Recording with guitar effects processing software?

Special Interest Groups Audio Processing
1

Hi everyone,

I have a guitar effects processing software (waves gtr3). I can hear what I’m playing in that program and I’d like to record it with Audacity. However, whenever I try to record with audacity, I only hear the unprocessed guitar. How can I record what I’m hearing in gtr3 using Audacity?

Thanks, your help is greatly appreciated!!

2

I believe your problem is the same as mine. I recently downloaded a demo of Jimi Hendrix Amplitude and am faced with the same problem. After some quick googling, I think this has to do with Audacity needing a plugin in order to record the processed guitar. Unfortunately, because there are so many programs out there, it would be impossible for the Audacity team to write plugins for each one. Your best best is to write to the manufacturer of the guitar software and suggest they include support for Audacity in the next update.

3

Normally you would select “line in” in the Windows Mixer as the recording source for your guitar, but that will record the unprocessed sound - what you want is to record the sound that is being sent to your speakers.

Try selecting “What You Hear” or “stereo mix” (depending on what your soundcard calls it) as the recording source in the Windows Mixer.

4

Thanks for the replies,

After contacting the manufacturer, it turns out that my USB soundcard device simply will NOT allow me to record using other standalone software than what already came with the card. The only way to use programs like these are if they have a VST plugin that you can use in other software. I know Adobe Audition takes them and Fruity Loops as well – Sadly, I could not get them to work.

And although this is a nice soundcard, I don’t have the “What U Hear” feature and the “Stereo Mix” only records the unprocessed sound.

After much tinkering, I finally gave up and I’m using the guitar software that came with my soundcard - Sadly, that’s all Audacity will record.

P.S. For those of you googling programs that take the exact sound coming out of your speakers, none of them work for complex programs like this. This doesn’t make sense to me though – I mean, if you can hear it, you should be able to record it, right? Wrong, strangely enough…

5

You didn’t say that you were using a USB soundcard, and that makes a big difference.
Also you’ve not said if you’re using a laptop - with a laptop there’s probably no solution without a fair bit of additional expence, but if it’s a desktop or tower, you can get a PCI soundcard with a decent “line-in” connection very cheaply (for example Creative Sound Blaster Live! Value)