Recording sounds on my Computer from the internet

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

My computer, an HP Compaq 6005 Pro Small Factor, is running Windows 7 Home Premium. The 64-bit system, SP1, has 2 Gigs of RAM, AMD Athlon II X2 B24 3Ghz.

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  • I downloaded 2.2.0.0, the Portable Version for a USB Flashdrive.

  • I also downloaded audacity-win-1_0_0.zip, and expanded it into a directory I called audacity.

I describe my problem with 2.2.0.0. I had almost the same problem with both versions.

I can listen to and modify sound files that I already have on my computer, but I can’t record the sounds that I’m listening to on the internet. I always used to be able to do that using Audacity on my old XP machine.

When I hit RECORD, in hopes of recording a song I am listening to on the computer, I get this message
“Error while opening sound device. Please check the input device settings and the project sample rate”

On the Device Toolbar, there is nothing under Input device. There is also nothing under Input Channels

I went to the EDIT TAB and PREFERENCES. Then I choose DEVICES

There is “Interface” on the top, then “Playback”, and finally “Recording”. Regardless of whether I choose “MME” or “Windows Direct Sound”, under “Recording” → “Device”, it says “No devices” found”

I tried this, with the USB stick on a very well equipped computer at a computer shop with similar results

If my computer itself is the problem, would it help to buy a cheap sound card?

2

Have you followed instructions from Tutorial - Recording Computer Playback on Windows?

3

Yes,

Right-click over the Speaker icon by the system clock then choose Recording Devices to open the Recording tab of “Sound”.
Right-click anywhere inside the Recording tab and choose “Show disabled devices” then right-click again and choose “Show Disconnected Devices”.


The Microphone and LineIn were there.
No “Stereo Mix”

4

We don’t make or support Audacity Portable. If you want to use that, please visit Audacity Portable Support .

If you want help on this Forum, please download the correct latest version of Audacity made by us: http://audacityteam.org/download/windows .

That is 12 years obsolete.

Using Audacity 2.0.5 from http://audacityteam.org/download/windows , record using Windows WASAPI loopback.

  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