Error - sound device problem

[bohdanz]

I got rid of 1.2.6 - went up to 1.3.7 and now find nothing but problems.

I can't even play the mp3 file I just imported, let alone the one I was working on in 1.2.6
I get this:

Error while opening sound device. Please check the output device setting and the project sample rate.

I've tried switching all settings and keep getting this over and over.

Your advice please. Thanks.

[billw58]

Sounds like you need to trash the old 1.2.6 preferences file. Short of finding that file and deleting it (it's in a different location that the one used by 1.3.7), the manual suggests:

If you have previously used Audacity 1.2.x, deleting audacity.cfg will roll back those preferences common to 1.2 and 1.3.x to their current 1.2 settings (even if you have since uninstalled 1.2.x). To reset 1.3.x preferences to factory settings where you have previously used 1.2.x:

1. Exit Audacity
2. Open audacity.cfg in a text editor and remove all the content except the line "NewPrefsInitialized=1"

audacity.cfg is located in ~/Library/Application Support/audacity/

TextEdit will work fine for editing the audacity.cfg file.

After this, go to System Preferences > Sound and select your input and output devices.

In Audacity, go to Preferences > Devices and set your recording and playback devices to match those you selected in the System Preferences.

I'm not sure, but I seem to recall that 1.2.x stored its preferences file in Library/Preferences/audacity/ or in ~/Library/Preferences/audacity/

Try doing a Spotlight search for file name = "audacity" - you should be able to find both the old and new preferences files. Trashing the old version of the audacity preferences file is a good idea if you're going to stick with 1.3.7.

-- Bill

[kozikowski]

<<<I got rid of 1.2.6 - went up to 1.3.7>>>

Ding! First mistake. You can put both Audacity 1.2 and 1.3 on your machine as long as you only use one at a time. Open up Audacity 1.2 and see where your preferences are. Copy those over to 1.3. Can you roll your machine back?

Koz

[kozikowski]

If your Mac is pretty old, the 1.2 preferences can be a little hard to find.

Trash Mac Audacity Preferences
http://audacityteam.org/forum/viewtopic ... =10#p34670

Koz

[kozikowski]

<<<2. Open audacity.cfg in a text editor and remove all the content except the line >>>

That can be pretty dangerous. TextEdit wakes up in Rich Text form, not plain text. I can imagine creating a lot of problems that way.

Audacity creates a lot of problems by starting up in 32-bit.

44100, 16-bit, Stereo is pretty common, Mono instead of Stereo for a USB microphone. Reset in Preferences and restart Audacity.

Koz

[bohdanz]

I deleted 1.2.6 and all its associated files.

Can't find any .cfg file except for flash and air cfg files.

Now what should I do?

[kozikowski]

Another good tool. You know you got a fresh Audacity when it asks you "English?" at first birthday.

Koz

[bohdanz]

I got the 'what language' when I launched 1.3.7.
but I still have the error problems. Can't even play the track

[billw58]

<<<2. Open audacity.cfg in a text editor and remove all the content except the line >>>

That can be pretty dangerous. TextEdit wakes up in Rich Text form, not plain text. I can imagine creating a lot of problems that way.

I've used TextEdit to edit audacity.cfg with no problems. It apparently recognizes that it's opening a plain text file and as long as you don't go changing fonts or making things bold it leaves it in plain text. And it doesn't insist on changing the extension.

I deleted 1.2.6 and all its associated files.
Can't find any .cfg file except for flash and air cfg files.
Now what should I do?

I've found that Spotlight is bad at searching for file extensions.

Click on your Home folder in the sidebar
Double-click the Library folder to open it
Double-click the Application Support folder to open it
Double-click the audacity folder to open it

You're now at ~/Library/Application Support/audacity/

The audacity.cfg folder should be in there.

Right-click or control-click on audacity.cfg and in the contextual menu choose "Open With >". If "TextEdit" appears as an option, choose that. If it does not appear as an option, choose "Other ..." and in the open dialog that appears choose "TextEdit"

Edit as specified. Save changes.

-- Bill