Recording With Audacity Problems

[2plus2isjoe]

Hi, I've been trying to record directly from my sound card, but can't make it work.

I'm running Vista, but have tried showing hidden devices in the "recording" menu and no stereo mix shows up. I've looked to see if I have one of the less compatible sound cards, but I can't find any mention in my device manager as to what sound card I'm running (it simply says High Definition Audio Device).

Are there any other ways I can approach this problem?

Cheers,
Joe

[Pauldo]

What is your computer make and model #?

Pauldo

[2plus2isjoe]

I've got a Compaq Presario F504EA

[Pauldo]

Here is your product specs according to hp: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...roduct=3411828

It says you have a Creative Soundblaster integrated onto your motherboard.

Have you updated drivers in awhile? Might help as I have seen this issue go away with newer drivers. Of course that was with Dell and soundmax but it might help here as well.

Pauldo

[2plus2isjoe]

Sorry, I'm completely useless, but how do I know which drivers to download? It won't do it automatically on my computer, and so I have no idea which ones to go for on the Sound Blaster site...

[Pauldo]

You know, I thought about providing the link but didn't. Sorry about that.

Good thing though as I must have mis-read the specs page since the only download that you have for audio is a Conexant driver.

Here's the link: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3411828

It is an update from the original driver but by only a few months. Hopefully they added support for stereo mix.

Let us know how it goes.

Pauldo

[ecc83]

Don't know if Blista is the same but if you uninstall a device in Device Manager and re boot the pc it then charges off on the internet to find a driver for you as a rule!

Dave.

[2plus2isjoe]

Hi guys, well I downloaded and installed the driver, and a new option, "WaveOut Mix" appeared, but even after enabling it, it says "Currently Unavailable" and I still can't do anything in Audacity about recording.

Any ideas?

[ecc83]

Try as I might I cannot get a screen grab of the relevent pane in Audacity. It will come up from prnt scrn in Paint but will not save the information. Any ideas?

So, I will have to explain in words:

In Audacity click on Edit>Prefererences and then the audio tab if it does not default to it.
There you should find the record and play paths of your soundcard.


Dave.

[Pauldo]

Originally Posted by ecc83

Don't know if Blista is the same but if you uninstall a device in Device Manager and re boot the pc it then charges off on the internet to find a driver for you as a rule!

Yes, for drivers from Microsoft. But it will not go out to the various manufacturers sites of the various components on your machine. While Micosoft does have some fairly good drivers out there, most of the time the best option is to go to the manufacturers webpage. This is especially true for sound drivers.

Pauldo

[ecc83]

Aha!

So, Paul, THAT what 'appen.

I seem to get better results sometimes if I download the latest drivers but save them, say to desktop. THEN run the add hardware wizard and let Windows find the drivers that way.

Probably makes no difference, just seems to work for me, sometimes!

Dave.

[Pauldo]

That works too.

Just didn't want people thinking that if they let Windows find the driver for them that it would be the most appropriate driver.

Pauldo

[thuringwethil]

Hello!

My problem is the following: I installed Audacity, I would like to record sound from a Lenco turntable. I can start the recording, I hear the sound while the recording is going on, but when I export it into WAV or MP3, the final sound file is absolutely dumb. Lame is installed, I have Realtek sound card. The Mixer Toolbar input selector is greyed. What can I do?

Thanks for all answers!

[ecc83]

Ok,
You have sound going thru' the system it would appear.

Do you see the input and output meters moving in Audacity? If no...

Edit>Preferences and set the record and playback devices to Realtec (ugh!).

If yes, do you get a "waveform" written on a the timeline on screen?

If so, save that as .wav ( forget MP3 for now) on the desktop. That should now play in Win med player, Real player, Winamp or any other audio/video playback app' you have. Win Med Player (from V10?) should burn it to cd. I use Nero.

Dave.

[tremblyj]

OK everyone running Vista. The ever helpful Microsoft Corporation has disabled Wave Out Recording as a default setting. Here's how to enable it:

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/01...ding-in-vista/

(I have used Audacity with XP SP2 without any difficulty and found that since installing SP3, the "Stereo Mix" volume setting occasionally has its MUTE setting enabled preventing me from seeing any waveforms in the track window. After unchecking the mute checkbox in the Record Control "volume settings" window accessed from inside the "Sound and Audio Devices" options window, which you can get to by right-clicking on the Volume icon on the right-side of your taskbar and clicking "Adjust Audio Properties", it works fine now.)

Also, some newer (cheaper) motherboards are designed without sound monitoring hardware installed. (i.e. Dell Optiplex 330) This means you cannot record off of the sound card without using an audio patch cord and this also explains why with all the right drivers installed, the Wave Out Mixer is still grayed out on some systems. To overcome this without buying a new computer, plug a stereo mini-plug splitter (two female connectors to one male connector) into the AUDIO OUT jack (green) on the back of your PC. Then plug your speakers into one side of the splitter and a male-to-male stereo mini-plug patch cable into the other side of splitter. Plug the other end of the patch cable into the AUDIO IN jack (blue) on the back of your PC. You should now be able to simply record off of the "Line In" component instead of the "Mixer" but first make sure that it is not MUTED in the Record Control "volume settings".

Good luck!

[ecc83]

Hi Trembyj,
WHAT a crock of **** Blista is! I would just kill OBSound and fit an MAudio 2496 card. It has proper, not beta, Vista drivers for all the SP and 32/64bit variants.

Dave.