Audacity Forum

I am on Audacity Latest version 1.3.12 with a brand new Toshiba laptop C655D-S5048.

I am trying to record 45-RPM records from an old turntable from "Output to Tape" markings on its RCA- type connection on it. This unit still plays out to the speakers just fine.

Running an RCA - to - 1/4" or 1/8" jack cable from turntable to the Toshiba.

I have brought down the level to 16-bit recording with 8000 Hz. They originally showed 32-bit AND 44.1 KHz.

I am also zooming out to show at least 7 minutes of recording window at once (4-5 minute recordings) and shrinking the size of the view window (minimized).

The only monitoring I am doing is listening to the recording being made on a set of headphones -- nothing else is active.

I STILL get the "skips" in recording, usually about 1 minute, 30 seconds or more into the recording. Why is it still overfilling the buffer?? What am I doing wrong??

Krautkramer wrote:I am on Audacity Latest version 1.3.12 with a brand new Toshiba laptop C655D-S5048.

Latest version is 1.3.13.

Krautkramer wrote:I am trying to record 45-RPM records from an old turntable from "Output to Tape" markings on its RCA- type connection on it. Running an RCA - to - 1/4" or 1/8" jack cable from turntable to the Toshiba. I have brought down the level to 16-bit recording with 8000 Hz. They originally showed 32-bit AND 44.1 KHz.

Be aware that the recording will sound rather like a telephone at 8000 Hz.

Krautkramer wrote:I am also zooming out to show at least 7 minutes of recording window at once (4-5 minute recordings) and shrinking the size of the view window (minimized).

The only monitoring I am doing is listening to the recording being made on a set of headphones -- nothing else is active.

I STILL get the "skips" in recording, usually about 1 minute, 30 seconds or more into the recording. Why is it still overfilling the buffer?? What am I doing wrong??

It sounds as if you have been trying sensible things, but be aware that laptops are rarely as fast as desktops. I would suggest looking at all the tips on Managing Computer Resources and Drivers, especially system tray programs and the section at the bottom about sound device drivers.



Gale

I looked again -- I am already in Audacity 1.3.13 Beta, and I am still having problems with skips in recording.

It says to turn off "Autoscroll while playing" in the Interface preferences.

I go into Edit->Preferences->Interface and I do not find "Autoscroll while playing".

Where is this function located?

I also tried to have it use RAM (for slow running drivers) and it did not help.

What amount of laptop RAM should I have for this Toshiba C655D ?

Any information will be helpful -- I am completely frustrated with this entire thing !!

Krautkramer wrote:It says to turn off "Autoscroll while playing" in the Interface preferences.

That setting is now in "Edit > Preferences > Tracks" (Update display while playing).
Do you have a web link for where it says "the Interface preferences"?

Krautkramer wrote:I looked again -- I am already in Audacity 1.3.13 Beta, and I am still having problems with skips in recording... I also tried to have it use RAM (for slow running drivers) and it did not help.

What amount of laptop RAM should I have for this Toshiba C655D ?

Are you using a USB hub? If so, don't. Use the hub for mice or keyboards only. Is it USB 2.0 (faster)?

Have you tried increasing the default "Audio to buffer" setting of 100 milliseconds in the Recording Preferences?

steve wrote:Do you have a web link for where it says "the Interface preferences"?

I've added corresponding Beta menu paths to http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Manag ... nd_Drivers .



Gale

Hello --

Me again with the Toshiba C655 and the 1.3.13 Beta ........

I dropped the "Update display screen while playing", and made sure I was at 100 milliseconds.

I zoomed out to show more recording time space. I minimized my screen.

I am at 44.1 KHz and 16-Bit configuration.

I disabled "play or recording using RAM" because it did not help.

No, I am not using any kind of BUS. It is an RCA "output to tape" port from an old turntable record player (playing 45 RPM records) that is connected to the Toshiba laptop with 1/8" jack.

Still, the computer seems to fill the buffer and start to skip when recording, when in fact nothing like that is heard over the record player monitor speaker.

Now what do I do???

Krautkramer wrote:I ... made sure I was at 100 milliseconds.

Actually, my suggestion was to increase it (say to 200 milliseconds) .

Krautkramer wrote:No, I am not using any kind of BUS. It is an RCA "output to tape" port from an old turntable record player (playing 45 RPM records) that is connected to the Toshiba laptop with 1/8" jack.

OK, apologies --- but that's why it is a bad idea to start your own issue on someone else's thread. The subject of this topic (above each message) was "issues with audacity on laptop + input via USB"!

Better to start a brand new topic (I've now split it to a new topic).

Krautkramer wrote: Still, the computer seems to fill the buffer and start to skip when recording, when in fact nothing like that is heard over the record player monitor speaker. Now what do I do???

I wouldn't expect any skips over the record player speaker - the issue is writing the recording to disk when it gets to the computer. What version of Windows - XP, Vista, 7? 32-bit or 64-bit?

It isn't usually easy to add extra RAM to laptops.

I think your next steps are:

a) to make sure your computer sound device has the latest drivers specific to your version of Windows and to your laptop motherboard, as supplied by the sound device or motherboard manufacturer. If you have 64-bit Windows, the drivers need to be 64-bit. See: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... ce_Drivers .

b) turn off any anti-virus scanning being done in the Audacity temporary directory (see the Audacity Directories Preferences for the location of that ).

Ultimately however many people on laptops who have recording issues end up getting a USB interface to plug the record, tape player or other output into. This is mostly for pure sound quality reasons and reduction of noise, rather than to combat dropouts.

Most laptops only have a (usually mono) microphone input. That input will easily distort if you plug record or tape player output into it. Even if it is stereo, it will not be of the quality you would get with a stereo line-level input on a USB interface or sound card.

If the dropouts are not due to speed and resource issues on your machine but just due to a crap sound device, the only answer is a USB device (like the original poster in the first topic in this thread was using).



Gale