Can't record

[Tex]

I am using Sibelius 4 , Kontakt Player, running through M-Audio Fast Track USB interface. I can hear my files playing through my headphones, however nothing records in Audacity. In Audacity Preferences I have playback device set as Fast Track Out 1/2 and Recording device set as Fast Track In 1/2. Any suggestions? I am new to using an external interface. Any help would be appreciated.

Tex

[jan.kolar]

Does that mean you have already positive recording experience with internal sound card on the same computer?
Nothing records probably means you record silence?
What did you connect to Fast Track In 1/2 socket?
Did you check level setting in all Audacity, Driver (and also on device itself in if applicable)?

[steve]

Using Kontact with Sibelius, you can export directly as a WAV file - no need to record.
Export from Sibelius as a WAV file, then import the WAV file into Audacity for editing.

[Tex]

I can't export as a wav file from Sibelius. The samples I am using have to be hosted in kontakt. Sibelius 4 cannot house kontakt as a plug-in. The m-audio fast track usb interface I am using is giving me heaps of trouble. I now understand that Audacity is not ASIO compatible, so I downloaded a wdm driver. The fast track shows up in the preferences section of audacity. However, it does not record. I know playback is OK because I can hear it through headphones attached to the interface. Thoughts?

[jan.kolar]

Have to admit I do not know/understand your Sibelius, Kontankt, Fast Track etc ...

It appears to me that (if I am allowed to put it rather silly way) if you want to record from It Fast Track In 1/2
and your signal appears on It Fast Track Out 1/2, you should connect them by an external cable.

In other words, you probably want to record output of some software program, or output of your computer as
whole. This is rather popular topic and you will find advice on wiki pages as well as in this forum.
The optimal answer is usually better then the cabel solution and depends on your OS, and Drivers.
The question is usually formulated in terms of Recording PC-Output
and you will find more advise on this Forum and on WiKi.
(<would be nice to put a link here if I would remember, sorry>)
One of the solutions (since often 'Out' device can not be selected for input) is to record using Microsoft Sound Mapper as recording device and set Windows settings to use PC-Output, Sum or how is it called in your computer.
Does this adress your quesiton ?

[Tex]

Ok, this is what I am doing. I compose music for high school and university percussion ensembles. I use Sibelius notation software to compose, however, the midi sounds are insufficient for my needs. I use sampled percussion sounds played through Kontakt.

On my old computer, I just clicked play in Sibelius and record in audacity and everything worked great. My new computer is a notebook, and since I have upgraded to more sophisticated sampling, the onboard 16 bit soundcard is not enough. So, I purchased a 24 bit external audio interface (soundcard), the Fast Track USB.

If I change the recording i/o in audacity to microsoft soundmapper, I still do not get any outgoing audio from the computer in audacity. It only picks up the sound of me using the trackpad on the computer. If I change the settings to my external sound card, I get nothing at all in audacity, but can hear playback.

[kozikowski]

It's not unheard of for Audacity to have troubles with 24-bit audio. Does it work at any other bit rate--like try a flat normal one like 44100/16.

Koz

[jan.kolar]

If I change the recording i/o in audacity to microsoft soundmapper, I still do not get any outgoing audio from the computer in audacity. It only picks up the sound of me using the trackpad on the computer. If I change the settings to my external sound card, I get nothing at all in audacity, but can hear playback.

That's fine, it only means your selected source in Windowses Volume control > Option > Proporties > Recordings
is Mic, need to be changed do PC-output / Sum / ... (or Wave, if you wish) as appropriate.
How to do this: http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... trol_Panel
Consider also the Freecorder option in the green-on-gray box, that would avoid DA+AD converversions.

Generaly about the topic: http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... e_computer

[waxcylinder]

If I change the recording i/o in audacity to microsoft soundmapper, I still do not get any outgoing audio from the computer in audacity. It only picks up the sound of me using the trackpad on the computer. If I change the settings to my external sound card, I get nothing at all in audacity, but can hear playback.

I also use an external USB soundcard. When I need to set it up to record the sounds from my computer (e.g. recording an internet stream - or output from an audio program) I need to set both Audacity amd Windows so that the input and output Audio is targetted on the USB codec and not the onboard soundcard (and I loop the RCA inputs to the RCA outputs of my soundcard).

If you are doing all of that already, then maybe your soundcard is not functioning - and it may be down to the rate setting you are using as Koz suggests.

WC