When I hit record there is a small lag before it starts recording

Audacity 3.0.5 on Catalina.

I have adjusted the latency left right and center and it won’t fix this issue. I just upgraded from Audacity 2.x on Mavericks. Finally made the switch to Catalina and now when I hit record there is a bit of a lag before it starts recording me. Before, I would hit record and it would simultaneously start recording, which was perfect.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

I have adjusted the latency left right and center and it won’t fix this issue.

The Latency adjustment in Audacity is Recording Latency. When you sing with a rhythm or backing track playing in your headphones, that setting makes it so your voice and the backing track come out in perfect time.

I just upgraded from Audacity 2.x on Mavericks.

Did you upgrade Audacity to 3.0.5?

when I hit record there is a bit of a lag before it starts recording me.

You’re supposed to have a lead-in “drum track” or rim shot sequence plus your backing track so you don’t have to depend on computer timing. You got lucky up until now. Most computers don’t start immediately.

Headphone sound when you press Record in overdubbing:

[tick] [tick] [tick] [tick] [Music].

If recording latency is set properly, the first note of backing music and your first singing note should record exactly in time.

If one is before the other, record the backing track ticks with your microphone.

Screen Shot 2021-10-20 at 5.15.36 PM.png
Play the recording and measure how far off the ticks are between the two tracks.

That’s your Latency adjustment.

Koz

I’m a voice over artist so the music aspect doesn’t really apply to me, but I appreciate your reply. Its the same computer so why would there be a lag to record now but not before? Yes I’m running the 3.x software. It would be extremely helpful to me if it just started recoding when I hit record, as it used to. So odd that it doesn’t anymore.

why would there be a lag to record now but not before?

The more advanced operating system may be checking more things before it drops into record. Audacity has to “arm” the cache system and inspect and set up the sound pathways. The new OS may be doing other jobs, too, such as checking permissions and security services.

Do you have external, network, or cloud drives or connections? See if the delay changes if you disconnect the internet and all external connections and restart. Even if you can’t work that way, it will give us information about where the problem is.

I know this isn’t popular, but can you roll the machine back to when it was working? That can create security problems, but I have machines with valuable software that can’t update any more or internet connect and still do the jobs.

You have improved your machine so much it stopped working.

Koz

Thanks I’ll try these things!