Can't get Audacity to record...

[nypaulie]

Using a Thinkpad T61 with Ubuntu and Audacity 2.0.1 and I can't get anything to show when recording (no signal graph).
I have my settings at Pulse for record/playback and using Alsa.

[steve]

Install pavucontrol (PulseAudio Volume Control) if you don't already have it.
Open pavucontrol and go to the "Input Devices" tab and ensure that there is a signal present for the input that you want to use.
Here you can see that the microphone input for the built-in sound card is active:

Untitled.png (50.24 KiB) Viewed 6873 times

[nypaulie]

Yes I took your advice and there is no problem with my sound system. I can record if I select the internal mic0 but the sound is weak and hard to control (feedback). I used to be able to record really well using the mix0 setting, but when I select that I get no sound at all.

[steve]

What are you trying to record?
Is this on a laptop?
Are you using headphones?

[nypaulie]

What are you trying to record?
Is this on a laptop?
Are you using headphones?

One thing I sometimes do is record a sound clip from an internet site while listening to it. Using the line feed (mix0) worked great. No feedback and good steady volume.
I have a live CD for an earlier version of Mint (Ubuntu) that worked for me using Audacity, so I will try that and see if my newer version is the culprit.

[steve]

One thing I sometimes do is record a sound clip from an internet site while listening to it.

Set Audacity to record from "default" or "pulse" (whichever works) and put Audacity into record mode (record may be paused, or you can just click on the recording meter to activate "Start Montoring")
Then open pavucontrol and on the "Recording" tab, select "Monitor of <device that you are using for playback from the Internet>".
Close pavucontrol.
If Audacity is recording, press stop, then undo the recording.
You are now ready to record and as long as your web browser is using PulseAudio (it should do) then you will be able to record it,

[nypaulie]

I followed your instructions re: pavu "open pavucontrol and on the "Recording" tab, select "Monitor of <device that you are using for playback from the Internet".
Now when I try to record I get a loud, repeating first notes of what I am recording (tried a YouTube Rachmaninov piece). Sound like a sci-fi movie background. When I change pavu back to just the device (not the Monitor of part) I can record but like before, the quality is poor and the volume is hard to control. I think it is my hardware. I am using a T61 ThinkPad and had been using T30s before.

[steve]

You seem to have some audio pathways open on your machine that are not open on mine. We'll need to find what and where they are.

Open Audacity and select "Help > Audio Device Info".
When the info box appears, copy the contents and paste it into your reply.

[nypaulie]

You seem to have some audio pathways open on your machine that are not open on mine. We'll need to find what and where they are.

Open Audacity and select "Help > Audio Device Info".
When the info box appears, copy the contents and paste it into your reply.

Here's the (big, sorry) file:

Code: Select all

==============================
Default capture device number: 11
Default playback device number: 11
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: HDA Intel: AD198x Analog (hw:0,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: HDA Intel: AD198x Digital (hw:0,1)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: sysdefault
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 128
Output channels: 128
Low Input Latency: 0.042653
Low Output Latency: 0.042653
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    16000
    22050
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: front
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: surround40
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: surround51
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: surround71
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: iec958
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: spdif
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: pulse
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: dmix
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.042667
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.042667
Supported Rates:
    48000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: default
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Selected capture device: 11 - default
Selected playback device: 9 - pulse
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
0 - Mic:0
1 - Internal Mic:0
2 - Mix:0
3 - Docking-Station:0
4 - Mic:1
5 - Internal Mic:1
6 - Mix:1
7 - Docking-Station:1
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Master:0
1 - PCM:0
2 - Mic:0
3 - Mic Boost:0
4 - IEC958:0
5 - Beep:0
6 - Digital Beep:0
7 - Dock Mic Boost:0
8 - Docking Mic:0
9 - Internal Mic:0
10 - Internal Mic Boost:0
==============================
Capture volume is native
Playback volume is native

[steve]

I see no problem there.
Have you turned on "Software Playthrough"? It should be off (not selected). Please check - near the bottom of the Transport menu.