Problems recording sound of computer via Audacity.

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

I’m having problems of distortion and choppy sound while recording my computer sound in Audacity.
What am I doing wrong?
I have win 7, the default recording is “stereo mix”. Version 2.0.5

In Audacity the only way I can record the sound is if I choose:
Audio host- Windows WASAPI
Speakers- (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Speakers- (Realtek High Definition Audio) (loopback)
(Stereo) Input Channels
Thanks

2

What are you trying to record?
Note that recording in-game sound can be problematic due to the demands that running both the game and Audacity simultaneously put onto the computer. There is specialist software designed specifically for recording in-game sound called “Fraps”, but note that that may have similar problems if your computer is not fast enough.

3

I’m trying to record a phone interview that was done via Webex.

I’ve done one recording that came out fine, but I’ve probably changed something in the settings and now the recording comes out bad - sometimes choppy/with distortion.
thanks

4

This suggests that you don’t need Audacity for that: The leader in collaboration & customer experience | Webex

5

Didn’t explain myself
I got a recorded file of an interview that was recorded and saved in a webex file.
Need to edit via Audacity- and webex is not a supported file to import for editing.
That’s why I need a different sounf file- and trying to capture th sound with audacity.

6

Is that a .ARF file?

7

So what is the problem with you doing that?

There is some help here with converting the recording to an MP4 video file Webex Help Center or WMV video file Webex Help Center .

Having done that, install FFmpeg from Audacity Manual .

Then drag the converted video file into Audacity and it will extract the audio for you.


Gale

8

Steve- it is an .ARF file

Gale- I’ve tried the way you suggested before posting the question
The problem with that was that when I saved it as an mp4 file the audio quality reduced dramatically.
That’s the reason I’m looking for an alternative way of capturing the sound directly to audacity.

Any creative suggestion?

9

Obviously we don’t know what you have tried until you tell us. :wink:

So again, what is the exact problem with recording playback with Windows WASAPI? Do you get the same distortion and choppy sound as with stereo mix?

Have you tried the high quality setting for video? It might also affect the audio quality. Did you try converting to WMV? FFmpeg can import WMV.

As far as I can see by searching, those are your only options, short of getting computer playback to work properly. Have you tried rebooting, then shutting down all unwanted programs and services including web browser before trying to play and record the video?


Gale

10

Thanks for being patient
What I did is:

  1. Set “stereo mix” in the “recording device” of my computer.
  2. In audacity the only setting that I could choose (and would record the audio of the ARF file running)- is what I wrote (WASAPI etc.).

I couldn’t choose any other setting to produce audio- if that is what you are referring to by asking about distortion and choppy sound with stereo mix.

I have a feeling that the choppy sound is related to “electronic noise” that’s coming from my computer while playing the file.
I did close all programs- not sure about the browsers. I’ll give it a try. Do I have to set the computer to record only the ARF file- or is the recording settings in Audacity enough?

(I found that converting reduces the quality that isn’t high to begin with. That is why I’m trying to skip converting and trying to record directly to Audacity.)
Thanks

11

Here is an example of the bugs I get. Sometimes I have this squeak (blue line in the picture attached), sometimes it splits a word, and sometimes I hear noises that weren’t in the original file.
Example.png

12

If you want to use stereo mix recording in Audacity you will have to enable it in Windows “Sound” ( Missing features - Audacity Support ) and then choose the stereo mix input in Audacity’s Device Toolbar, using MME or Windows DirectSound host.

But there is probably no reason that stereo mix would avoid the noise you get when recording with WASAPI.

Stereo Mix or WASAPI loopback record every sound that goes through the sound card. The point of shutting down other applications is to reduce the resources load on the computer.

If you want to try a recording application that records from specific player applications, you can try MiLo Software .

Do you get the squeaks and dropouts if you play a video on YouTube and record the audio from that? If not, the ARF player may be deliberately interfering to prevent recording.


Gale