USB Mic (Blue Yeti) not detcted in Audacity or Ardour

[Aaron Caskey]

I recently upgraded my laptop to Ubuntu 20.04 (from 19.10), which I use for recording podcasts using Audacity.

The Sound Settings allow me to select the Yeti, and the monitor graphic shows lots of activity when I scratch the mic with my nails.

Since the upgrade Audacity will only record from the built in mic. It's not available as a recording input at all, and selecting "default" (which is what I usually do) uses the inbuilt mic. Regardless of what the Sound Settings have selected.

I tried Ardour and I could only get it to record using the built in mic. While I can select the Yeti when I start the app, I can't get it to actually register that any sound is coming in at all.

I tried gnome-sound-recorder, which recorded audio from the Yeti without any issues. Unfortunately it's doesn't have any of the features I need.

arecord also works with issue.

I'm kinda going insane here, I've never had any issues like this before, but it suddenly seems that any halfway decent recording apps just don't want to talk to the Yeti.

Is there something I'm missing, has something changed in how 20.04 handles sound devices now? Is there anything I can do to trouble shoot this?

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1878062/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Aaron Caskey (netwomble)]

Update. I reinstalled my laptop from bare metal.'

Installing audacity from "Ubuntu Software" (which I assume is a snap?) now allows me to access my microphone.

But I cannot save files from audacity to external drives, trying to access /media gives "Permission Denied" even though the file browser can access the files.

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

For the issue of not being able to save files to / from external drives, you need to manually connect the removable-media interface for the audacity snap - so either in Ubuntu Software search again for audacity and then via the 'Permissions' button ensure the 'Read/write files on removable storage devices' is enabled - or you can go to Settings -> Applications -> Audacity and again ensure this permission is enabled.

[Shivam Sharma (shivam-src)]

I can confirm that this issue exists and is affecting multiple USB Microphones and sound-cards. My friend has a Blue Snowball Mic and I have an MAudio USB Soundcard. Both refuse to work on Audacity or even using arecord. While both work when recording using some online DAW!! This has been very frustrating indeed.

Further, one interesting thing I found was the Ubuntu Studio release based 20.04 doesn't have any issues at all. I tried a live installation and everything works fine there.