How to listen to spotify & record instrument with Lexicon Alpha?

Question

What I'd like to do is this:
-Plug my guitar into the instrument input on the Alpha
-Plug 3.5mm headphones into the headphone jack on the Alpha
-Record my guitar with audacity WHILE listening to spotify or youtube on the computer (the sound coming through the headphones on the Alpha though)

I've tried this, but when i click record - I either get a fuzzing sound, or the whole track is extremely slow after recording.

Is there any way I can listen to backing music through the same headphones as I listen to me playing guitar? Is this possible?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I can't speak to Audacity or your specific interface, but I do know two things that may be helpful.

First, if the playback speed is wrong that sounds like your sample rate is set wrong. In other words you're recording at a different sample rate than the source (ex. Spotify) is playing at.

Second, sometimes recording system audio requires or benefits from an app that acts as kind of a virtual patch cable. For instance, on Mac, there's Audio Hijack (records directly) and/or Loopback (routes system audio so you can record with another app). I have no problem recording into Live or Logic from Spotify or YouTube using this method. I'm sure there's probably something similar available for Windows.

Answer 2

Spotify, as well as youtube, doesn't want you saving anything to disk, but if you find the file somewhere (for example, a CD), you can import it into a new track in Audacity and play along to that. If nothing else, you can always record the song through the "analog hole" i.e. headphone output and import that recording.