Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

sweetandy · 2009-11-01 16:31:51

First things first, I've been using Arch very consistently as my main computer for about a week now, and I have only positive things to say about the experience. It's relatively easy, and the way I want it to be.

All right, so I'm trying to record screencasts of cool Arch stuff via recordmydesktop to post in HD (yet with a low file size!) on YouTube. The software works fantastic, including the video editing and conversion, and the only hitch in my ride is Audacity, which I need to record audio of me talking while I demonstrate on the screen.

I have a Logitech Quickcam which works great with Skype, both video and audio, with no extra driver configuration, and video also works for a number of other apps, including Flash in the browser and VLC streaming from /dev/video0. Audacity even hears the USB webcam, if only for less than half a second.

That's what my Audacity window looks like after recording audio for five seconds. The playback is just fine, if terse.

Despite the problems with holding a microphone and clicking/typing at the same time, I decided to give a line-in mic a try. I know it works, my setup is OSX/Arch dual-boot (I'm using OSX less and less, it's wonderful), and OS X can hear the mic just fine, but neither "analog" nor "digital" feign to receive kind of signal. Screenshot of device list:

I'd prefer to get the webcam's audio working in Audacity. Anybody have any suggestions? I'd like to share Arch with folks on YouTube.

EDIT: I'm using ALSA, and I've read through the wiki's entries on both ALSA and webcams; no dice.

Last edited by sweetandy (2009-11-01 16:34:38)

ngoonee · 2009-11-02 03:28:16

Audacity has had this bug on some systems (my laptop included), this is due to its screwed up alsa support I believe. I personally use Jack, seems to work reasonably well, but there's another bug where you'd have to have a second sound-card plugged in to select jack in preferences (it crashes otherwise), but after that it works fine.

Unless you want to spend lots of time hunting down the root causes, I'd suggest using something else. I'm learning Ardour because of this.

sweetandy · 2009-11-02 03:56:26

A second audio card? Perfect! I've got an iGriffin USB sound card with audio in and out ports. I'll give this a try and post back with an edit.

Chokkan · 2009-11-02 07:38:47

Trying to get my mic to work has been a right royal pain. Hope you work it out.

sweetandy · 2009-11-02 10:57:08

I can record now just fine, good input levels, etc., by using the external sound card and jack. Thing is because the soundcard is external and via USB, there's a delay in the recording, which would be fine, except I can't get audio playback in avidemux when I'm combining the avi with the mp3, so I can't sync it right. Ah well. I'll keep trying. Maybe give OSS a try.

ngoonee · 2009-11-02 14:20:11

Actually, if you can get audacity using Jack, you can just ask Jack to grab your own sound card, not the external. Would solve your latency issue. USB sucks for latency.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-11-01 16:31:51

Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

#2 2009-11-02 03:28:16

Re: Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

#3 2009-11-02 03:56:26

Re: Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

#4 2009-11-02 07:38:47

Re: Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

#5 2009-11-02 10:57:08

Re: Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

#6 2009-11-02 14:20:11

Re: Audio input issues with Audacity, USB and line in

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