Can't record audio - must be missing something obvious!

[csansom]

Oh, the joys of only using DP occasionally! I've clearly forgotten something basic...

My usual procedure for making a demo for my band: 1) record all tracks as MIDI using VIs; 2) commit each MIDI track to an audio track; 3) mix.

I've finished step 1 but I've fallen at the first hurdle for step 2. I'm trying to record the first part, flute, to an audio track.
• I have the MIDI track enabled and playing normally.
• I have the Flute VI, an AudioModeling SWAM instrument, enabled, not muted and set to output to bus 1.
• I have the new audio track set to bus 1 for input, with Input monitor, play enable and record enable buttons all active. Output is to M4 1-2 (I have a MOTU M4 interface).
• If I hit play, it plays, nice as pie, with VI track and new audio track both showing the same in their track level meters.
• If I hit record, exactly the same happens - it plays, but it doesn't record!

This is so basic - what on earth have I missed?

[mikehalloran]

You have the microphone enabled, right?

[csansom]

Well, Mike, you've got me stumped again! I thought 'Oh yes, of course, Mike must be right, and it'll be Sound Studio'. In case you're not familiar with it, Sound Studio is a very simple and reliable audio app from Felt Tip Software which I tend to leave open for basic editing tasks - or even just listening - when firing up DP would feel like overkill. When SS is running, the Mac's built-in mic is always active and responding to ambient sounds.

So I closed SS and... no change. Quit and relaunched DP... still no. Restarted the Mac... nope.

And I can't find how to disable the mic in DP, in Audio MIDI Setup or in the OS generally. So I remain stuck!

This is really frustrating, and I'm sure being 73 is partly responsible!

[stubbsonic]

This is an obscure one, but I've encountered a bug (or weird glitch) where a bus goes silent-- for totally unknown reasons.

You can try assigning the VI out and destination track input both to a different bus number. I know it shouldn't matter, but still try it.

[HCMarkus]

You have the microphone enabled, right?

Pretty sure MIke is referring to the Mic Setting in macOS, not a different Mic, right Mike?

csansom... you have tried rebooting your Mac... ?

[CharlzS]

A possible workaround or different approach - record the MIDI on the VI track, then select the instrument track(s) and freeze.

[csansom]

This is an obscure one, but I've encountered a bug (or weird glitch) where a bus goes silent-- for totally unknown reasons.

You can try assigning the VI out and destination track input both to a different bus number. I know it shouldn't matter, but still try it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I changed it from Bus 1 to Bus 7 (arbitrarily), but no dice, sadly.

And the more I think about this, the more I think this isn’t just me being stoopid, because I haven't had this particular problem before, even when the aforementioned Sound Studio is running, and without any attempt to disable the mic. Maybe it's some obscure incompatibility between DP 10 and the Monterey OS. Should I bite the bullet and upgrade to DP 11, perhaps? (I have my reasons - unrelated to DP or anything musical - for not upgrading the OS if I can help it.)

[csansom]

You have the microphone enabled, right?

Pretty sure MIke is referring to the Mic Setting in macOS, not a different Mic, right Mike?

csansom... you have tried rebooting your Mac... ?

Which mic setting, where? In the Sound pref. pane? I can choose a different mic there, but I don't see how to choose 'none' or otherwise disable it. Similarly in Audio MIDI Setup.

And yes, see above, I did restart!

[csansom]

A possible workaround or different approach - record the MIDI on the VI track, then select the instrument track(s) and freeze.

Not sure I fully understand that, but it sounds as if it wouldn't fit in with my normal way of working - and in any case, why should I have to change how I've been functioning for years and years?

[cuttime]

Which mic setting, where? In the Sound pref. pane? I can choose a different mic there, but I don't see how to choose 'none' or otherwise disable it. Similarly in Audio MIDI Setup.

The mic settings in System Settings>Privacy and Security

[mikehalloran]

That.

[CharlzS]

The OP is recording audio from a VI not an external source. Does that microphone permission thing apply to that?

[csansom]

The OP is recording audio from a VI not an external source. Does that microphone permission thing apply to that?

Exactly. I did go into this setting earlier and turned the mic access OFF, which seemed to me to make some sense (except that I couldn't really see why it should make any difference), but then I looked again at Mike's initial, slightly ambiguous, response and wondered: oh, maybe it should be ON (which made even less sense). But anyway, now I've tried it both ways and it still doesn’t work.

[csansom]

...and just at the moment I can't imagine what on earth I'm grinning about in that photo I added to my profile today...

[CharlzS]

Shot in the dark - in the SE does it draw the waveform while recording and then when you hit stop it disappears? If so, check the View Filter to make sure Soundbites is checked.