need to delete anything, just run the installer and it will take care of the rest.

Make sure you select the "USB something" device in Preferences -> Devices -> Recording

bgravato wrote:I don't know the UFO-202, but according to Steve comment it seems to have a switch, so put it in the "Line" position and you should be fine!

If your version is not already the latest 1.3.13 (check in Help menu -> About Audacity as Steve said), then download the installer from link I posted before and run it. You don't need to delete anything, just run the installer and it will take care of the rest.

Make sure you select the "USB something" device in Preferences -> Devices -> Recording

Thank you both. Ok, Steve it is 1.2.6. I will download from the link. I did have it in line though. Thanks I will give it a shot.

also , i just downloaded the new program. Am trying it out now with the ufo202. it has recognised the codec which i have selected in the playback and recording fields in Devices in Preferences. But it appears to have waves on there, but no sound. Should the host sound be MME or Windows Direct Sound? I am playing around with it a bit also. Thanks.

1.2.6 is known for not working very well on recent systems such as Vista or Windows 7. For those windows versions 1.3.13 is the recommended version.

When you say no sound do you mean while recording or when you press the play button in audacity after you've recorded?

In the first case, if you wish to listen to the sound being recorded, during recording, you can activate "software playthrough" from the Transport menu.

In the latter case if you don't get any sound on the speakers when you hit play it means that you probably have the wrong device for playback selected. Where do you have your speakers connected to? If it's the computer sound card then you should select that as the playing device.

To make this task easier there's a shortcut to avoid going to the Preferences. You can enable the "Device Toolbar" from the View menu -> Toolbars. You will then have a toolbar at top with three drop-down menus for Host, Playing and Recording devices.

bgravato wrote:1.2.6 is known for not working very well on recent systems such as Vista or Windows 7. For those windows versions 1.3.13 is the recommended version.

When you say no sound do you mean while recording or when you press the play button in audacity after you've recorded?

In the first case, if you wish to listen to the sound being recorded, during recording, you can activate "software playthrough" from the Transport menu.

In the latter case if you don't get any sound on the speakers when you hit play it means that you probably have the wrong device for playback selected. Where do you have your speakers connected to? If it's the computer sound card then you should select that as the playing device.

To make this task easier there's a shortcut to avoid going to the Preferences. You can enable the "Device Toolbar" from the View menu -> Toolbars. You will then have a toolbar at top with three drop-down menus for Host, Playing and Recording devices.

Thanks. I will use the 1.3.13 from now on then. Well, it's weird cos a couple of times whilst recording I heard it trying to record it and it was like echoing over itself. But it didn't seem to have the USBcodec option then.
Then when I did select the codec option, I could see the levels going on the wave meter thingy, but then when I tried to play it, no sound. On the new Audacity I have selected microphone as 7usb audio and also microphone as 7usb audio.
I have the software playthrough box checked.

My speakers are connected to a mini Diamond amp.The model is DM 126. I would like to describe my set up for you.
I have Pioneer cd-j's and they have an A out, B out and digital out. I have the A out (2 RCAs) and B out (also 2 RCAS) connected to my Ecler mixer, and they go into cd 1 and cd 2 on the mixer.
The mixer also has a line out, record out and out 1 and out 2. I have the record out of the mixer connected to the input RCA holes on the UFO202. I have the line out on the mixer connected to the output holes on the UFO.
The UFO has a USB connected to my laptop.
On the back of the amp, I have: AUDIO INPUT and that has RCA holes for: AUX R & L, FRONT R & L, SUR R & L, and SUBWOOFER/CENTER. All those are connected to these mini speakers that came with it except the SUBWOOFER/CENTER holes which have nothing. There is also a speaker output panel which has : FRONT R & L, SUR R & L and SUBWOOFER PRE OUT and CENTER. They are also connected to the little speakers (I have 5 speakers.)

Should I have the UFO connected to the speakers? Is that why I can't hear it? I just thought I should have it connected to the mixer. So could you tell me if those connections sound right and also explain if I need a sound card?

I apologise for the huge amount of info, I noted your signature asks for as much info as possible so I just wanted to try and paint a picture for you. I really appreciate your help. THanks, Lloyd