When I record a record (45) and play it back, I can hear back ground noise (cars driving on street outside, talking to a friend while I was recording, etc.) If I finish recording the song and select Pause, the VU meters continue to still show voice. It seems like there is a microphone on while the song is recording. How could talking be fed back to the computer via the stylus? Does a computer have a speaker on some where while I am recording? I am using Windows 7 on a Dell laptop computer
Yup. My microphone is behind a grill just to the left of my left-hand shift key. Windows laptops are business machines and corporate communications and conferencing computers. They’re not just plain laptops any more.
If you like to record internet sound, you have to use different Windows settings to record a turntable. Internet settings can give you the odd sounds you have.
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tutorial_your_first_recording.html
It gets worse. Windows Enhanced Services tries to clean up your voice and suppress background noises similar to how your cellphone works. Many Windows machines come new, out of the box with that running. It hates music.
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_recording_troubleshooting.html#enhancements
Koz
In other words, choose the input you connected to the computer, not the internal mic, in Audacity’s Device Toolbar.
If you only have one audio input port, it is either going to give you mono or poor quality stereo. Most people in that position would be advised to buy a USB interface like these to provide a dedicated line-level stereo input.
Gale