I can't record!

[anlgp]

Hello!

I have audacity and one of these http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/F ... -main.html

in the audio preferances GUI I have the I/O set as "ALSA: FAST TRACK: USB AUDIO (hw:1,0) but when I record all I see is a flat blue line. I messed with the volume on the fast track USB and audacity just to be sure. Can someone please help? If I can record I will be so happy

[steve]

Sorry I can't offer much help with this, but check the following:

Check that Linux recognises that the M-Audio is connected - if you use a GUI for AlsaMixer, then it may show the M-Audio as a selectable device, though it probably will not have any controls for it).

"Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O" - Recording is set to USB AUDIO (hw:1,0)
"Edit > Preferences > Quality" - Sample rate and bit depth matches the M-Audio.

CLOSE AND RESTART Audacity.

(using my Zoom H2 as a USB microphone, that's all that I do, and it then works. The recording level is set on the Zoom H2).

[anlgp]

I don't know what's going on. I unmuted everything in alsamixer (I do use a GUI for that). Would this help?

==============================
Default capture device number: 0
Default playback device number: 1
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: OSS: /dev/dsp
Input channels: 16
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: OSS: /dev/dsp1
Input channels: 16
Output channels: 16
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: ALSA: HDA Intel: STAC92xx Analog (hw:0,0)
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: -1.000000
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: ALSA: Fast Track: USB Audio (hw:1,0)
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
32000
44100
48000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: ALSA: default
Input channels: 128
Output channels: 128
Low Input Latency: 0.042653
Low Output Latency: 0.042653
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
16000
22050
32000
44100
48000
88200
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: ALSA: dmix
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.042667
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.042667
Supported Rates:
48000
==============================
Selected capture device: 3 - ALSA: Fast Track: USB Audio (hw:1,0)
Selected playback device: 3 - ALSA: Fast Track: USB Audio (hw:1,0)
Supported Rates: 32000
44100
48000

[steve]

I don't know what's going on. I unmuted everything in alsamixer (I do use a GUI for that).

Your AlsaMixer GUI is probably just showing the inputs and outputs for (hw:0,0) (your sound card). The M-Audio USB is a different device (hw:1,0).

Can you record through the sound card? It may be worth trying to get that going first.

Which version of Audacity are you using? This forum board says Audacity 1.2.x, but the default version for Ubuntu 8.04 is Audacity 1.3.4
If you are using 1.3.4, you could try version 1.3.5 as described in this post: http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5177

[anlgp]

I've recorded through the sound card on another OS that is no longer with me.

I'm using audacity 1.3.5

[steve]

Device ID: 3
Device name: ALSA: Fast Track: USB Audio (hw:1,0)
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
32000
44100
48000

This shows the sample rates that the device supports, so you need to pick the right one of these three - most likely 44100 or 48000.

I've recorded through the sound card on another OS that is no longer with me.

With Audacity 1.3.5?

Sorry to say there's not a lot more I can suggest - perhaps someone on the forum for your Linux distro can help?
Unfortunately we tend to be rather short of knowledgeable Linux users on this forum. If you manage to get it going, do let us know how, it could help other users in the same situation.

[anlgp]

I don't know if it was with audacity 1.3.5 or not. Thanks for trying to help so far.

[steve]

Have a look here and see if anything helps: http://www.audacityteam.org/wiki/index. ... c_on_Linux

If you get it working, please post how you did it - it could help other users.

[hovergo]

I am new to the list but have used audacity for many years for various home projects.
I have Fedora 8 and Audacity 1.3.2-17rpm installation, installed about April/June 2008.
I can record from cd but not from tape or mic.
Can edit files, etc.
Tried all the settings in <Preferences> but
Audacity defaults to Pulseaudio with error message:
*** PULSEAUDIO: Unable to connect: Connection refused
Cant find anything in /etc/alsa/ that tells audacity to default to pulseaudio.

/usr/bin/alsamixer reports
*** PULSEAUDIO: Unable to connect: Connection refused
alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: Connection refused

Please help.
I am at a loss to know what to do.
Many thanks
Roger

[steve]

I can record from cd but not from tape or mic.

Set up Audacity so that it will record from CD

What do you now have selected in Audacities preferences for the recording device?

Open tour sound mixer application (you probably have a speaker icon in your desktop panel?) and go to the "Capture" settings. This is where you select the actual input source (select Microphone/Line/Mix/CD etc.)