Error while opening sound device - was just working today...

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Hello,
I have been using Audacity by the seat of my pants. Ain’t no geek ,but have used it for a while. I am using Windows 7 Home Premium. I installed straight from the internet. I thought that was an exe.

I have been using this today and was recording, came back and finished saving what I recorded. Went to record something else and I got an Error Message:

error while opening sound device. Please check the input device settings and the project sample rate.

The same rate is:44100

Audio Host: MME

Output Device Speakers: 2 -Real High Def

WHEN I DROP THE BOX DOWN ON INPUT DEVICE - nothing to pick from…

WHEN I DROP THE BOX DOWN ON INPUT CHANNELS - nothing to pick from…

I didn’t change anything, but something evidently changed. Did something maybe get disconnected???

What should I check. OH BOY, please be specific in directions, I am not the best with recognizing where to go for changes…

Thanks
Diane

2

You have no built-in input devices.

What exactly were you recording before - a USB tape deck or record player and has that got disconnected? If so, exit Audacity, reconnect the USB device so Windows sees it, then restart Audacity.

If you were connecting streaming audio from the web or the computer microphone, also exit Audacity then follow everything to the letter here: Missing features - Audacity Support .


Gale

3

What are you trying to record from? A microphone built-into your laptop? A microphone plugged into your soundcard? Audio streaming over the Internet? Something else?

4

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. My source of recording is an audio that is from a site on the internet.

Actually, my input device on Audacity now shows up as: Microphone 2-Realtek Hi Def

Input channels: 2 Stereo… (wow that was from clicking this and that) and I read what you sent, sure will keep that also…

So what is happening now is:

I hit record and the recording line is straight, so it isn’t recording.

what should I adjust and where do I go for that?

Thanks you

Diane

5

To record streaming audio you do not want to record with a microphone because it will be terrible quality. If you can show and enable stereo mix or What U hear in Windows Sound you can choose that source in Device Toolbar after restarting Audacity.

Or you can record with Windows WASAPI loopback which you will see only in Audacity.

Please read this Tutorial in the Manual: Recording Computer Playback on Windows .

Or, just follow the steps below (using the WASAPI method).

  1. Open Device Toolbar .
  2. In the first (Host) box of Device Toolbar, choose “Windows WASAPI”.
  3. In the second (Output device) box in Device Toolbar, choose the Speakers or Headphones that you are using for listening.
  4. In the third (Input device) box in Device Toolbar, choose the (loopback) input for the same device you chose in step 3. For example, if you chose “Speakers” in Step 3, choose “Speakers (loopback)” in this step.
  5. In the fourth (Input Channels) box in Device Toolbar, choose mono or stereo.
  6. Start playing the audio you want to record.
  7. Press the big red Record button in Audacity.

Gale