Audacity Forum

Hello all,

I am running Windows XP with an "ON Board" Sound card.

Does anyone know of a way I can put multiple inputs into the card, to be recorded as multiple tracks simultaneously, then adjusted and mixed afterwards? It is coming out of a Yamaha mixer and the mixer sends a RightLeft signal into the sound card. I'd really like to get us all playing at the same time instead of having to drop one track at a time over 6 - 8 inputs / tracks.

Any help would be truly appreciated!

Thanks,
Rick

Hi Rick,

I had a similar question here, and was helped very well. It relates as follows:

If you are inputting a mix already into the pc, there's no way to un-scramble it.

You'd need a special USB or firewire interface/mixer which sends (to the pc) each thing you connect to it separate (on its own channels). Then you tell Audacity how many channels you are to record and it will keep each channel separate on separate tracks.

If you have already a USB (or firewire)/mixer interface, still it may or not be the type that sends each thing you connect to it on separate channels (Only the more pricy ones do, otherwise they still send only stereo, or two channels, one for left and one for right).

If you do have already a multi-channel interface, then you'd be OK basically as said, with the details left to the Devil.

Thaks so much for the response!

When you say USBFirewire interface, your talking about a USB "physical wire" between the mixer and the PC, correct? Then Audacity can separate the tracks?

That sounds simple enough. Does it require a special soundcard installed on the PC itself.

I truly appreciate your reply!

Rick

rickppw wrote:Thaks so much for the response!

When you say USBFirewire interface, your talking about a USB "physical wire" between the mixer and the PC, correct? Then Audacity can separate the tracks?

That sounds simple enough. Does it require a special soundcard installed on the PC itself.

I truly appreciate your reply!

Rick

Hi Rick,

USB or Firewire Interface would be actually a BOX which is also a MIXER into which one plugs one or more microphones, an electrical guitar, a MIDI keyboard, or any sort of sound-source that it is fit to receive.

Then if that box inputs into the PC by Firewire, then it's a Firewire interface. Ditto for USB.

In addition, in oreder for SIMULTANEOUS recording of various tracks (whatever number it is built to handle) it has to be Multi-Track. Otherwise even if Firewire or USB, but ONLY sends Stereo to the PC, then we can not record multiple tracks simultaneously. In that case, we would be the same as inputting data to the PC via the line-in jack, which can only handle Stereo (2 channels).

Firewire and USB interfaces send digital data to the PC and that data can go to Audacity bypassing the Sound card. Most sound cards are TWO channel, or stereo, so there's no sense in that data go to them.

When we want to also simultaneously record INTERNAL sounds of the PC (say like an MP3 or a MIDI file) then it can get more complex if you want to simultaneously record that as another track of the multitrack recording.

Depends on your budget and real needs, you can also use an external multi-track recorder (another type of box), which is like a mixer with its own recording capabilities).

As usual, it takes a Devil to handle the details.

Cool!

Again, thank you SO much for your reply.

I actually had started looking into interfaces and mixers and such and in order to "Give the Devil as little reign" on this project.. It means $500.00 to make it failry simple. But, I DO have a good idea of what's necessary in order to get the job done now...

Thanks again, Manguiko!

A CORRECTION TO MY ABOVE:

Where it says "In addition, in order for SIMULTANEOUS recording of various tracks (whatever number it is built to handle) it has to be Multi-Track."

It should rather say "In addition, in oreder for SIMULTANEOUS recording of various tracks (whatever number it is built to handle) it has to be Multi-CHANNEL (very important).

And THAT's because, if not multichannel, then it can do multi-track recording but ONLY in steps, or tracks at a time, but not simultaneously.

Here, 'multichannel' means MORE than 2 channels, which nowdays stereo is a minimum, and that's two channels.

Now, with a multi channel, multi-track external recorder, you may also want, if you need to, check that it has means to OUTPUT what it has recorded as separate channels, and also that the device that is to receive them be capable of receiving multi-channel. That's where interfaces may vary too. That's because maybe it can receive and record multi-channel simultaneous, but maybe it can only send output as a Mix, or maybe of all channels only two OUT at a time.

So, input channels and output channels are two separate specs.

Good luck in all.

so would the fast track ultra from m-audio be any gud at doing this?