I downloaded today Audacity for Windows 10 2.1.2 Audio Recorder/Editor.
I apologize for having to ask a question as I have a background with audio but no matter what I try to do I can’t record what some audio services refer to either “Whgat You Hear”, “Loop”, or Stereo Mix.
For example I attempted to record the audio as a test from a few YouTube videos and no matter the settings on the menu bar:
MME/Micro Sound Manger/Stereo Recording/Speaker HP or MME/Microphone/Stereo Recording/Speaker HP, the recording comes out either with nothing or as if it is going through a wind tunnel.
The computer is new and everything else luckily as worked thus far.
Any help is appreciated. I heard superlative things about Audacity and want to explore!
“What U Hear” / “Stereo Mix” has been rare on modern Windows computers for a good few years. On Windows 10 this option is only available for a relatively small number of sound cards. Whether or not the option is available depends entirely on the sound card drivers.
To see if the option is available on your machine, look in the recording tab of the Windows Sound Control Panel, ensure that “Show Disabled Devices” and “Show Disconnected Devices” are both enabled. If “Stereo Mix” / “What U Hear” are available, you will see them listed. If they are not listed, then they are not available.
The issue still remains. I should have been more clearer.
The Recording Devices allow “What You Hear/Loop/Stereo Mix.” They are checked and enabled on the bottom right of the Windows Taskbar under the speaker icon.
I have tried 2 other audio recording software and they are functioning in the recording of “What You Hear/Loop/Stereo Mix.” One is paid/one free.
Is it possible that something has to be changed from the original settings on the menu bar:
MME/Micro Sound Manger/Stereo Recording/Speaker HP or MME/Microphone/Stereo Recording/Speaker HP, since the recording comes out either with nothing or as if it is going through a wind tunnel?
If this helps an owner of another audio capture product mentioned to me years ago that starting with Windows 7 the ability to use “What You Hear” changed on Microsoft Computers but there were a couple of programs that had a workaround. From Windows 8 on the drivers should not be an issue because I asked 3 other folks that have Windows 10 but different computers if they are able to use the "What You Hear/Loop/Stereo Mix on their computers for both a free version/paid (they have both) and they can. It seemed the folks like yourself that were nice enough to create such excellent software circumvented the original problem.
I obviously wouldn’t name the other audio capture programs but the fact they are working for them and myself with no change of settings seems to appear I need to change something else.
Any help is appreciated because I heard wonderful things about Audacity and want to give it a great amount of use.
You meant “Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input”, not “Micro Sound Manger”. Sound Mapper is the same input as whatever is default Windows recording device at the time.
If those are the only recording device options you see when you choose MME host then you don’t have “What You Hear/Loop/Stereo Mix” enabled in Windows Sound, or you have not restarted Audacity after so enabling it. After restarting Audacity, choose “What You Hear/Loop/Stereo Mix” as the Audacity recording device (second box).
You can also use Windows WASAPI loopback recording if stereo mix does not work. Have a proper read of our Tutorial: Recording Computer Playback on Windows.
If you have copyright holders’ permission to record YouTube, you can download the video instead of recording its audio by adding a browser extension to your computer. Use your favourite search engine to find out how. If you want to edit the audio of the video, install FFmpeg then drag the downloaded video into Audacity.