# getChannel() always returns invalid handle
**URL:** https://qa.fmod.com/t/getchannel-always-returns-invalid-handle/11937
**Category:** Unity
**Created:** [May 28, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/getchannel-always-returns-invalid-handle/11937 "2015-05-28T17:21:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@danbrani](https://qa.fmod.com/u/danbrani)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/getchannel-always-returns-invalid-handle/11937/1 "2015-05-28T17:21:19Z")
I’m using FMOD.System.getChannelsPlaying to see how many playing channels there are, and the value is correct, with channels increasing as I play new sfx.
When I use FMOD.System.getChannel() I get result OK, but when I try to set channel’s volume, pan or whatever else, it returns ERR\_INVALID\_HANDLE. That is so for every channel I get this way.
Please, anybody, help!
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### Author:  [@nick1](https://qa.fmod.com/u/nick1)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/getchannel-always-returns-invalid-handle/11937/2 "2015-05-29T00:20:36Z")
Don’t assume that if you have N channels playing that getChannel(x) where 0 \<= x \< N will return a playing channel.
getChannel() indexes the channel pool that is initialized based on the parameter passed into System::init(). The channel that your sound plays could be any member of this pool.
Just use the channel handle that you get back from playSound().