Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting the Input Signal

Here are some tips if you are having trouble getting a signal from the mic to your computer.

Make sure the board is on (the power button is near the power cord).

Make sure the usb connection from the board is connected to the computer.

If you launched Audacity before connecting the powered up board quit Audacity all the way (not just the recording window). Check if your audio is working in the system preferences (apple menu -> audio – > set input to UBS codec) before launching Audacity.

Check the board that sliders Gain, Main, 1 & 2 are up high. Be sure the mute buttons aren’t accidentally depressed. Make sure the XLR cables are connected.

If your signal is weak, you might need to reposition the mics. This page has mic arrangement recommendations, I prefer off-axis mic setups.

Troubleshooting Monitoring

The studio computer is set up to do live play-through of recordings to facilitate monitoring. To adjust your own computer settings, in Audacity for all platforms: Choose Software Play-through in Recording Preferences or under the Transport > Transport Options menu.

The output from the computer is generally set to go through the headphone jack, through the desktop speakers, and then through the studio headphones. Double check the connections and the settings (computer volume as well as desktop speaker volume knob). Audacity also has its own output settings.

Panning the Audio

It is possible make a more editable recording of two speakers by panning channel 1 to the left and channel 2 to the right. This will make editing easier if you need to make discrete adjustments to individual speakers.

Audacity

Sometimes the settings in Audacity can change. Doublecheck that the computer has the inputs and outputs set appropriately (input should be USB codec – that’s the board, output by default should be headphone jack / speaker).

The input (near the mic icon) should read “USB audio codec”.

Playthrough Settings

Audacity’s monitoring feature allows you to hear your audio as you record it. To enable monitoring, follow these steps:

  1. Click on “Transport” in the menu bar.
  2. Select “Transport Options”.
  3. Check the box next to “Software Playthrough (Play new track while recording)”.
  4. Click “OK”.

These settings should be the same from one session to the next, unless another user or an update alters them.