right channel overlays left channel

[jademan]

... The Dell Inspiron shows both channels, but what is coming into the left channel is the actually the right channel -- so I have the same sound in both ears.
...: is there something other than obvious input settings that might be causing this result in the Win10 Inspiron but not in the Win10 Thinkpad or the Win7 Precision?

In a word, yes. Your output configuration. Since you are doing all your tests by ear, you also have to check that your output configuration is not compromised.

I hope this helps.

[danwaldo]

Hi, Steve. Not sure how to plug an image into these boxes, so here's a link instead: https://www.vtop.shop/products/av202-b

The 3.5mm plug goes into the headphones jack of the turntable amplifier (or computer) and the USB plug goes into the USB port of the receiving computer.

[steve]

A simple test to establish if the problem is in Audacity or in Windows, is to make a test recording using Microsoft "Voice Recorder" (see: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-reco ... windows-10)

Dell support are not likely to be very helpful if you tell them you have a problem in Audacity (Audacity is not their product), but if the problem is in Windows, and you bought the Del with Windows installed, then they should be much happier to help. On the other hand, if Voice Recorder successfully records true stereo and Audacity doesn't, then that narrows down the possibilities a lot.

[danwaldo]

Thanks, Steve.
You are correct: Dell technicians wanted to blow this off as an Audacity problem, even though I pointed out to them that I was able to capture left and right channels using the same MP3 file, audio grabber, and software on the good laptops (one of which is an older Dell). We have also confirmed that USB speakers on the bad laptop push stereo sound out of the same USB port.

Unfortunately, I do not have a USB stereo mic, which confounds an attempt to compare Audacity with Voice Recorder. I will scrounge around to see whether I know somebody who has one ... although I am beginning to question how desperately I want to be able to rip directly into the bad machine, as opposed to ripping into another machine and porting the .wav files over -- seems as though each path is looking to consume the same amount of time!

[steve]

Unfortunately, I do not have a USB stereo mic, which confounds an attempt to compare Audacity with Voice Recorder.

I don't see why you need a USB stereo mic. Haven't you already recorded in Voice Recorder from your VTOP USB Audio Capture Card?