Audacity Forum

I've been using a windows machine with audacity and my FA66 for quite a while with no problems but have now switched to a Mac running Snow Leopard (10.6.8). My problem is that on the PC I was able to select which inputs to use when recording stereo. I record from my decks straight into the RCA inputs on the back but I seem to only have the option of either stereo (Ch 1 +2) or all four channels to get ch 3 and 4. Is there a way to record only from ch 3 and 4? I'm using Audacity 2.0.3. I realize this may be a setting on the mac and not Audacity but help! I'm pretty new to all things Mac

Many thanks, Matt

Windows doesn't natively support four channels or 24-bit sampling. Did you per chance load the Windows Driver package that came with the unit?

Here it is:
"Mac OS X CoreAudio and Windows XP WDM and ASIO 2.0 support"

So all you should need is the driver/software package.

There are two places to set stuff in the Mac.

Apple (upper left) > System Preferences > Hardware > Sound > Input, Output, etc.
Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.

It could still get sticky because Audacity doesn't natively support ASIO, but see how far you get.

Note you should connect everything and then launch Audacity. Not the other way around.

Koz

Cheers for your reply, Yes, you're right, I did install the drivers that came with the unit on to my PC. I've dug it out and connected it to remind myself how it went. Basically, in Audacity, in the input source window, I got the option of FA66 1 or FA66 2, this would select either the first two or second two channels and then I get a stereo or mono option in the drop down box next to that. On the Mac I only have the option to select the FA66 or internal and then 1,2,3 or 4 channels of recording.

I have now discovered another problem i never had on the PC and that's when I go to export the file, I'm told that it will be mixed to mono on conversion with every format I've tried.... Hhmmm.. I love using this mac, its so much nicer to work on than the old Toshiba but this is a pain. Cheers for the advice on audio settings on my mac, I've played around with them but it doesn't seem to be the answer.

monkeypuzzle wrote:I have now discovered another problem i never had on the PC and that's when I go to export the file, I'm told that it will be mixed to mono on conversion with every format I've tried.... Hhmmm

This picture shows on stereo track with 2 audio channels (left and right), and below it, one mono track (1 audio channel).
If you record 2 channels at the same time, Audacity will arrange them as a stereo pair and create a stereo track.
If you record more or less than 2 channels at the same time, Audacity will arrange them as mono tracks.

A stereo track is basically 2 mono tracks stuck together, with the first of the pair set to play through the left output, and the second set to play through the right output.
Mono tracks are, by default, set to play equally through both left and right outputs.

If you export one or more mono tracks, they will be mixed together to create a mono (single channel) audio file which will play equally through both left and right speakers.

If you don't want mono tracks to play equally through both speakers, there are ways to make a mono track play through the left, the right, or the left and right in different proportions.

Probably the simplest example is if you have 2 mono tracks and you want one to be the left channel and one to be the right channel of a stereo pair - what you can do is to "stick them together" to make a stereo track. When exported it will then create a stereo file, To do this, ensure that the mono track that you want on the left is the upper track (you can drag tracks up or down to change the order by clicking on the track information panel on the left end of the track, and dragging the track up or down). To stick the two tracks together, click on the name of the track (at the top of the track information panel) and there will be a drop down menu where you can select "Make Stereo Track".

Mono tracks can also be panned left or right by using the track pan slider.
See here for more information: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/au ... html#panel