Audacity multi-tracking question

D

Delmont

Member
Hi!

Just got a laptop and interface, and about two weeks ago I downloaded Audacity. The rig: Shure 58 mic / Focusrite Clarett 8pre USB / MacBook Pro OS 12.2.1 / Audacity 3.0.4.

Not having much luck.

Right now, I simply want to individually test all eight channels of the Clarett to make sure they all work.

So far I have:

- recorded one track via Clarett channel 1. (My first success!)
- created a second track.
- plugged the mic into Clarett channel 2.

The problem: I can't figure out how to assign Clarett's channel 2 to Audacity's track 2. (And can't find the answer in the manual.)

So tell me:

- How do I assign Clarett channel 2 to Audacity track 2?
- How do I record on just one track — track 2 but not track 1?

Thanks!

Del
 
While Audacity might be a fine choice for audio editing... I don't know anyone who would use it as a multitracking DAW. I highly recommend using Reaper as a "FREE" multitracking DAW as it was made for this purpose, Audacity was not. Reaper also has multiple Youtube Tutorial/Help Channels and an Active User Forum. https://www.cockos.com/reaper/
 
Well, that's that, then.

I've had no luck getting a peep out of Reaper. The meters bounce, but I can't get a waveform. And it's only free for sixty days. (I have about fifty to go.) The forum hasn't been much help.

How's GarageBand for multi-tracking?
 
Now you understand why Audacity isn't recommended for multitrack recording.

Audacity does not support ASIO natively, which is the standard for multichannel recording. It's a legal thing... ASIO was created by Steinberg and requires licensing. The only way to include ASIO is to get the source code and recompile it with support included (there are instructions on the Audacity website, but you'll need to know how to compile code. Instructions are found here: Audacity with ASIO support . It will still have limitations that you'll find a problem

I'll second Ujn's recommendation of Reaper. It doesn't look as simple as Audacity, but once you get familiar with it, there's should be no problem operating it. Watch a few youtube videos and you'll be recording in half an hour.
 
TalismanRich said:
Now you understand why Audacity isn't recommended for multitrack recording.

Audacity does not support ASIO natively, which is the standard for multichannel recording. It's a legal thing... ASIO was created by Steinberg and requires licensing. The only way to include ASIO is to get the source code and recompile it with support included (there are instructions on the Audacity website, but you'll need to know how to compile code. Instructions are found here: Audacity with ASIO support . It will still have limitations that you'll find a problem

I'll second Ujn's recommendation of Reaper. It doesn't look as simple as Audacity, but once you get familiar with it, there's should be no problem operating it. Watch a few youtube videos and you'll be recording in half an hour.
Click to expand...
So far, I haven't been able to get Reaper to record. The forum and manual haven't helped.

Does GarageBand support AISO natively?
 
Sadly - we cannot see what you are doing, but if there's a handy 14 year old around, they'll get reaper going quickly for you. I don't use it, but it's almost certainly a routing issue. You need to spend some time with it finding out these things. If it was hard or difficult, it wouldn't be so popular - so you've just not explored the menus and panels properly. Maybe you could post screen shots of your current routing and we can have a look - but we're not mindreader - and remember that YouTube will have the answer, but probably burried in video about something else. EDIT - I found this video which seems to show how it's done.

Have you tried this? Report back please.
 
Focusrite's Control User Guide says the default configuration has it as Input 1 to Track 1; Input 2 to Track 2; etc., so you shouldn't have to tell it to do anything. Also mentioning the track assignments can be rearranged in your DAW.

I think Audacity's Manual has a section on Recording A New Track. I don't use it, but from reading about it, after recording the first track and stopping, it will automatically set to record your next track but it says it begins that recording wherever the cursor is located - which could be the end of the first track and the second recording would be tacked onto it's end. Moving the cursor to the start of the song before recording could set it to record the next track from that point. Not being an Audacity user it wasn't completely clear to me.
 
To answer the initial question, you have to enable 8 track recording in Audacity and create a project with 8 tracks. Then you can test each of your inputs. There won't be anything in the other tracks, of course, but that's the only way to get to each input.
 
spantini said:
Focusrite's Control User Guide says the default configuration has it as Input 1 to Track 1; Input 2 to Track 2; etc., so you shouldn't have to tell it to do anything. Also mentioning the track assignments can be rearranged in your DAW.
Click to expand...
Yes, it does. I might have posted that screen shot on another thread. The video in post 5 showed how to assign channels to tracks.
spantini said:
I think Audacity's Manual has a section on Recording A New Track. I don't use it, but from reading about it, after recording the first track and stopping, it will automatically set to record your next track but it says it begins that recording wherever the cursor is located - which could be the end of the first track and the second recording would be tacked onto it's end. Moving the cursor to the start of the song before recording could set it to record the next track from that point. Not being an Audacity user it wasn't completely clear to me.
Click to expand...
I read that section of the Aucacity manual and tried it. It didn't work. (See post 2.) Track 1 was fine. Track 2 was zilch, bupkis, zip point doodly-squat, nobody home.
 
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Delmont said:
I read that section of the Aucacity manual and tried it. It didn't work. (See post 2.) Track 1 was fine. Track 2 was zilch, bupkis, zip point doodly-squat, nobody home.
Click to expand...
Did you set Audacity's Preferences to enable 8 channels? (Attached is 5 channels enabled with my UR44C - just to test channel 5, a line-level input.) Then, add your 8 tracks. Each should automatically increment to the next input.
 

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keith.rogers said:
To answer the initial question, you have to enable 8 track recording in Audacity and create a project with 8 tracks. Then you can test each of your inputs. There won't be anything in the other tracks, of course, but that's the only way to get to each input.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Keith. I tried it. Your screen shot doesn't open for me, so I tried going to Audacity > Preferences > Devices, selected eight channels, and hitting OK.

Then I created eight tracks, selected track 2, plugged the mic into channel 2, hit the red Record dot, and sang some light opera (since I was in the aria). Didn't get a sound.

Is there something else on your screen shot? Folks at posts 2 and 4 said I can't multi-track on Audacity.

I did try the Reaper suggestions above (the video on post 5 answered it) and managed to get eight channels onto eight tracks. So the interface is working, anyhow.
 
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Reaper is FREE for 60 days, but it continues to work after the 60 days... you just have to press "OK" on a Nag Screen. So don't fret. Time isn't running out on you. Once you master Reaper (don't fear the Reaper) you can choose to pay the $60 licensing fee if you want.

Edit: Also, if the meters in Reaper bounce then you should have Record Armed the tracks properly, now you just need to actually hit "Record" to get your Waveforms.
 
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