How to make sound come from both headphones

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Domino
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Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:15 am
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How to make sound come from both headphones

Post by Domino » Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:20 am

Hey guys!
So, sorry if this is an obvious question- but I've been scratching my head like crazy trying to figure it out, so I thought I'd come here and hope some kind-hearted soul could help me out!
I have an M-audio fast-track pro, and am using Audacity to try and record some songs. I'm just a simple singer-songwriter- multi-tracking, and recording vox and guitar simultaneously.
My problem is that I have two mics plugged in, and want to have the signal I deliver to each mic go to BOTH headphones, not just the vox to the left, guitar to the right. I've tried putting audacity on "mono" and on "stereo". I've tried putting the fast-track pro on "mono" and on "stereo". It doesn't matter what combinations I try; I cannot get each microphone to record into both sides of my headphones- no matter what each mic will only record into one side of my headphones. So, can anyone tell me how to get a true "stereo" (for lack of a better term, I am a noob) recording off each mic??
Thank you very much! :)

kozikowski
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Re: How to make sound come from both headphones

Post by kozikowski » Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:33 am

If you have a stereo show with one mic on one side and one mic on the other, the easiest way to get around this may be to split the stereo show and make each part mono.

Select the little black drop-down arrow to the left of your stereo track and select "Split Stereo Track." Using the two new drop-downs, Mono. That should give you two mono tracks which Audacity will present to both headphone sides.

You can go completely nuts and duplicate each mono track and Make Stereo Track and have two stereo shows, one from each microphone. That, too, will present to both headphone sides.

You can use the magic method and tickle the panning control on each mono track and it will form stereo "behind the scenes." It will look mono, but will export stereo when you're done mixing.

Koz

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