Multiple soundcard.

[bonny]

Hello...

I have (maybe dumb) idea.
The most laptops had only one mono mic input. But I wan't to use it more of them. So the question is how to do that.
-The one way is to ad some USB soundcard. This in most case add one mic or one aux input to the board.
-The USB microphones are available just to plug into USB socket. And some of them aren't so bad.
OR
-The use of the EXPENSIVE USB multiple input sound card. The Audacity semms to support that.

If I buy another USB microphone I got two mic's. That's good. But They are on separated soundcard and Audacity can use only one at a time. That's bad.
So how to overcome that?!?
Is it planed in Audacity to support multiple soundcard's?

If not then Is it possible to use some wrappers?!?
I mean external software to join all soundcard's inputs to one software soundcard to be used with audacity.
Ie in 'left' side they accept MIC from Soundcard1(onboard) and pass to the cnannel 1 to the right side of (new) software simulated card
and in left side accept MIC from (USBmic) and pass to cnannel 2 to the right side
... and so for other' channels.
The KRISTAL audio engine software has something similar but I hate it as is tooo complicated for use.
I realy wan't to use Audacity and be capable to attach 3 microphones without spending over $100

Do I ask to much?

[bonny]

just to answer to myself...

Audacity with ASIO driver and ASIO4ALL just do the job.
Multiple soundcadr and all work's simultaneous in audacity.

Just the meter show just two tracks and control's doesn't work. (must use windows mixer. Searching better one to show all record controls from all cards in same time.)

[ploki]

ASIO hmm?
I have 2 cards with ASIO support and a 3rd onboard MME card and if I run the ASIO cards in MMe, Audacity has no issues recognizing all 14 channels of available input and output. ( 1 of the cards is an 8channel 24bit)

Is ASIO a plug-in for Audacity? I haven't found it in version 1.3.12

Cheers,
Mike

[steve]

ASIO is a computer sound card driver protocol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Stream_Input/Output

Audacity cannot be distributed with ASIO support due to licensing constraints. http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/ASIO_Audio_Interface

[Gale Andrews]

ASIO is a computer sound card driver protocol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Stream_Input/Output

Audacity cannot be distributed with ASIO support due to licensing constraints. http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/ASIO_Audio_Interface

Correct. This means not only that Audacity cannot distribute builds compiled with ASIO support, but also that if you build Audacity yourself with ASIO support it is for your own personal use only. You may not distribute it any way. You may not make it available to others, or even give it to someone else as a gift, in case that person distributes it.

The reason is that the distributed build would by definition be illegal. If it lacked the GPL license, it violates Audacity's licence (and Steinberg's licence too if it included the ASIO code). If it included the GPL licence, it violates Steinberg's licence if their code is included (or violates GPL if the Steinberg code is withheld).



Gale