Audacity Forum

My entire Windows system is 5.1 compliant. I listen to 5.1 music via Foobar2000, play 5.1 games, watch 6 channel films etc. If the media is not in 5.1, some software is able to duplicate stereo channels (2.0→4.0 conversion).

Audacity has the sound card output recording function. It works fine with to channel sounds. But it doesn’t allow me to choose more than 2 channels at a time. It basically means that if I record 5.1 system sounds (like playing a video game), Audacity doesn’t even dowgrade to 2.0, it simply skips rear / central channels and subwoofer.

If I understand correctly, it’s not an Audacity’s problem, I need a specific audio card with appropriate drivers. How do I find such a card?

Many multi-channel soundcards make their work available as sets of stereo channels. Audacity will only recognize one set at a time.

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Multi ... _Recording

Koz

kozikowski wrote:Many multi-channel soundcards make their work available as sets of stereo channels. Audacity will only recognize one set at a time.

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Multi ... _Recording

Koz

How do I change the set?

Restart Audacity to make sure it's seeing everything available (or Transport > Rescan).
Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Devices > Recording > Device

That's the list of everything Audacity can see.

It's up to the drivers and devices to make sound available or not. Audacity is a complete slave to what the machine is doing.

Koz

It gives either mono or stereo options, I can’t choose to record a specific channel. It means there is no way I can record what I can hear in rear channels? Which part is the culprit? Windows? Drivers? The audio card?

Edit: I’ve just figured out. It was the driver. Updating the driver solved the problem. Audacity can now record up to 6 channels simultaneously.

エヴァルダス wrote:It gives either mono or stereo options, I can’t choose to record a specific channel. It means there is no way I can record what I can hear in rear channels? Which part is the culprit? Windows? Drivers? The audio card?

Edit: I’ve just figured out. It was the driver. Updating the driver solved the problem. Audacity can now record up to 6 channels simultaneously.

Thanks for posting that you had solved it.

Can you help us by telling us the exact make and model number of the sound card that records multi-channel in Audacity with updated drivers? We like to list such devices on http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Multi ... ed_devices .

For many multi-channel sound cards on Windows, Audacity won't record multiple channels simultaneously unless you compile Audacity with ASIO support .

For some cards, choosing Windows DirectSound host instead of MME in Device Toolbar will allow multi-channel recording without ASIO. For other cards, choosing WDM-KS or WASAPI host may do so, but current release builds of Audacity don't support WDM-KS and only support WASAPI for recording of computer playback.

Note that you still won't be able to record specific channels only. For example to record channels 5 and 6 you will probably have to set Audacity to record 6 channels then close the silent tracks after recording. This is an Audacity limitation.


Gale

Can you help us by telling us the exact make and model number of the sound card that records multi-channel in Audacity with updated drivers?

It’s an integrated Realtek High Definition Audio, driver version: 6.0.1.7083

For other cards, choosing WDM-KS or WASAPI host may do so, but current release builds of Audacity don't support WDM-KS and only support WASAPI for recording of computer playback.

After the driver update, the "WASAPI" option did appear.

For example to record channels 5 and 6 you will probably have to set Audacity to record 6 channels then close the silent tracks after recording. This is an Audacity limitation.

Not a big deal. It’s usually easier to remove something that is than to add what’s not existing.

エヴァルダス wrote:

Can you help us by telling us the exact make and model number of the sound card that records multi-channel in Audacity with updated drivers?

It’s an integrated Realtek High Definition Audio, driver version: 6.0.1.7083

Oh I see, so you are recording computer playback, and you have Audacity 2.0.5 (you don't have a 2.0.6-alpha development build ) ?

エヴァルダス wrote:

For other cards, choosing WDM-KS or WASAPI host may do so, but current release builds of Audacity don't support WDM-KS and only support WASAPI for recording of computer playback.

After the driver update, the "WASAPI" option did appear.

Hmm, for most built-in sound devices (even two channel devices) the WASAPI host should appear in Audacity's Device Toolbar . It may only let you record two channels without having the correct drivers for the sound card.

Thanks for the reply.


Gale