2.0.4 - unable to record "What U Hear."

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I made what now seems like the mistake of upgrading to 4.0.2. I used the .exe installer.) I did NOT select the box to reset my settings, so I assumed everything would still be as it was with the previous version. It wasn’t.

Now, I am unable to get Audacity to “hear” my sound card. I have followed the tutorial (twice), and tried flipping numerous Windows Sound settings, all to no avail. The baffling thing is that when I first started up 4.0.2, the ONLY thing it would record was the microphone. I’ve stopped it doing that, but now it won’t record from “What U Hear.”

I am running Windows XP, and the audio (from a web site) plays just fine through the speakers. But Audacity is unable to detect it. I’m stumped and frustrated (I use it a lot to record radio programs). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Peter

2

Audacity 2.0.4 is sensitive to the XP version. Make sure your XP is at least up to Service Pack 3.
Koz

3

What settings do you have in the device toolbar?

4

I am at SP3 with XP, by the way.

:unamused: It WORKS now!

I think my mistake may have been forgetting to restart Audacity after each (experimental) change I made. That is, clearly, very important.

5

I retract my previous reply. Here is what is happening:

When I start Audacity (settings below), it doesn’t record. If I then select the Input selection dropdown (which already says “What u Hear” and reselect the SAME THING, then it works.

Settings:
MME | SB Audigy 2 ZS [C880] | SB Audigy 2 ZS [C880]:“What U Hear” | 2 (Stereo) input channels.

Looks like a bug to me. I have a workaround, of course, but it’s going to be a pain.

6

What experimental changes are you making exactly?

If you have added or removed an external device, you can use Transport > Rescan Audio Devices instead of restarting Audacity.

What previous version of Audacity did you have where this wasn’t a problem?

If you try Windows DirectSound host (first box in Device Toolbar), does it work any better?

Do you have the latest possible drivers for the Audigy? I appreciate those may not of course be recent.


Gale

7

(Wow, Gale, this is hard to do without having your reply in front of me!)

The changes I was referring to were mostly with the Windows sound settings. I didn’t mean to imply that I am “tinkering” in some way - “experimental” in the sense of “hmm, I’ll try this and see if it helps.”

If you have added or removed an external device

  • no. didn’t do that.

What previous version of Audacity did you have where this wasn’t a problem?

I have no idea - it’s gone now!! But it was recent.

If you try Windows DirectSound host (first box in Device Toolbar), does it work any better?

I’ll try that. (As I write, I am actually using Audacity - successfully - to record an audio stream.)

Do you have the latest possible drivers for the Audigy?

Never even occurred to me to check.

8

Did you need to reselect “Audigy What U Hear”?

If What U Hear only works intermittently it may be good to check.

Please visit http://tinyurl.com/5mvmse .

Audio programs like Audacity have to keep updating their audio interfaces to be compatible with the latest devices. Older devices therefore may not always work correctly but should mostly do so if their drivers are being updated by the device manufacturer and if the user has those latest drivers.


Gale

9

This is getting very confusing. I tried switching to Windows DirectSound, and that has basically the same effect as changing the source setting: When first starting up Audacity, it does not record. Selecting those drop-downs (even choosing the same value again) causes Audacity to record.

All of that tends to make me think that this is not a driver issue. (I have too much on my plate right now to risk updating the driver, in case that makes matters worse. It will have to wait until I can take the time.)