Problem Recording Stereo

[AlaskaJeff]

I'm new to Audacity. I'm recording old records, in stereo (2-channels checked in preferences), but I'm only getting one channel sound to come through, recording on both channels identically. Fine for most songs, but not where artist really uses the channels. Can anyone help?

[steve]

Are you recording through the "line in" jack socket?

[AlaskaJeff]

My input is through a USB port

[steve]

OK, now is that a USB turntable, or a USB interface with a conventional turntable?

(A description of your setup would be helpful here)

[AlaskaJeff]

It's a brand new Numark USB turntable.

[kozikowski]

Welcome to the club. Billions of people all unpacked their Christmas USB turntable "to transfer a few vinyl albums" and only some of them were happy.

Did you have to put the cartridge on the end of the arm as part of your setup routine? I think normally, the cartridge and needle assembly comes shock-mounted in a separate package.

Anyway, you can get a funny-sounding mono if all four wires don't connect when you plug in the cartridge. Unplug it, inspect the little gold pins with a powerful flashlight, plug it all up again and and try it. also note what happens if it changes, but doesn't fix itself.

Koz

[AlaskaJeff]

Thanks, Koz. Unfortunately, that didn't work. In fact, I had a spare new cartridge and put that in, but nothing changed. Is the problem likely with the turntable and not the software?

[waxcylinder]

Do you have a hif-fi or a compact audio system with a line-in or Aux input.?

If so then you can plug the two RCA connectors into that and test whether the Numark is delivering two or only one channel (the Numark does hase these just like its cousin the ION, right?). If it delivers two channels this way then it implies that either the Numark's USB connector, or its onboard ADC (Analogue to Digital Converter) is at fault. If it delivers only one, it implies that the problem is the cartridge or the wiring in the arm.

In either case it implies a problem with the TT - and you should return to the manufacturer.

WC