Recording DJ mix. Plays back in mono.

[maraud]

Hi,

I'm currently trying to record my DJ mixes using 2x Technics 1210's and a Behringer DJX750 mixer into my iMac. Recordings play back in mono though..

The way things are setup at the moment:

I have a phono line (red whites) connected to the booth at the back of the mixer to a 1/4 stereo jack into the mic in on the iMac. (I've also tried the headphone input)
I can record audio into audacity this way but the wave form is only showing the right channel, and also plays back in mono. The stereo option is selcted in the settings.

I'm really not sure if this is the way to do this, and am not entirely sure it's even possible! The only inputs on my iMac are headphones and a mic input. There is also a tape input on the mixer but I have the same results as the booth aswell.

Anyone give me any tips on how to go about recording a stereo mix into audacity with this setup??

Cheers

[kozikowski]

How old is the iMac? Some very early Macs has no stereo input at all. Later ones have one connection that you can switch between stereo line and mono microphone.

Desktop > Apple (upper left) > System Preferences > Sound.

This is where mine is going to be different from yours. I have two separate connections and no Mic-In. Go look.

Koz

[maraud]

Hey man, thanks for the reply.

I bought my iMac brand new about a year and half ago. 3.06 Ghz intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3, Mac OS X 10.6.8.

I checked the sound settings in preferences and it brings up three tabs.
Sound effects, Output, and Input.

In the output tab it says headphone port with sliders for balance and output volume.
In the input one it lists external microphone and line in with sliders for volume and balance.

I can't see any options for switching between stereo line and mono microphone.

[kozikowski]

I maybe running out of ways to help. The iMac at work has different inputs and outputs.
I'd be reading my instructions. Koz

[kozikowski]

Some Macs have one connection that reverses between Headphone and Line-In. Those are really awkward because you can't listen and record at the same time.

Koz

[maraud]

My sound settings look exactly like yours except for the USB headset.

Audacity will only pick up sound inputs when the jack is in the mic in port. I get nothing when it's connected to the headphone input. How do I change it to a line in from headphone input?
It says both line in and headphones in the settings. I've tried all possible connections from mixer to mac and but it always plays back in mono or doesn't record anything at all!

Thanks for the input, I know I'm being a bit vague

[kozikowski]

Maybe we're going to nail that down a little bit.
The USB headset was being used to make a dictation recording. I got the system during lunch.

when the jack is in the mic in port.

There is no Mic-In port. The Stereo Line-In of your Mac looks like a thin black circle with two black arrows pointing in. The Stereo headphone out looks like a headphone.

You have one of these..

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/RCAMiniStereo.jpg

..between the Master Out of the Behringer and the Mac.

Open up Audacity Preferences > Devices > Recording > Built-In Input, Stereo
Close the panel and restart Audacity.

Unplug the cable from the back of the Mac and plug it back in firmly.

Try a simple recording.

If you get a two-channel recording like this...

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/Audacity1_record.jpg

But only one set of blue waves, then we can do the touch test.

Unplug the mixer end of the cable while Audacity is recording. Touch first one RCA and then the other like this...

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/touch.jpg

You should get first one and then the other blue wave and red sound meter bouncing.

Where did you get stuck?

Koz

[maraud]

Ok everything you stated is correct at my end.

Tried a recording last night, and still only picking up the right, nothing on the left.

Tried the touch test you mentioned and I'm starting to think it might be my lead.. If I take it out of the mixer and touch the right(red) I can see VERY faint blue lines but the red meter bounces ok. If I try it on the left(white) nothing at all!

So I'm going to buy a new lead and see if that solves it.

If it is the lead and I get a new one, is it totally possible to record my mixes in stereo into Audacity with my setup..?

Thanks again for your help!