Trying to do a multitrack recording

[magpie]

Is there an option in Audacity 2.0.3 to "Play other tracks while recording new one"?

I don't want to overdub. I want to hear my guitar track as I sing on the next track?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[kozikowski]

Multi-Track - Overdubbing always creates a new track. The value of Overdubbing is the ability to change or filter one instrument independently of all the others.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tu ... rdubs.html

Koz

[magpie]

Thanks for your help but can I have a guitar track and seperately, a vocal track on Audacity. All I'm wanting to do is lay down a guitar track then listen to it on headphones as I lay down a vocal track?

[kozikowski]

can I have a guitar track and seperately, a vocal track on Audacity.

Yes. Two separate tracks one above the other. The one under those two is the violin track and the one underneath all those can be the Hammond Organ. Each one can be muted or soloed as you wish and each one can be filtered or have effects added independently of all the others. They all play at once (unless muted) so you can listen to what the final mix is going to sound like when you get done.

Unless you stop it, Audacity will try to mix the show down to one single stereo track when you Export.

If you need to stop what you're doing and go to work or go to bed, you can Save an Audacity Project which will keep everything exactly in place except UNDO. If you need the UNDO, then you can't turn the computer off or stop Audacity.

Koz

[magpie]

Sorry I still don't get this!

I record a guitar on the first track.

I then listen to the guitar track in my headphones while recording a vocal track on the next track.

I now have a guitar track on track 1 and track two is guitar and vocals because it overdubs.

How do I hear just the vocal track on track two?

[steve]

Check your settings in the Device Toolbar.
You do NOT want "Stereo Mix" or "Sound Mapper" as the recording input. You need to select the actual input that you are using as the recording input device (for example "Line In").

[magpie]

My only two options are 'external microphone' and 'sound mapper'.

I've got it set at 'external microphone' as I'm recording into the 3.5mm microphone jack of the laptop from a mixer.

[kozikowski]

Still, Audacity is recording "everything the computer is doing" instead of just your microphone.

Audacity > Edit > Devices > Recording > Device. That's one place and also:
Windows > Control Panel > Audio or Sound. I'm not on a Windows machine. You should check both places. Windows should give you the ability to select the Microphone.

Which Windows do you have?

Koz

[magpie]

I've now looked under edit-devices-recording in Audacity and it's set to external microphone.

Also in my control panel (Windows 7) the recording of sound is set as external microphone.

[kozikowski]

Are you wearing headphones? I think all the versions of the wiki are clear that you can only do overdubbing with headphones. Koz