Audacity Forum

Possibly your hard drive is getting full (the free HD space available depends on the size of the virtual memory, the virtuial memory is allocated HD space for swapping to HD from memory). Try deleting a whole bunch of files by clearing your cache (delete all your temp files).

Suspect electro-magnetic interference that fits the pattern of droning in and out the way you described. The interference may be anywhere, in the snake or in the sounmd room. To isolate, run another cable through a different route.

Go to the sound dialogue box (from Sound app in Vista control panel) and set your line in as the default input. Hit Apply button. Play the tape and make sure the meter at the right is active. Then go into the preferences in Audacity, go to "Audio I/O" tab, and set the "Recording Device" to Line In a...