I can't get Audacity to record

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Yesterday I downloaded Audacity 2.3.2 on my pc with Windows 10. The two songs I recorded worked fine on my iPhone after I transferred them from the pc to iTunes. Today when I tried to record, the screen just had one flat line and made a lot of weird noises. While I was recording, I was listening to the cassette and it sounded fine. What can I do to make it record properly?

2

What are you trying to record? The iPhone? The Cassette? How is the hardware connected to the computer? Or, are you trying to record using the computer’s built-in microphone?

3

I really don’t understand this stuff. I’m using the USB connection cord that came with the cassette converter device I bought on Amazon. I’m trying to record music from a cassette to my pc. I followed directions as I understood them. I hit the record button for a song, but while it was recording all I heard were screechy noises and the screen just had a straight line across the screen but I kept it going for the entire song. I listened to the song on the cassette via headphones while it was attempting to record and the cassette played the song just fine. I then went to File>Export to save the song as MP3 to my pc. I opened the song in iTunes and transferred it to my iPhone. When I tried to listen to the recorded song, it just had the weird noises. The day before I was able to listen to the two songs I recorded. After that happened yesterday, I uninstalled Audacity and reinstalled it and tried again, but the same thing happened again.

4

I’m using the USB connection cord that came with the cassette converter device I bought on Amazon. I’m trying to record music from a cassette to my pc.

Good! Make sure to select the USB device as your [u]Recording Device[/u]. Typically, it will say “USB CODEC” or something like that. Plug-in the USB connection before starting Audacity, or it may not show-up.

…There are other setting combinations that can create a feedback loop, resulting in squeal, echoes, or other nasty effects. But, that shouldn’t happen if you select “USB…” as your recording device.