# Recording two live inputs on a PC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911 "2009-03-01T20:47:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/1 "2009-03-01T20:47:30Z")
I have a simple asus laptop (xp) with realtek audio. I was looking for a way of recording and mixing/joining two inputs (say internal CD and mike) on the fly, preferably freeware. All the programmes I have tried (e.g. audacity) will only record one input at a time. This may be an inbuilt limitation of the soundcard ? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/2 "2009-03-01T21:39:20Z")
WAG: Is this what podcast recording software does? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/3 "2009-03-01T22:42:35Z")
It is a combination of the hardware and the driver that restricts you. Most laptop motherboard audio interfaces are pretty simple things, and only having one stereo A/D converter for input (that can be switched between line and mic) saves money. The basic Windows drivers don’t help, by presenting the input as a single logical stereo input to the software, with the ability to choose the input stream. The only solution for what you want is to purchase a cheap multi-input USB audio interface. Prices have dropped and performance increased, so that you can get something pretty good for not many dollars. Not free, but a one off purchase and the only way to get what you want. Otherwise, rip your CD tracks to MP3/Wav, then use Audacity to play your track and record your voiceover/singing/whatever from mic. Si ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/4 "2009-03-02T02:45:51Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > Otherwise, rip your CD tracks to MP3/Wav, then use Audacity to play your track and record your voiceover/singing/whatever from mic. > > Si this is what I was doing, playing the track on an external speaker and trying to pick up both on a microphone. I though it was probably my laptop limitations, but it was good to get confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/5 "2009-03-02T03:18:54Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > this is what I was doing, playing the track on an external speaker and trying to pick up both on a microphone. Please don’t do this. There’s no way you can make this sound listenable. Rather, rip your CD track to a wave file, import it into an Audacity track, and play it back through _headphones_ while you speak into the mic, so that it _won’t_ pick up the CD audio. You can then mix the voice and CD tracks in Audacity. That’s the more professional way of doing things. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/6 "2009-03-02T07:31:03Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > Please don’t do this. There’s no way you can make this sound listenable. Rather, rip your CD track to a wave file, import it into an Audacity track, and play it back through _headphones_ while you speak into the mic, so that it _won’t_ pick up the CD audio. You can then mix the voice and CD tracks in Audacity. That’s the more professional way of doing things. Absolutely. Si ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/7 "2009-03-02T08:35:44Z")
audacity doesnt seem to be able to play and record at the same time even in a different window. I can use a separate player to play the song and audacity to record over the existing track. However then there are large (many seconds) synching errors which are hard to correct. I could record the vocal track with audacity and then merge with the wav file, but this is fiddly with many potential synching problems, but may be the best answer. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/8 "2009-03-02T08:49:10Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > audacity doesnt seem to be able to play and record at the same time even in a different window. In the preferences, make sure you check “Play other tracks when recording new one.” I think it’s off by default. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/9 "2009-03-02T08:54:25Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > audacity doesnt seem to be able to play and record at the same time even in a different window. You should be able to do this in a single window. Open Audacity. Make sure you select **Edit** / **Preferences** / **Audio I/O** and tick _Play other tracks while recording new one_. Import your ripped wav/mp3 file into an Audio track. Ensure that the microphone is selected as the input. Hit the record button - your microphone will record into a new track as your original track plays. On Preview: beaten by **jovan** Si ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-two-live-inputs-on-a-pc/487911/10 "2009-03-02T20:22:11Z")
It works. thanks guys ! 🙂