Multi-tracking problem: trk1 copies onto trk2

[Quillfiller]

Hi, Ive looked on the Wiki and in other posts without success - see text in green.

PC with AMD Athlon 2 Gig, 512 RAM Gigabyte motherboard, using XP

Have used Audacity for a couple of years but suddenly have a problem with
multi-track recording, maybe something ive unwittingly altered somewhere, I don’t know.

After Ive recorded onto track 1 I go to play along and add a new instrument to track 2 but I also get track 1 interfering, recording its contents onto track 2. I want to hear it but not have it record onto track 2, just monitor it.

Open the “Audio I/O” section of the Audacity preferences, and check the box labeled Play other tracks while recording new one.

If I select Preferences / "Play Other Tracks While Recording New One" As stated, Track 1 copies onto track 2 when I attempt to add another instrument.

I this is box is unchecked I can hear what I’m playing new onto track 2 but not able to monitor what’s already been recorded on track 1 so I can play along to it.

Why can’t I hear what I’m recording? Windows and Linux
To monitor your recording, open your computer's volume control panel. Turn up the playback volume and turn off the “mute” checkbox for your recording source (usually “microphone” or “line in”).
I’ve done this.

If this does not work, open the Audacity preferences. In the “Audio I/O” section, turn on the “Software Playthrough” option.

If I do this I still can’t hear track 1 and a kind of echo feedback builds up on track 2.

If on Windows or Linux, in the dropdown menu on Audacity's Mixer Toolbar, choose the correct input you are plugged into (probably microphone or line-in).

On Mixer Toolbar Input selector dropdown list is showing OK, and problem persists whatever option I choose: Microphone, Stereo Mix, Line-in etc

I'm wondering if instead of an Audacity problem it's something to do with my PCs Sounds and Audio Devices settings.
In addition to re-installing Audacity, I’ve also copied the Sound and Audio Device settings that work on a borrowed Dell Inspiron Laptop with XP, successfully running Audacity, again without any luck. However, on my own PC in Sound and Audio Device Settings, in the Volume button in the "Sound Recording" Audio tab I'm not able to tick either of the "Select"
boxes - it wont let me.

So to sum up, do you think it's an Audacity settings prob, a PC audio settings thing, or something else?
I have to give the borrowed laptop back very soon and I've limited technical knowledge, so simple instructions would be greatly appreciated if you can think of a solution. Can usually work through these things but have hit a brick wall here.

Cheers, Mark

[Gale Andrews]

Mark,

Sorry you got a less than useful response on the developers' list, but that isn't the right place to ask user questions (it's meant for developers to discuss coding and program improvements and so on). I've unsubscribed you from that list as I'm sure you don't want to receive all those technical e-mails...

As you have pretty much worked out for yourself, it isn't an Audacity problem. The problem is the drivers of the sound device on this PC are broken - it's common to find this on Windows computers. Because the drivers are broken, they are not letting you select the input you want in Recording Volume. What is actually happening is that the drivers are recording stereo mix, which records all the sounds playing on the computer. So because you are playing track 1 while recording track 2, you get track 1 recorded into track 2 as well as the instrument you are actually recording.

You could try clicking Options > Properties in Recording Volume. In the dialogue you come to, you may find an unchecked box for "Stereo Mix" or "Wave Out". Try checking it, and click OK. That will make the "Stereo Mix" option appear with a select box and a volume slider. It "might" let you check the input you want, which should uncheck stereo mix (only one input at a time should be selectable). What you need to do is get "line-in" selected, assuming your instrument or mixer is attached to line-in of the computer. There are some diagram here to help you:
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... ssues#xpcp

If this does not work, then you will need to use Windows Device Manager to try and get manufacturer-specific drivers that let you choose the correct input, or go to the web site of the sound device or motherboard manufacturer directly to look for these. There is help on this here:
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... ce_Drivers

Thanks

Gale

[Quillfiller]

Hi Gale,

Sorry you got a less than useful response on the developers' list, but that isn't the right place to ask user questions (it's meant for developers to discuss coding and program improvements and so on). I've unsubscribed you from that list as I'm sure you don't want to receive all those technical e-mails...

Sorry for posting in the wrong forum, and thanks for removing me from that list.

Appreciate you taking the time to give a detailed response and suggestions, which I found very useful, and for confirming it was my PC settings / driver that was the problem rather than Audacity. Rather than perhaps getting out of my depth with the drivers and updating them I decided to get a new Sound Blaster Audigy sound card installed, which has pretty much solved the problem, though I no longer get "Stereo" as an option in the Audacity Toolbar drop-down list, "What U Hear" seems to have replaced it, and a mono signal in (when Stereo is selected in Preferences/ Recording / Channels) only goes onto the left channel rather than mono in 2 like I used to get before the problem. Though that is of course a different issue to the one above, so I'll look elsewhere in the forum for clues how to solve it.

Kindest Regards,
Mark

[steve]

though I no longer get "Stereo" as an option in the Audacity Toolbar drop-down list, "What U Hear" seems to have replaced it,

"What U Hear" is exactly the same as "Stereo Mix". Creative Labs (who make SB cards) have always called it "What U Hear".

a mono signal in (when Stereo is selected in Preferences/ Recording / Channels) only goes onto the left channel rather than mono in 2 like I used to get before the problem.

That's just down to what the sound card driver does, but it shouldn't pose a problem. The easiest thing is to set Audacity Preferences to 1 channel (mono) when you are going to record from a mono source (such as the microphone input). Alternatively you can click on the name of the track, and from the drop down menu select "Split stereo track". Then delete the silent track, and click on the name of the remaining track and set it to "mono".

[Quillfiller]

I'll try that, thanks for the info Stevethefiddle