Need help recording stereo music

[shashgo]

When I press record in audacity, the recording only seems to happen in mono mode, that is, only one track. How do I make stereo recordings, so that there is a left and a right channel? I want the CDs that I make to play in stereo mode in my car stereo, that is I want the speakers on both sides to be playing, currently I just hear audio from the speakers on the right, which leads me to believe Im not recording in stereo.

So how do I record in stereo or make my recorded music into a stereo track

[kozikowski]

This error usually happens on the Left which makes me think you may have other problems, but...

Audacity wakes up from First Birthday in mono. Reset in Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O > Recording > Two Track (Stereo).

Restart Audacity.

Are you using a USB turntable?

Koz

[shashgo]

Okay Ill set the preferences to record two channel, I didnt know I had to do that. Thanks, and Ill keep you posted if I have more questions. Thanks

[steve]

By popular demand, the default in Audacity 1.3 is now for 2 channel (stereo).

[shashgo]

okay Ill check out version 1.3, but isnt it still in Beta phase? Is it quite stable?

Anyways, even when I record songs in 2 channel stereo, when I put the song on my Ipod and play it though the car stereo, I can just hear sound out of the right speaker. And the music fades away to zero if I set the balance all the way to the left side. So it seems that I am still playing music in mono or 1 channel).

How can I fix this?

And what do the other channel numbers do, like if I select 3, 4 ...16

[steve]

even when I record songs in 2 channel stereo, when I put the song on my Ipod and play it though the car stereo, I can just hear sound out of the right speaker. And the music fades away to zero if I set the balance all the way to the left side. So it seems that I am still playing music in mono or 1 channel).

Does the track in Audacity look like a stereo track (two waveforms, one above the other)?
Exactly what are you recording and how do you have your equipment connected up?

[shashgo]

steve

I am recording streaming music from the internet. So I dont have any equipment connected. I just choose the input source as stereo mix. Thing is if I play the recorded music through the IPOD or from a CD that I have put the music on, and I listen to it through headphones, I can hear it in sterea. But when I put the CD and play it in my car stereo, I can just hear the music through the right side. Store bought CDS do play in stereo in my car stereo, so its not my car stereo.

This is frustrating

[steve]

I suggest that you make a test recording with something completely different on the left channel to what is on the right channel. Create two different tracks, pan one track to the extreme left, and the other to the extreme right so that when you play it you get one track playing through one speaker and the other track playing in the other. Then Export the project as a stereo track.

When you play this test recording in your car and you still have the same problem, then it looks like it is a "feature" of your car stereo when playing home recordings.

[shashgo]

okay ill try it, but how would the car stereo know that it is a home recording? Let me know if you have any more suggestions

[steve]

The player in your car stereo is a CD player?