Audacity recording

[Twade]

I'm wondering about using a laptop with audacity to record. 

Production has always used this setup and want to follow the original setup with a new sound guy.

It'll come out of the 302 via the mix out as I'm already using the XLR"s to send to camera.

Levels aren't the easiest to set but I think I got them.

I also had to go into the Audio I/O preferences to get a 2 channel recording. 

On my desktop it works fine but on the laptop it seems as though only the left channel will pass audio.

The bigger problem is that they want a mono mixdown on one side of the stereo track and timecode on the other.

I could buy an interface to get  better separation but the last sound guy did it this way with just a cable.

Anyway, I guess I'm just asking if there's any hints, tips, tricks or has anyone worked with Audacity to record? 

Things to watch for?  How much space is safe if I'm recording for 12 days straight and a few hours of content every day.

Thanks,

[Philip Perkins]

The whole setup is dicey and not ultra professional.  You'll be using the convertors in the computer itself (you didn't mention any sort of interface) which means funky and unreliable mini connectors and less than hifi audio.  Audacity is fine--a little balky but ok, esp for free.

I'd encourage you to look into the Boom Recorder app, which isn't free but is WAY better suited to production recording in every way than Audacity.  That and even a simple cheap USB interface will be MUCH better and more stable than straight into the laptop's inputs and in to Audacity.  One major problem I see with your current method is the very high probability of TC bleed into your audio in the mini connector, if as you say they want you to send mixed audio to one side of a stereo recording and TC to the other.  Using a USB interface should help with this, although it is still dicey.  (The simple 2 channel version of Boom Recorder is only $20.)

http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/

Philip Perkins