diff --git a/src/devices/audioRecorder_nws_yarp/tests/audioRecorder_nws_yarp_test.cpp b/src/devices/audioRecorder_nws_yarp/tests/audioRecorder_nws_yarp_test.cpp
index bede74a680..d3db1e21a0 100644
--- a/src/devices/audioRecorder_nws_yarp/tests/audioRecorder_nws_yarp_test.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/audioRecorder_nws_yarp/tests/audioRecorder_nws_yarp_test.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,36 @@ using namespace yarp::os;
 using namespace yarp::dev;
 using namespace yarp::sig;
 
+void test_fakeMicrophone (size_t channels)
+{
+    PolyDriver dd_fake;
+    PolyDriver dd_nws;
+    Property p_fake;
+    Property p_nws;
+
+    p_nws.put("device", "audioRecorder_nws_yarp");
+    p_nws.put("start", "");
+    p_fake.put("device", "fakeMicrophone");
+
+    char buff_channels[10];
+    snprintf (buff_channels, sizeof(buff_channels), "%d", (int)channels);
+    Property& psub = p_fake.addGroup("AUDIO_BASE");
+    psub.put("channels", (int)(channels));
+
+    REQUIRE(dd_fake.open(p_fake));
+    REQUIRE(dd_nws.open(p_nws));
+    yarp::os::SystemClock::delaySystem(0.5);
+
+    {yarp::dev::WrapperSingle* ww_nws; dd_nws.view(ww_nws);
+    REQUIRE(ww_nws);
+    bool result_att = ww_nws->attach(&dd_fake);
+    REQUIRE(result_att); }
+
+    yarp::os::SystemClock::delaySystem(1.0);
+
+    CHECK(dd_nws.close());
+    CHECK(dd_fake.close());
+}
 
 TEST_CASE("dev::AudioRecorder_nws_yarp", "[yarp::dev]")
 {
@@ -45,27 +75,8 @@ TEST_CASE("dev::AudioRecorder_nws_yarp", "[yarp::dev]")
 
     SECTION("Test the audioRecorder_nws_yarp device with a fakeMicrophone device")
     {
-        PolyDriver dd_fake;
-        PolyDriver dd_nws;
-        Property p_fake;
-        Property p_nws;
-
-        p_nws.put("device", "audioRecorder_nws_yarp");
-        p_nws.put("start","");
-        p_fake.put("device", "fakeMicrophone");
-        REQUIRE(dd_fake.open(p_fake));
-        REQUIRE(dd_nws.open(p_nws));
-        yarp::os::SystemClock::delaySystem(0.5);
-
-        {yarp::dev::WrapperSingle* ww_nws; dd_nws.view(ww_nws);
-        REQUIRE(ww_nws);
-        bool result_att = ww_nws->attach(&dd_fake);
-        REQUIRE(result_att); }
-
-        yarp::os::SystemClock::delaySystem(1.0);
-
-        CHECK(dd_nws.close());
-        CHECK(dd_fake.close());
+        test_fakeMicrophone(1);
+        test_fakeMicrophone(2);
     }
 
     Network::setLocalMode(false);
diff --git a/src/devices/fakeMicrophone/fakeMicrophone.cpp b/src/devices/fakeMicrophone/fakeMicrophone.cpp
index c5cc58d57f..1b4745e932 100644
--- a/src/devices/fakeMicrophone/fakeMicrophone.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/fakeMicrophone/fakeMicrophone.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ bool fakeMicrophone::open(yarp::os::Searchable &config)
         return false;
     }
 
-    bool b = configureRecorderAudioDevice(config.findGroup("AUDIO_BASE"), "fakeMicrophone");
+    std::string debug_cfg_string = config.toString();
+    yarp::os::Bottle& bb = config.findGroup("AUDIO_BASE");
+    bool b = configureRecorderAudioDevice(bb, "fakeMicrophone");
     if (!b) { return false; }
 
     //sets the thread period
diff --git a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/AudioRecorderDeviceBase.cpp b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/AudioRecorderDeviceBase.cpp
index 6bd2f44e05..047626df99 100644
--- a/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/AudioRecorderDeviceBase.cpp
+++ b/src/libYARP_dev/src/yarp/dev/AudioRecorderDeviceBase.cpp
@@ -214,6 +214,8 @@ AudioRecorderDeviceBase::~AudioRecorderDeviceBase()
 
 bool AudioRecorderDeviceBase::configureRecorderAudioDevice(yarp::os::Searchable& config, std::string device_name)
 {
+    std::string debug_cfg_string = config.toString();
+
     m_audiorecorder_cfg.frequency = config.check("rate", Value(0), "audio sample rate (0=automatic)").asInt32();
     m_audiorecorder_cfg.numSamples = config.check("samples", Value(0), "number of samples per network packet (0=automatic). For chunks of 1 second of recording set samples=rate. Channels number is handled internally.").asInt32();
     m_audiorecorder_cfg.numChannels = config.check("channels", Value(0), "number of audio channels (0=automatic, max is 2)").asInt32();