recording device channels 1 mono only choice

[ChrisandBarb]

Windows Vista, new audiotechnica USB turntable. When I set up on Audacity 1.2 my recording device < USB Audio Codec > gives a drop down offfering 1 or 2 channels. When I set up Audacity 1.3.x I go to Audacity preferences>devices>Recording device> I select Microphone <USB Audio Codec> and the Channels dropdown only offers 1 choice <1 (mono)> there is no <2 (stereo)> choice and indeed when I start to record I only see a L channel input on the monitor. Audacity 1.2 hooked up on the same hardware records in stereo. Help??

[steve]

Audacity 1.2 hooked up on the same hardware records in stereo.

Audacity 1.2 records a "2 channel mono track". The left and right channels will be identical.

Unless you are using a stereo microphone the recording should be a mono track, which is what Audacity 1.3 does (with most set-ups).
If you specifically require a 2 channel track (for example if you want to apply a stereo effect such as "stereo chorus") then you can create a duplicate of the mono track (select the track then press Ctrl+D), then join the two tracks together by clicking on the name of the upper track and select "Make stereo track".

In most situations it is more efficient to work with normal mono tracks rather than 2 channel mono tracks. 2 channel mono tracks require double the disk space of a normal mono track and take longer to process.

[ChrisandBarb]

so I can't use the USB connector from my USB turntable with Audacity if I want to copy a stereo LP to CD; I must set it up with line in on my sound card (or mic) ? Thanks, Chris

[steve]

Sorry, I did the same thing as Windows does - I misread your question.
If you are using a USB "microphone", then my previous post is correct.

A USB turntable looks like a microphone to Windows, so Windows sets it as a mono device. However, because the turntable is really a stereo device you need to overrule Windows and tell Windows that it is a stereo device, then it will be available to Audacity as a stereo device. To do this, go into the Windows Control Panel. In the "Sounds" section, go to the "Recording" section and find the icon for the USB device. Right click on it and select "Properties". Somewhere in there you should find the setting to set it to "2 channel stereo CD Quality 16 bit 44100 Hz".
When you have set it in the Windows Control Panel, restart Audacity and in "Edit menu > Preferences > Devices" set Audacity to record 2 channel stereo.

[611jjdech]

Steve's response of April 07 remarks that a USB turntable looks like a microphone to Windows. I took my old Thorens TT out of the attic and bought a ARTcessories free-standing USB Preamp interface for the mag cartridge. I guess it ends up looking like a USB turntable. The preamp instructions say to set USB Audio Codec as the recording device in Volume Control=>Options=>Properties. In the Audacity Mixer Toolbar, the one and only input device is Microphone. How curious and how come????
For the time being, the stuff I want to copy is mono 78s and lp's, so mono will work for now.

[steve]

I guess it ends up looking like a USB turntable.

Yes, but probably better quality

What's your operating system?

[611jjdech]

Hi,
My OS is XP Pro on a 3yr old HP Media Center desktop with Realtek AC97 integrated sound. In Sounds and Aud Devices, I set the AC97 as the default playback device, and the USB Audio Codec as the default recording device. The UseOnlyDefault box is checked. The Codec has no volume box - it is greyed out. When I click the volume box under default playback, I get the AC97 volume control panel, and I have muted everything but Volume and Microphone, and put their sliders way up.

Interesting things happen when I click on Options in the Volume panel, and select Properties. You get a little window that supposedly lets you select a so-called Mixer Device for Recording and one for Playback. Odd thing is, they don''t match up with what you just got done doing in setting the default devices. You can change them in this little window but they are not permanently retained. Beats me.

In any event. when I open up an Audacity project screen, I click on the left record channel, and I get some wigglies. I click to set up monitoring. I put the tone arm on a record, and the left channel indicator goes up and away. HOWEVER, I do NOT get any sound from the computer speakers. Then I push the record button and I can see the waveforms in the bottom window, BUT I still do NOT get any sound from the speakers. Then I click to reset to the start mark and click play and it starts playback BUT I still do NOT get any sound from the speakers.

From reading the material on the website, I get the feeling that this business is a snaggled-toothed mess to say the least. Nothing is clear and straightforward. Unfortunately, it is no help that my 83-yer old doesn't function as well as it used to when I wrote tech manuals for Unisys in days of yore. Anything you can do to shed a light a la cookbook directions would be much appreciated.

[waxcylinder]

... I do NOT get any sound from the computer speakers. Then I push the record button and I can see the waveforms in the bottom window, BUT I still do NOT get any sound from the speakers. Then I click to reset to the start mark and click play and it starts playback BUT I still do NOT get any sound from the speakers.

In your Preferences for Recording have you got "Software Playthough: ..." set to "on" - you need that for what you are doing.

Ok some cookbook stuff:

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Tuto ... iscs_to_CD

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Reco ... turntables

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Reco ... pm_records

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Samp ... gitization

WC

Ah Unisys eh - I remember progranmming on the big old 1108s with their (physically) huge Fastrand horiziontally mounted magnetic drums. Those were the days ...