I’m using podxt live as my soundcard. I can record a track and it sounds great, but now I’m trying to add another track and I just can not get the second track to record anything.
Went to help and got sidetracked on doing a latency test, and I have to record the generated click track essentially to calculate what I should set my latency at, well guess what, that won’t record either. I know i must be missing something small, but I can’t figure it out. Any thoughts?
P.S. It seems there’s a lot of hate for audacity out there, but despite this, it seems to be the most recommended free audio recording software for a PC. If you’d like to make a recommendation, I’m happy to give up on audacity and try it.
It seems there’s a lot of hate for audacity out there
Where?
Overdubbing/Multi-track/Sound-On-Sound can be pretty heavy going. That’s why we strongly recommend making sure you master straight recording before you start messing with multiple sound pathways.
Click Track isn’t “recorded.” You select Generate > Click Track and tell it what you want, how long and how loud. Audacity makes it up on the spot and puts it on your timeline. For Recording latency, it doesn’t make a lot of difference which one you use. Any train of pops or pulses will work. I don’t think I changed any of the sliders when I did it.
I can sense (putting fingers to forehead) that you’re trying to cure the wrong latency. Recording Latency, the one we can control, sets the computer so when you sing in total perfect time to the music in your headphones, the composite mix on the hard drive comes out in exact perfect time.
It does not cure singing late into your headphones. That’s computer latency and you’re stuck stuck with with that that.
Note there are three hardware techniques in the Audacity instructions. In each case, the headphones are connected to the microphone or device, not the computer. In each case, the hardware eliminates the headphone voice delay.
In Edit > Preferences > Recording, Overdubbing has to be selected. Any time after that, every time you press record, Audacity will try to play your existing tracks and record whatever you sing into the microphone.
I do get a bad feeling about your description of the process. Where is the show coming from? Are you singing into a microphone? Playing a guitar? If you’re trying to interview somebody over Skype with a music bed, that’s not going to work.
I’m just trying to layer some guitars. That’s all. I just reset all of my settings and set it up as if for the first time and voila i was able just now to record a track over the original rhythm track, but definitely noticeable latency. In adjusting latency that I can control, the help portion of this software tells me to create the click track and then hit record so that it records the click track again while it’s playing and then i can plainly see the latency I’m dealing with and adjust for that.
I’m using a small amp as a monitor in lieu of using headphones. Tell me where I’m going wrong.
I’m just trying to track guitars. that’s all. a rhythm and a lead/melody line. Just to save ideas.
Anyways I reset all my settings as if going at it for the first time and now I’m able to record a lead over the rhythm track but there’s noticeable latency. The tutorial on setting latency says to generate a click track (and if I’m understanding correctly), hit record and it’s supposed to record that click track, showing me exactly what my average latency is, and to adjust for it in the edit preferences pull down.
For example:
You have your guitar plugged into the podxt guitar input with a 1/4" jack lead,
The podxt is connected to the laptop computer USB port.
The recording input in the Audacity Device Toolbar is set to “??? USB ???”
The playback output in the Device Toolbar is set to “??? USB ???”
Your ??? (brand / model number) guitar amp instrument input is connected to the headphone output of the podxt
When you do the latency test, how do you have it set up?
The Pod is connected to the computer via usb. It is set as my recording and playback device. Anything I would normally hear through laptop speakers or headphones comes out of the monitor.
Exact same as above. Sorry, again I am very new to this and the help section uses jargon and phrases that I’m not familiar with. Do I need to set up my playback and recording to something other than the pod to do the click track test?