AUDACITY - Help Needed

For anything to do with Fender, Burns and other guitars; also amps, effects units inc eTap plus any other music making accessories

Moderators: David Martin, dave robinson, Iain Purdon, George Geddes

AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Tab » Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:56 pm

I need some advice with Audacity software. I've only ever recorded on a TASCAM 8 track in the past.

Simply, how do you get a track already laid down to play back audibly whilst recording another track so that you can play along with previously recorded tracks?

Any advice would be gratefully received.
User avatar
Tab
 
Posts: 624
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:22 pm
Location: East Sussex
Full Real Name: Terry Bryant

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Ian Miller » Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:28 pm

If you search YouTube, Dave Monk did a tutorial on Audacity a few years ago. You’ll need to search through his many postings for it!

Ian
Ian Miller
 
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:36 pm
Location: Lancing, West Sussex
Full Real Name: Ian Miller

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Ian Miller » Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:34 pm

Ian Miller
 
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:36 pm
Location: Lancing, West Sussex
Full Real Name: Ian Miller

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Tab » Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:09 pm

Many thanks, Ian
User avatar
Tab
 
Posts: 624
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:22 pm
Location: East Sussex
Full Real Name: Terry Bryant

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby artyman » Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:05 pm

The most likely problem you will encounter is latency. I load a backing track into Audacity, create another track, hook up my Mustang III with the USB cable. I have the playthrough in Audacity disabled and rely on the sound from the amp to hear what I'm playing. The guitar signal gets recorded on the second track. You need to determine what the latency is for your setup, mine is 100 milliseconds, set that in the options. Audacity then shifts the guitar track to take account of the delay. Then just save as a new file and it will combine both tracks, usually with a warning it is about to do so.
artyman
 
Posts: 242
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:55 am
Location: Hampshire
Full Real Name: Ken Gillam

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Hank2k » Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:25 am

What audio interface are you using?
Hank2k
 

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Tab » Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:42 pm

Sorry Steve - you are speaking Chinese!

Everything goes into my laptop via a USB input from my mixing desk. Does that answer your question?
User avatar
Tab
 
Posts: 624
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:22 pm
Location: East Sussex
Full Real Name: Terry Bryant

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Hank2k » Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:12 pm

Your Mixer is the USB interface.

You should be hearing the recorded track back through your speakers assuming they are attached to the mixer or are you connected to the laptop to hear it back?
Hank2k
 

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby Tab » Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:23 pm

Yes. The speakers are connected up. I think I have the problem solved now. I just need to get more familiar with everything. Thanks for all the interest.
User avatar
Tab
 
Posts: 624
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:22 pm
Location: East Sussex
Full Real Name: Terry Bryant

Re: AUDACITY - Help Needed

Postby SJB » Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:50 pm

artyman wrote:The most likely problem you will encounter is latency. I load a backing track into Audacity, create another track, hook up my Mustang III with the USB cable. I have the playthrough in Audacity disabled and rely on the sound from the amp to hear what I'm playing. The guitar signal gets recorded on the second track. You need to determine what the latency is for your setup, mine is 100 milliseconds, set that in the options. Audacity then shifts the guitar track to take account of the delay. Then just save as a new file and it will combine both tracks, usually with a warning it is about to do so.


I was a bit amazed at the latency here. Up until now I have only used Audacity as a quick way of changing Tempo or Key. I run Cakewalk Sonar Pro and currently run at full latency of 9ms. So I tried recording on Audacity with Playthrough on. It's awful - and on the same machine? So Playthrough seems to be unusable. I did reduce the latency setting to 9ms - but it still seemed to take 100ms.

I can't get Audacity to show which drivers are being used - devices yes - but not the drivers. So seems you need to have direct monitoring of the input.

But it is free and if you understand the Latency all may be well. It's still useful.
SJB
 
Posts: 268
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 12:50 pm
Location: South Wales
Full Real Name: Stuart J Best

Next

Return to Gear

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Brian H and 23 guests

Ads by Google
These advertisements are selected and placed by Google to assist with the cost of site maintenance.
ShadowMusic is not responsible for the content of external advertisements.