Audacity help

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StarTrek1701

Active Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
98
I recently discovered a free (can you believe it) software for multi-channel recording. It seems to work just fine but I'm having a problem with getting the channels properly assigned. I'm using the Delta 1010LT sound card. The audio from my Q8 deck is going into channels 3 & 4 for the front and 5 & 6 for the surrounds. But the sound is being recorded to channel 1 & 2 and plays back from there. I have the surrounds muted until I get the fronts properly assigned. I'm thinking I may have to change the wires around.

At any rate, if anybody has any experience with this software...HELP! I have been trying to get myself set-up for quite sometime but I'm starting to loose patience.

Thank you.

Glen
 
I've been using the 1010LT for a few years now and can sympathize with you. You'll figure out how to use it but by the time you need to use it again, you'll forget it and go through this again. At least that's how it goes with me. Even reading the instructions doesn't help does it? Its just not an intuitive user interface in my opinion.

I believe the answer to the problem is in the patchbay/router section of the M Audio Delta Control Panel. Have you tried setting the H/W out 3&4 to H/W in 3&4 while recording then setting to wavout 3&4 while playing?
 
When recording to the AA 1.5, the "H/W in 3&4" (front) and "H/W in 5&6" (surround) is what is set. I have 4 clearly defined channels. I created a template so I can come back to them every time. Playback on AA is by Monitor Mixer. I play all of the channels then mute whatever channel(s) to hear the others individually or in groups. I would stick with AA, but you can only record at 32 or 16 sampling rate and my DVD-A burning software will only accept 24/96k or 16/44.1k. My DTS-CD software will only accept 16/44.1k (I figuire that is due to the limitations of the CD-R). AA will down convert from 32/96k to 16/44.1k, but I believe I might be loosing resolution.

With the Audacity, I am getting audio out by "WAV/OUT 1&2". But, this is the crazy part, I cannot figure how the audio is getting to the program. I set the preferences to 4 channel. It is showing 4 channels; the top 2 show no activity at all (I guess these are 5&6 since I have them set to mute because I wanted to isolate the front channels first), the bottom 2 show some activity but it is minimal. The input control is set to maximum. The input meters on the toolbar show no input activity at all. I have gotten the output meter to work.

The one positive thing about the program (there are probably others) is that I can record directly at 24/96k so there is no conversion necessary for my DVD-A burning software. I have a sneaking suspicion that once everything is set-up, I'll be OK. I was hoping to get Audacity set-up like I have the AA. But, it took me nearly 4 hours to figure-out that I could only get sound out of the program by re-setting the card to WAV/OUT 1&2; and that was by accident.

I greatly appreciate your help and if there is anything else you could share, that would be great. I have spent the better part of 9 months to get this process set-up and it is still a "work in progress".

Thank you.
Glen
 
Last edited:
Well, I guess no one is going to help Glen ;)

So, I have what I assume is an easy question. If I load a (single song) multi-channel Flac into Audacity, it shows the individual audio information for each speaker........how do I Know which speaker is assigned to what I'm seeing? OK, I can sort of make some assumptions, but surely (Shirley) there is a proper way.

Second question. Since Audacity can obviously display all the audio information per speaker (5.1), how come when I click play, it doesn't play it back in multi-channel? Can it not do that? (oops, third question)
 
I have tried everything I could think of or find online, and have never been able to get Audacity to play back in multichannel... I basically work in audacity, then export and play back in foobar to hear my multichannel mixes.

Regarding speakers, from top to bottom in Audacity you have:
LF
RF
Center
LFE
LR
RR

Or (for quad)

LF
RF
LR
RR
 
I have tried everything I could think of or find online, and have never been able to get Audacity to play back in multichannel... I basically work in audacity, then export and play back in foobar to hear my multichannel mixes.

Regarding speakers, from top to bottom in Audacity you have:
LF
RF
Center
LFE
LR
RR

Or (for quad)

LF
RF
LR
RR

OK, thanks. HOnestly, I don't know why they don't have these channels labeled...that seems like an obvious thing to do....you know, for the visual aspect.
 
I have been able to import files ripped from CD, DVD-V, DVD-A, and Blu-ray into Audacity to make adjustments. For example, correcting the channel assignments on A Space In Time. However, DSF files ripped from SACD can only be imported as "Raw Data" but then just appear as noise. I read somewhere about installing FFmpeg to be able to import DSF into Audacity. Has anyone done this and does it actually allow import of DSF files? Thanks.
 
I don't know about that soundcard, but in Audacity you will need to export the music in a multichannel format (such as FLAC or AAC). then use a player that can handle that particular file type you chose, output to your soundcard on onto the amplifier. That's what I would try anyway.
audacity export
 
I don't know about that soundcard, but in Audacity you will need to export the music in a multichannel format (such as FLAC or AAC). then use a player that can handle that particular file type you chose, output to your soundcard on onto the amplifier. That's what I would try anyway.
audacity export

Thanks mlrocker, but the problem is actually importing DSF into Audacity. If that is successful, then the exporting as FLAC is no big deal.
 
Thanks mlrocker, but the problem is actually importing DSF into Audacity. If that is successful, then the exporting as FLAC is no big deal.

Use Foobar2000 to convert DSF to either FLAC or WAV. Then import into Audacity.

I have FFMPEG installed- not sure if DSF works put it does let you output to AC3 6ch which is handy for making DVDs.
 
never heard of DSF before

It is a type of file you can obtain when extracting DSD from an SACD. The .dsf files will play on an Oppo while DSD does not...At least not on my Oppo. The Oppo info screen describes the audio as DSD even though the file extension is .dsf. Others with more technical knowledge on this subject could probably explain it better.
 
Cool, so DSF files should work in Audacity with FFMPEG, listed under codecs here. But I've just installed FFmpeg and it didn't work. I think you need to install FFmpeg library version 2.3 - but I could only find and install version 2.2.2?

Something about 32 bit vs 64 bit? https://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?t=89777

Would be really cool to have dsd (dsf/dff) in Audacity. This should mean I can get a native fix on my Keane - Hopes & Fears SACD... I know it's easy enough to convert to FLAC, but it would be nice to have in dsd... Will keep on looking...
 
When recording to the AA 1.5, the "H/W in 3&4" (front) and "H/W in 5&6" (surround) is what is set. I have 4 clearly defined channels. I created a template so I can come back to them every time. Playback on AA is by Monitor Mixer. I play all of the channels then mute whatever channel(s) to hear the others individually or in groups. I would stick with AA, but you can only record at 32 or 16 sampling rate and my DVD-A burning software will only accept 24/96k or 16/44.1k. My DTS-CD software will only accept 16/44.1k (I figuire that is due to the limitations of the CD-R). AA will down convert from 32/96k to 16/44.1k, but I believe I might be loosing resolution.
Actually it's best to record in the highest resolution you can 32-bit floating gives you extra headroom and you should use the highest sample rate (although bit depth is more important than sample rate). Even to make a CD from vinyl I would record 32(float)/96 and then convert to 16/44.1 (use dithering). Recordings made as such sound much, much better than if you record directly to 16/44.1. Any and all processing should be done before final conversion. I originally used a 16 bit card (Maya 44) and although the recordings were good switching to 24 bit card Delta 44 was like night and day!
 
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