Here is something that I just learned. This must be entirely related to the replacement of the old speakers plugged in via 3.5mm jack to the new Bose speakers plugged into USB
Therefore, this must be a set up issue with Audacity
All works perfect when: Unplug the USB, record with Audacity via internal to PC. Also will playback the audacity recording from the recording.
If I : 1) Exit audacity 2) reload audacity so it will recognize the USB speakers ( i.e. I see them playback device ) 3) try playback now ERROR message > Error opening the sound device, please check the playback settings …
THEREFORE : the is must be entirely due to the USB speakers BOTH as a source and a playback inside of audacity, no?
So you have a different system and different connections. Please, always start a new topic, even if you seem to have similar symptoms. It is confusing and unfair to the other user for us to try and answer your different circumstances in their topic.
If you want to record playback on USB speakers you cannot use stereo mix or wave out. You must choose Windows WASAPI host, USB speakers (loopback) for recording device, 2 (stereo) channels (preferably) and USB speakers for playback device.
If you get an error about playback settings when trying to record, it could be a Windows settings issue. Go to Windows Sound, Playback tab, right-click the USB speakers, then choose “Properties”. On the “Advanced” tab, set the “Default format” sample rate to 44100 Hz. Turn both “Exclusive Mode” checkboxes off. Restart Audacity and ensure Project Rate bottom left is 44100 Hz. Then play your stream and press Record.
If that still errors, what application is playing the sound that is being sent to the USB speakers? Is it a game app? Some apps can insist on exclusive access to the sound device. If they do insist, that can even override the sound device Exclusive Mode being off, and then WASAPI loopback recording running in another app will error.
If none of the above is the explanation, then perhaps the USB speakers are not meant for Windows 10, or you did not update their drivers to Windows 10. Did you check that?
Ok. I just set for WASAPI. Audacity properties: Record = speakers Bose USB Audio loopback Speakers: exactly the same
Now try record - error message “Error open sound device. Please check recording device setting and sample rate”.
So I go to Windows Control Panel > Sound > Manage devices // Find that PLAYBACK has listed my BOSE speakers + internal speakers + headphones FIND RECORDING: only shows 1) External Mic 2) Internal Mic Array
So there is no RECORDING for BOSE there but it does show up on Audacity for RECORDING.
ME = now confused. What going on here? How can I fix? Can you explain?
Ok - checking on device. Found Device Manager Found “sound video and game controllers” Found: BOSE USB audio It says driver working properly ( why not, I hear it working from speakers just fine ) Says Driver date = 7/9/15 from Microsoft. Updating driver says this is the latest.
Last time you said the error was “please check playback device settings”. However the USB speakers are not intended to show up in Windows Sound as a recording device, so what I said still stands. That is, go to the Playback tab of Windows Sound, right-click the USB speakers, then choose “Properties”.
Then on the “Advanced” tab, set the “Default format” sample rate to 44100 Hz. Turn both “Exclusive Mode” checkboxes off (remove any checkmarks).
Restart Audacity and ensure Project Rate bottom left is 44100 Hz.
“Why not” is that they have to be configured well enough and sufficiently compatible that Windows can record from them. That is a bigger deal than them merely playing.
Go to their web site https://www.bose.com/, identify your product and see if it says anything about Windows versions or drivers. I slightly doubt they will have special drivers but it’s one of the things you have to consider.
Also, as I asked, what application is actually playing the sound to the USB speakers? Edge, Chrome, Windows Media Player, Groove Music… ?
It does not matter what application I use to listen to music - iTunes, Winamp… Internet explorer if I found something streaming. None record with Audacity
It seems that this is common for the Bose Companion 5 speakers. The person posting said it relates to using generic Microsoft driver. The workaround is to use a 3.5mm cable from the PC > speaker volume control piece. As I had a cable in box, I tried this. It worked.
I don’t understand the technicalities why this worked while other methods did not.
Using this bypass cable instead of the USB, >Initially< seems to sound nearly identical to a USB except for the deep, solid bass sounds. None the less Audacity recognizes the output sound for recording purposes.
One last item. For anyone else too… to make all this work, it is necessary to 1) make sure the USB unplugged when 3.5mm plugged 2) MUST exit and restart BOTH audacity AND the SOURCE software ( like iTunes, Winamp etc…) first You cannot switch “LIVE” inside the applications (Audacity etc… ) if the setting are not right I guess the software applications get confused?
Thank you for identifying your speakers and posting your workaround. It always saves time to know the exact model numbers of equipment.
I also see there that on Windows 10 but not previous Windows, the Bose speakers lose sound if the computer goes to sleep and is then woken up.
Windows WASAPI loopback recording does work with USB devices in principle. However Audacity does not play multi-channel audio (more than 2 channels). In effect you have 2.1 speakers. Because of the Audacity playback limitation to 2 channels it’s quite possible WASAPI loopback recording is limited to 2-channel playback devices. I don’t actually know for sure.
So are you connecting between headphones output of the Bose pod and an input on your PC then you changed the Audacity recording source to that computer input? Or are you connecting between headphones output of the PC and input of the Bose then recording from WASAPI loopback (computer headphones)?
Recording from WASAPI loopback (computer headphones) would be preferable unless you have a blue line-in input on the computer, separate from the mic input.
So are you connecting between headphones output of the Bose pod and an input on your PC then you changed the Audacity recording source to that computer input? Or are you connecting between headphones output of the PC and input of the Bose then recording from WASAPI loopback (computer headphones)?
Recording from loopback (computer headphones) would be preferable unless you have a blue line-in input on the computer, separate from the mic input.
Hi Gale,
Here is how it works for me now.
3.5mm plugged into the PC’s output >> 2) 3.5mm other end goes to INPUT of Bose’s Volume control plug. Pretty simple.
Doing this, I hear the speakers just like it was a USB, only now, it works via 3.5mm plug. Audacity works just like it always did but set at WASPI Loopback + HP (IDT High Definition) = I guess this is the internal sound card inside my PC?
So, what I have is a hardware workaround that just by-passes a USB Plug to the Bose Companion 5’s to a 3.5mm plug instead.
I have not witnessed any of the sleep mode issues yet.
So presumably you can still hear the low frequencies and multi-channel effect in the Bose speakers when recording, but of course don’t hear those effects when you play the finished recording in the computer speakers?
There “may” be a little bit of playback deterioration in the Bose with this method due to the length of the analogue 3.5 mm cable, whereas the USB cable is digital. On the other hand your recording will have been processed entirely digitally with this method, as long as you use WASAPI loopback recording.
