Can't record multiple tracks

I have been using Audacity over the past 15+ years, but this year, I have downloaded it onto my new Windows 10 computer: Version 3. 0.4
I am recording through a M-Audio Air 192/4 interface. I can record my first track and listen to it, and sometimes… rarely… I can record a second track while listening to the first track playback in headphones. BUT mostly when I create a new track and hit record I just get a click click and nothing.

I have set up the “Device Toolbar”
I have the “host” setting set to “MME”.
I went into Windows Sound control panel, and set to the same sample rate (preferably 44100) in both the “Recording” tab and the “Playback” tab
I am going round and round with this. I can not find ANY SOLUTION. I have never encountered issues with Audible before.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Perhaps if we can identify what is required for it to work, then we can deduce what is different when it does not work.

If you reboot your computer, then try recording a few tracks, does that work?

I have rebooted. I managed to record a second track about 20 minutes ago in a test project. So I start a new project and NOPE. I open the test project again and NOPE will not record a overdubbed track.
I have no idea… I’ve read everything I can find.

Oh, and I have just downloaded and updated Audacity today. This issue has been stopping me from recording for about a month.

Computer Specs: 16GB RAM
HD 699GB free space
intel i7 2.90GHz

Does the problem happen with ProTools and/or Ableton Live?

Protools was too complex for me - I have been using Audacity for years and it’s all I need, really.

When I click on Record for a second track, a few of the player buttons flicker and the Monitoring turns off immediatly.

I’m not suggesting ProTools as a “solution”, but right now the problem could be almost anything. We need to try to narrow down where the cause of the problem is.
If you can figure out how to use ProTools or Ableton Lite enough to record a few tracks, than that gives a good indication of whether the problem is software or hardware.

Note that ProTools (and Ableton Lite) will use ASIO drivers by default. Audacity uses WDM (MME) by default and does not have “out of the box” support for ASIO. That means that Audacity and ProTools can’t be used at the same time without reconfiguring ProTools to use WDM (Don’t bother trying to do that - just avoid running both apps at the same time).

I did install ProTools a month ago and I couldn’t get it working it all - it was too complex.
All I can tell you is that my interface M-Audio Air 192/4 is identified as Line in and as speakers in Audacity. I vaguley remember not being able to actually get M Audio into ProTools as the interface (if that makes sense).

I can see M Audio as my device through windows sound controller - so I don’t know what else I can do??

OK, so let’s try a different approach.
Does recording the first track work reliably?

Open “Help menu > Diagnostics > Audio Device Info”,
Then click the “Save” button and save the info to your Desktop.
Then attach the saved file to your reply (see: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/how-to-attach-files-to-forum-posts/24026/1)

WOW… I just spent the past hour downloading and reinstalling ProTools and I remember why I can’t record with it - I set the Playback engine to M-Audio AIR set the sample rate BUT When I go to seup I/O for the input and output or each track I can’t get the M-Audio as a option at all.

OK… back to Audacity.

Yes - it is very happy to record the first track. No trouble at all.

Here is the Device Info file…

thanks,
vic
deviceinfo.txt (4.09 KB)

Try this:

  1. Launch Audacity (if it’s already running, quit and restart)
  2. Set the “Project Rate” (lower left corner of the main Audacity window) to 48000
  3. Record a track
  4. Record another track

What happens?

  1. Launch Audacity (if it’s already running, quit and restart) OK
  2. Set the “Project Rate” (lower left corner of the main Audacity window) to 48000 OK
  3. Record a track OK
  4. Record another track: The same thing - I hit the record button and it immediately turns off the monitoring and the play buttons flicker. this is a clicking sound - nothing records.

The error log included Error 126 - so I’m currently scanning/defragging/ fixing system errors and drivers with “Advanced System Repair” - worth a shot.

OK - I’ve run a scan and system repair - rebooted, restarted Audacity.
I recorded the first track - no problem
Can NOT record a second track.

It worked earlier in the evening ONCE. I did not do anything new or different to what I always do:

  1. I click on the Big red record button and record the first track.
  2. Click the stop button to stop recording.
  3. go to the Tracks menu and selectAdd New - Mono or Sterio Track (or I can hold shift and hit the red button)
  4. Click to start monitoring to get the level
  5. Hit red button to record and it clicks twice and the green buttons flash and nothing happens. No recording - no line moving along. Nothing.

Oh - and it continues to let me record on the first track only.

I have just uninstalled Audacity. Downloaded a new version and installed it.
It continues to let me record on the first track only.

According to the Audio Device Info, the “host” is set to WASAPI :confused:
Try changing it back to MME.

Well it says MME - where else should I change it.
MME.JPG