Hello
First of all sorry if my message has mistakes, i’m French.
With my former computer, I used to use the built-in microphone to record many sources of sound coming from the computer (videos or music from the internet, for example). Now I have a new computer and this feature doesn’t work at all, i get the following message : “error while opening sound device. Please check the recording device settings and the project sample rate”.
I guess i have to modify something in the computer, but what? I think it has to do with the “stereo mix” (i don’t know the correct word in English, in French it’s “mixage stéréo” that needs to be enabled in the sound panel, but i am unable to find how to do that !
When I click on the “preferences” in “edition” in Audacity, it says there is no recording device.
I use Windows 7 and Audacity 2.0.6. I have downloaded the .exe installer from Sourceforge.
Many thanks in advance for your help.
See [u]this page[/u] for WASAPI Loopback.
With my former computer, I used to use the built-in microphone to record many sources of sound coming from the computer (videos or music from the internet,
Not the microphone. The microphone is used to pick-up acoustic sounds from the air. 
(“Stereo Mix” is rare with Windows 7 drivers.)
Sorry yes, not the microphone, i don’t know the correct word.
I spoke about “stereo mix” because my former computer used that, i didn’t know there could be something similar with a different name.
And well, i touched many things and now…it works !!! thank you! It’s still weird because i was unable to do what is recommended in the tutorial (choose “line-in” as a default device, it’s still gray and i can’t do anything)
BUT there is still a problem…It doesn’t work when i use the headphones…I kind of need them because I am not alone at home…
When i use the headphones nothing is recorded…What do you think?
What type of headphones are they? If they are USB headphones you cannot record those usimg stereo mix.
Choose Windows WASAPI host in Device Toolbar. For playback device, choose the headphones. For recording device, choose the (loopback) source for the headphones. Play the stream before you start to record.
Gale
They’re not USB headphones.
I do use the wasapi thing, and i see nothing about “headphones” in the possibilities…I can only choose “loud-speakers” and “loud-speakers” (loopback)"
I don’t know if i’m very clear…
So these headphones just have a green plug? Or is it a headset with a microphone that has green and pink plugs?
If you are connecting the headphones or headset to the green “audio out” port of the computer, then that is the audio playback device you should choose for WASAPI, and for recording device you should use the (loopback) choice for that playback device.
With Audacity set to WASAPI host, try playing a song in Audacity. If you cannot hear it in your headphones then turn the system volume slider up (left-click the speaker icon by the system clock).
If that does not make the song louder, right-click the speaker icon, choose “Playback Devices”. Right-click in empty space then choose “Show Disabled Devices” then right-click again and choose “Show Disconnected Devices”. If a new device appears for a connected playback device, right-click over it and make if Default Device.
Now restart Audacity, and choose the new device as playback and loopback device.
Gale
Sorry for my late reply, and thank you for yours.
I use a headset that has green and pink plugs. When I turn the volume up, nothings changes.
I had already done the “show disabled devices” thing before, and it didn’t change anything.
Maybe it’s because the headphones are very old (like 10 years)?
Obviously we cannot see your computer.
Have you shown disconnected devices as well as disabled devices? Can you post the information from Help > Audio Device Info… top right of Audacity? Then we can see what devices you have.
Did you try simply playing to the headset? Do you hear anything when you turn up the volume control on the headset cable? You can’t record playback through the headset if there is no playback or if the headset is broken. Are you quite sure you have chosen the headset as WASAPI playback device in Device Toolbar?
The green audio port could be broken. To test that, try taking the headset to another computer.
Gale
Hello Gale
Yes, I have shown disconnected devices as well as disables devices.
I have tested the headset to another computer and to my recorder, and it works fine.
I have chosen the Wasapi thing in “Audio host”. In “playback device”, I can only choose “loud speakers” (haut-parleurs). I guess this is part of the problem, right? The thing is, when I set the thing to Wasapi, the rest is set automatically and there are no more options. I don’t know if i’m clear.
Basically my settings in Audacity are :
Audio Host : Wasapi (other options are MME and Windows Direct Sound).
Playback device : Loud-speakers
Recording device : Loud-speakers
Recording channels : 2 stereo recording channels.
So yes, when I choose Wasapi, the loud-speakers things comes automatically, there are no more options available.
Here is the info you requested :
==============================
Default recording device number: -1
Default playback device number: 1
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Mappeur de sons Microsoft - Output
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0,090000
Low Playback Latency: 0,090000
High Recording Latency: 0,180000
High Playback Latency: 0,180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: Haut-parleurs (Périphérique Hig
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0,090000
Low Playback Latency: 0,090000
High Recording Latency: 0,180000
High Playback Latency: 0,180000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
352800
384000
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Périphérique audio principal
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0,000000
Low Playback Latency: 0,120000
High Recording Latency: 0,000000
High Playback Latency: 0,240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: Haut-parleurs (Périphérique High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0,000000
Low Playback Latency: 0,120000
High Recording Latency: 0,000000
High Playback Latency: 0,240000
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Haut-parleurs (Périphérique High Definition Audio)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0,000000
Low Playback Latency: 0,003000
High Recording Latency: 0,000000
High Playback Latency: 0,010159
Supported Rates:
44100
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: Haut-parleurs (Périphérique High Definition Audio) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0,003000
Low Playback Latency: 0,000000
High Recording Latency: 0,010159
High Playback Latency: 0,000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Selected recording device: 5 - Haut-parleurs (Périphérique High Definition Audio) (loopback)
Selected playback device: 4 - Haut-parleurs (Périphérique High Definition Audio)
Supported Rates:
44100
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available recording sources:
0 - Master
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - PCM
==============================
Recording volume is native
Playback volume is native
Thanks for the Audio Device Info. According to that, you don’t have any recording devices in Windows “Sound” (the WASAPI loopback recording device is intended only to appear in Audacity). The only playback device enabled in “Sound” is “Haut-parleurs” (speakers).
What is the make and model number of the computer? Does it only have a single audio port, which becomes an input only when you connect an external microphone to it?
When you don’t use headphones, where do you hear the audio you are recording - in built in computer speakers, or in speakers attached to the same audio port to which you connect the headphones?
When you do use headphones, what exactly happens in Audacity? Does the red recording cursor move but only record silence, or does it just stay at the start of the track?
By the way, when you use WASAPI you should play the audio before you press Record in Audacity.
Gale