Need to record left and right channel at different volumes

valiant66 · Post by **valiant66** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:38 am

(Audacity 1.3.5) I have a live recording I made and the left and right channels were recorded at different levels. How do I correct for this while recording to Audacity? I can't figure out how to set separate levels for the input channels, only the master level.

Thanks.

allencmcbride · Post by **allencmcbride** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:00 am

I don't know how to do it *while* recording, but after you've recorded, just click the title of the track, and in the drop-down menu select "Split Stereo Track", and then adjust the levels of the two tracks the way you want them. You can do this with the amplification effect or with the gain slider. Then select both tracks, and in the upper one, go to the drop-down menu again and select "Make Stereo Track". --Allen

Post by **kozikowski** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:09 am

That's correct. Audacity doesn't do anything in real time except capture. If the capture system or device doesn't let you change it ahead of the Mac, then you get to do it in Post Production. See: McBride.

Wait. This just in!

You might be able to cheat the two channels' capture volumes with...

Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup. That's a supervisory panel to System Preferences. Try launching Audacity and click once in the record meters. They will wake up and monitor the capture volume without going into record.

Koz

allencmcbride · Post by **allencmcbride** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:25 am

Fantastic. That's definitely the coolest thing I've learned today. Adjusting left and right gain separately does work, at least on my system. I wouldn't even call it a hack; that's just straight-up know-how. But more importantly (for my purposes), I finally know how to control the bit depth mode for the soundcard. --Allen

valiant66 · Post by **valiant66** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:41 pm

Ah. That's why I couldn't figure this out before. I'm using the iMic USB for input, and in the Audio MIDI Setup only the master volume adjust works. Channels 1 & 2 are greyed out. But if I switch to the Built-in Line Input, the master becomes greyed out ant channels 1 & 2 become active.

Well, I guess all I've got to do now is buy a longer cable to reach the tower instead of the USB hub.

Thanks guys!

Oh, and BTW @allenmcbride, I didn't want to split the channel and boost one side -- I'd much rather throw bits away than have to invent them. The difference in level was significant -- on the order of 10 db -- I'd rather record both channels just below clipping and then balance them out in post.

Ta.

Post by **kozikowski** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:13 pm

Once you start using USB, the computer becomes a bitstream manager, not an audio manager. There is no more "Left."

I'd be making significant effort to find out where the unbalance is. That is a serious error.

I had an iMic for a while. I thought so highly of it I boxed it and put it in the garage. Best place for it.

Koz

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Need to record left and right channel at different volumes

Need to record left and right channel at different volumes

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