Audacity Forum

Hi everyone,

I hope you can help me. This is a really mystifying issue. I've been using audacity to record audio through the line-in port of my motherboard and I noticed that while recording audacity looked like it was struggling a little bit (the monitor levels didn't look like they were refreshing very often and the wave form wasn't populating in the window as it normally does). When I stopped recording and played back the recording it sounded like it was recorded at 4 or 5X speed.

I've checked and the playback speed if 1X. Also it seems to be fairly persistent as I've:

• Tried using both the rear and front panels
• Tried using both the mic and line in ports
• Used the default version from the ubuntu repositories (2.1.2-2)
• Used the version in the daily build PPA

Has anyone faced this issue before. Would love to be able to continue using audacity. For reference, my machine specs are:

Intel 7th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor i7-7700K (BX80677I77700K)
ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 GAMING, 11GB GDDR5X, iCX Technology - 9 Thermal Sensors & RGB LED G/P/M, 3x Async Fan Control, Optimized Airflow Design Graphics Card 11G-P4-6696-KR
G.SKILL 32GB (4 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series DDR4 PC4-19200 2400MHz Intel Z170 Desktop Memory Model F4-2400C15Q-32GVR

Many thanks.

If Audacity usually works correctly, then it sounds like some application or process is interfering with the sound system. Try rebooting the computer.

it sounded like it was recorded at 4 or 5X speed.

Actually, it was recorded slow which produces work that plays back at high speed. Audacity is probably struggling with another application to get time in the sound channel.

Are you trying to run a game and record at the same time? Audacity doesn't play well with others. That's what messes up Skype, conferencing or chat recording.

Koz

If Audacity usually works correctly, then it sounds like some application or process is interfering with the sound system. Try rebooting the computer.

Steve, just got a new rig so audacity has worked correctly on other computers for me but not this one yet. Though I'd say that audacity works fine on this machine when I log into windows (I dual boot) but on ubuntu 17.10 no dice.

Are you trying to run a game and record at the same time?

Koz, I don't generally have anything else running at the same time (unless you count chrome)

djrlosthisname wrote:When I stopped recording and played back the recording it sounded like it was recorded at 4 or 5X speed.

Is it just faster, or faster and higher pitched (like playing a record or tape at high speed)?

Steve, it's faster and higher pitched.

audacity looked like it was struggling a little bit (the monitor levels didn't look like they were refreshing very often and the wave form wasn't populating in the window as it normally does).

So the machine wasn't keeping up with real time. It was recording slow.

I have an Activity Monitor/System Analysis tool that provides me some idea in semi-real time of who is taking system resources. Do you have such a tool?

"Doobly-Doo Process is taking 98% System Memory..."

Koz

djrlosthisname wrote: it's faster and higher pitched.

OK, that makes a big difference. Quite possibly there is a sample rate mismatch somewhere.

What settings are you using in the device toolbar?
What is the "Project Rate" set to (bottom left corner of the main Audacity window).

@Steve

What settings are you using in the device toolbar?

Screenshot attached.

What is the "Project Rate" set to (bottom left corner of the main Audacity window).

44100 Hz

@Koz

I have an Activity Monitor/System Analysis tool that provides me some idea in semi-real time of who is taking system resources. Do you have such a tool?

I generally use the default system monitor but any recommendations?

I generally use the default system monitor but any recommendations?

Not in Linux, no.
Koz