Audacity stops recording

[charlie7]

<<<it chops the audio into little pieces as it records>>>

Are those little pieces the .au files that appear in the audacity_temp file?

<<<Behringer UCA 202 external sound card>>>

I'm Edinburgh, UK
I have a Trust 5.1 External USB sound card I bought for my laptop. I've a feeling it is not capable of full duplex because I couldn't get it to record without a mic on my laptop but that may have been a problem with the laptop. I've just seen your Behringer on Amazon for £23. If that would do the trick I would go for it but I'm still puzzled as to how my current integrated sound card managed before. In fact I checked and it has recorded without any problems since August 2007 up until sometime in March or April this year.

I'll have a wee try with the Trust 5.1

[steve]

The Behringer does not directly support "Stereo Mix", but there is an easy cludge to get round the limitation:
The UCA 202 has a headphone socket, so you use that to monitor the sound (either with headphones, or with computer speakers).
You then take a standard "phono to phono" lead (like the sort that are supplied with hi-fi separates) and connect the output of the UCA 202 to the input of the UCA 202. The output and inputs both work at line level, so recording the output in this way works perfectly. (this is exactly how sound cards with "stereo mix" work, except that the signal is being looped back through a short length of audio cable instead of through an electronic switch).

You can probably use the same method with the Trust 5.1 External USB sound card, but be sure to use the "line in" and "line out" sockets.

but I'm still puzzled as to how my current integrated sound card managed before.

My "theory" would say that your system as a whole at that time put stress on the sound card that was just below the breaking threshold. There have probably been numerous updates and changes to your system (Microsoft updates and the like) and it would not be surprising if one or more update made your computer a little less efficient. (Ever noticed how each "advance" made in the Windows operating system requires a more powerful computer?)

Let us know how you get on with the USB sound card (I would also expect the sound quality to be better than the on-board sound card).
Good luck.

[charlie7]

<<<Let us know how you get on with the USB sound card>>>

The good news is the USB sound card worked pefectly. The bad news is I have maybe gone and knackered it. I recorded an old piece of music which lasted more than 4 minutes and the recording all went well. The problem was I couldn't listen to it while it was recording because unlike your Behringer, the Trust 5.1 doesn't have a headphone socket. So I had a bright idea and went out and bought a splitter to allow me to put both my headphones and one end of the "phono to phone" lead into output socket. It didn't like that and made a bit of a screech.

The effect on the recording in Audacity was both channel were filled with a background of blue with the waves appearing at the edges of the channel boxes. When I tried playing the recording I got the screech. So I set it up again with just the "phono to phono" lead contect the output and input and setup a recording. I'm afraid I got the same shaded blue channel boxes with the wave showing at the edges.

Never mind, I can save up for an new sound card. But I'm sure you guys have been right in your advice and I would like to thank you both for all your help and patience.

All the best.

[steve]

The bad news is I have maybe gone and knackered it.

Hopefully not. Can you record anything through it without using the "loop back" wire? (not sounds from your computer - can you plug an external source in and record). Can you play back previously recorded tracks through the USB sound card?

If those still work you could still be in business.

Open Audacity Preferences and on the Audio I/O tab make sure that "software playthrough" is disabled. (if it is enabled you will get screeching feedback).

[charlie7]

<<<can you plug an external source in and record). Can you play back previously recorded tracks through the USB sound card?>>>
YES to both but "software playthrough" is disabled.

I've just tried recording again using the loop back and it was different this time. Instead of getting solid blue tracks, this time its blue with close vertical parallel white lines. When I play it back the sound is quite different, a bit like the sound of static.

[charlie7]

Scooby dooby doo, I'm back in business. I reinstalled the drivers for the Trust 5.1 and everything has been restored to normal. Still have the problem of not being able to monitor the sound as it's recording but that's ok.

Thanks again for all your help. You've been great!

All the best.