Tech/maintenance Recording with Audacity

[Col]

I've just down-loaded Audacity and intend to try recoding for the first time today. I'm using a Samson CO1U mic, is this going to be as complicated as it looks?

I'm reasonably okay with technology, but the Audacity screen has me head-srcathing so hard I've gone bald.

Any good (simple) tips? I've read Pete's pages which are great, but I'm at a real beginner's level here and need all the info. I can get.

 

[half diminished]

Col

Check out this thread I started on a similar subject. Scroll down and there is a great link that shows how do set this all up.

HEre is a quote/link from that thread.

Crazydaisydoo did a video on YouTube explaining his setup Ian, may be of interest.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgnY5aw-Qmk

It seems the challenge is getting a 'clean' recording which you can then add one or two effects to. My 'recording room' has poor acoustics so I will need to use close micing I think.

 

[Col]

Thanks half diminished, been watching the video and got told off by the wife already.

I had trouble with playback from Audacity and so down-loaded Switch Sound File convertor and WavePad Sound Editor and now working. Not too bad for a first attempt.

I need to load the backing tracks though as the balance and clarity isn't good enough. Can you do this straight from i-tunes?

 

[c9off]

Hi Col
I currently use Audacity/Samson, on my xp machine it is a bit tetchy, ie plug mic in, load program, then the softpre utility.... (set Samson as input within Audacity preferences).

Actual recording once all set is a piece of cake...

any specific problems just shout.

cheers
Geoff

 

[Col]

Hi Col
I currently use Audacity/Samson, on my xp machine it is a bit tetchy, ie plug mic in, load program, then the softpre utility.... (set Samson as input within Audacity preferences).

Actual recording once all set is a piece of cake...

any specific problems just shout.

cheers
Geoff

Hi Geoff,

I've loaded a track and it's come up with another file beneath it. How do I use the backing track to record over? I've tried all the various options but guess I'm missing something really simple. I can either get the backing track to play through headphones or record with nothing, can't get both

Any advice gratefully received. Many thanks.

 

[c9off]

recording/playback

Hi Col

First thing that comes to mind is to go edit, preferences, audio i/o & make sure that the box marked playthrough is ticked "play other tracks whilst recording new one"

let me know if it works for you..

cheers
Geoff

 

[Col]

Thanks Geoff, that's done the trick!

Next problem is I did two recordings this afternoon, one was saved okay the other has saved in a hundred little files and so I can't get it back (and it was my best attempt as well). I don't know what I did differently for the first one.


I can't save as MP3, tried to download LAME but it won't let me.

Any thoughts?

 

[c9off]

lame mp3/saving

Hi Col

Glad you are up & running, easy from here... I only use mp3, & would suggest that you persevere with the software, this link explains the loading better than I can:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3

Within preferences, there is an auto save setting (directories), this will help..

Have a look through each page of the preferences also, as it gives you a base knowledge the sometime in the future you will remember...

I cheat when saving a mixed track (backing with my 'playing') by deleting all other tracks, leaving just the 2, then exporting the remaining 2 mixed. Control+Z then restores each - I'm sure there there is a better way that someone else knows?..

lost recording can always be re-created, you did it once & will again!

hope this assists
cheers
Geoff

 

[Moz]

Hi Col

First thing that comes to mind is to go edit, preferences, audio i/o & make sure that the box marked playthrough is ticked "play other tracks whilst recording new one"

let me know if it works for you..

cheers
Geoff

Brilliant! I gave up on Audacity ages ago for recording, at home, my parts for the bands CD as I could record but couldn't hear the other tracks. I knew there must be a way of doing it but couldn't find it for the life of me! Thanks for that.

Moz

PS Audacity is great. Audacity is wonderful. Why is it free? (The cynic within me says nothing for nothing in this world but I don't see a catch)

 

[Col]

PS Audacity is great. Audacity is wonderful. Why is it free? (The cynic within me says nothing for nothing in this world but I don't see a catch)

I'm with you on that Moz.

I've also downloaded MixPad for comparison, a free trial, but how long does the trial last? It seems much more user-friendly than Audactity but not quite so 'professional' (by which I think I mean complicated). Hopefully I'm going to try it out today.

If it does cost, at $49-ish is this worth it over the totally free Audacity?

 

[visionari1]

Hi Col

First thing that comes to mind is to go edit, preferences, audio i/o & make sure that the box marked playthrough is ticked "play other tracks whilst recording new one"

let me know if it works for you..

cheers
Geoff

G'day Geoff, been using Audacity for few years, never knew about this one, that's a great tip, yup audacity is great for the simple stuff, I even import podcasts cut out the bits I don't need and then can put em in Transcribe and can really get to work on them. Ta for that:welldone

Cheers & Ciao
Jimu

 

[cmelodysax]

Ah - maybe you Audacity guys will know the answer to this ? When I record with Audacity, I've noticed that my playing can get progressively out of sync with a backing track (loaded into an Audacity track from an mp3 file) - and when I play the recording back I can end up being as much as half a bar out by the end of the recording. I put it down to the 'real-time' processing required, and have obviously tried changing sampling rates and latency values to little effect.

I also use Cool Edit pro 2.1, and that did the same at first, but I found a very useful "Correct for drift in recordings' box that I could tick, and this then pulls everything back together at the end of recording. Does Audacity have a similar option, I can't find one - or has anyone even noticed this ?

I have to say that this is purely a recording problem, It's not that I'm a bad player with a lousy sense of timing ;} I use either a Samson usb mic, or normal mics thro' an M-Audio mobile-pre usb interface, into a decent PC running XP.

Any comments appreciated, because I'd like to go back to Audacity for ease of use.

 

[c9off]

audacity

"If it does cost, at $49-ish is this worth it over the totally free Audacity?"

I think you just answered that Col?!

I have (and have tried) quite a number of recording software, whilst I'm sure they are very effective - none are on my level ie: simple! So whilst I just need to hear my playing 🙁 with or without backing, then there isn't the need to learn a new program.

Alan, I don't know how to resolve your problem, the only sync problems I have is my (lack of) own timing!

cheers
Geoff

 

[Tanny]

I have been using garageband which seems a nice simple start. My little 13 year old girl can use it too (I have a light version of abelton 7 which is far to complex). I have also have a light copy of tracktion that cam with my tapco usb link- it seems simple to but I don't feel any need to confuse things by learning two programs. Just a quick question- if I eventually upgrade to Logic whcih comes with all the Jam Packs, can the logic versions be used in garageband?

 

[old git]

Tanny,
If you are using GarageBand as a MIDI system, Pete does some wonderful samples called Sample Aid and they are real beaut. He is also a dab hand at Logic, does Sample Aid for that too and has a board for pro composers, much too good for me.

 

[littleplum]

Confused and Befuddled

Hi Folks

I asked a similar question a while ago but I cant trace the answer that some body was kind enough to post.

I have audacity on both my desktop and my laptop, the desktop will record anything that is played on the pc. However the laptop wont. A friend told me that it is to do with the "Stereo Mix" button, but I cant find it. Can any one point me in the right direction please.

Also when trying to record me playing both parts of a duet, I want to be able to play the first track whilst recirding the second, but I jut seem to re-record the first as well as playing the second. What am I doing wrong!

Any advice will be gratefully recieved and I promise that this time I will print it off and keep it safe


Thanks

Dave

 

[losaavedra]

Regarding Littleplum's:

"Also when trying to record me playing both parts of a duet, I want to be able to play the first track whilst recirding the second, but I jut seem to re-record the first as well as playing the second. What am I doing wrong!"

When that was happening to me it was because I was recording the second track while the first track was playing through my speakers so I could add the second track in sync. Eventually the penny dropped when I realized that some of this first track was simply finding its way back into the microphone used to do the second track, hence the 'recorded twice' effect, although there is a slight lack of synchronisation that results in the combined first track sounds then coming out as slightly 'echoey'. Anyway the solution is to use headphones instead of speakers to hear and keep in step with the already recorded track one while adding track two ... and same thereafter.

 

[c9off]

I have audacity on both my desktop and my laptop, the desktop will record anything that is played on the pc. However the laptop wont. A friend told me that it is to do with the "Stereo Mix" button, but I cant find it. Can any one point me in the right direction please.

You probably can't see it because toolbar is not activated:

view, toolbars; tick "device toolbars" - one of those will allow recording from the soundcard (hopefully).



Also when trying to record me playing both parts of a duet, I want to be able to play the first track whilst recirding the second, but I jut seem to re-record the first as well as playing the second. What am I doing wrong!

edit, preferences, tick "playthough" from I/O menu; this also has the input selection list....

cheers
Geoff

 

[littleplum]

Thanks

Thanks Folks

I have tried the head phones and that works really well, the other items I will try over the weekend and let you know how I get on

regards

Dave

 

[littleplum]

Not sure whats happening now!

Ok, so now I can record any thing that plays on my desktop and I can record multiple tracks using the headphones. So that sorts out the desktop. Now the laptop is another story. I have followed the advice above but it hasnt made any difference. When I try to record something that is being played through the laptop it records a large amount of feedback.

Is there anything that I have missed or could it be a poor quality soundcard? the laptop is about 6 months old.

Regards

Dave