Question Regarding Recording via Streaming or Audio Player

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I have a question in the context of recording something ‘being played by’ a desktop app (Windows 10, Audacity 2.2.1). I have a Line6 device (POD HD500X) that is USB attached and I can use this as my sound card. The only way that I can record is to point the Mic pulldown to “Speakers Line6 POD”. If I point to “DIgital Audio Interface” there is no input signal.

So I assume that I am running the digital output from my browser or Windows Music Player (which is being routed to my sound card in the Line6 POS) through a DAC to the speakers and also then back through a A/D converter which goes back to Audacity. Do I understand this properly? And if so is there anyway to get from the digital input that my Windows app is sending to the sound card directly back into Audacity without the double conversion?

Thanks.

dave

2

Choose WASAPI as your audio host, then look for your USB interface and an option that says “loopback”. This is a digital capture. There is no digital-to-analog-to-digital conversion. (Make sure you are not recording “loopback” from your regular soundcard that you’re not using.

[u]Tutorial - Recording Computer Playback on Windows[/u].

3

Thank you. What I had missed in all this (even after reading the tutorial, but obviously not as carefully as I should have) is that there is a drag handle on the device toolbar. And low and behold once you expand that you suddenly see (where it exists) a loopback option. While I cannot make that work on my POD HD500X interface, I am guessing this is because it isn’t supported. This device was not intended as a general purpose interface, but as a guitar amplifier simulator - there is no ‘loopback’ option that shows in the Audacity toolbar for that device.

However the “Realtek Hi Def Audio” system in my Dell XPS laptop does support loopback and that (along with WASAPI which I was already using) seems to get the job done.

Thanks for your help.

dave

4

I’ll have a look to see if I can make that clearer in the future Manual(s).

WC

5

I have added a “tip” to the alpha Manaual for the next release 2.3.2 - see: https://alphamanual.audacityteam.org/man/Tutorial_-_Recording_Computer_Playback_on_Windows#Windows_WASAPI_loopback_recording

This is only for future Manuals as I cannot edit Manual’s once thay are released.

WC