Instructions Needed To Record Voice Message

[kozikowski]

While we wait for the cavalry, there is a wiki entry on the Windows Control Panel.

Windows Control Panel
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... trol_Panel

What most people are desperate to do is record Internet Audio, so that's what most of the wiki publication describes.

Koz

[steve]

The Windows Mixer is one of the key parts to getting a recording (same with all recording programs).
The tricky but for us is that some sound cards use a custom mixer instead of the standard Windows Mixer, so we don't know exactly what controls you have on your machine, but the crucial bit is to find the RECORD settings in your Mixer. Once you have the Microphone enabled in the mixer and some volume set for it you will be able to click on the recording meter in Audacity and see the red meter do a dance as you speak into the microphone. (Hint, right click on the Audacity record meter gives you a menu so that you can see if it is active).

Once you have that working the rest should be quite simple.

BTW exactly which version of Audacity do you now have (Look in Help > About Audacity)

[Aixa]

Desktop: Dell Inspiron 2400
Sound Card: Sonic SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 (I paid an extra $20.00 for this upgrade to the regular sound card, it came installed in the computer, which was purchased directly from Dell)
Audacity: Version 1.3
Lame For Audacity: version available for download on 09-27-09

My goal is to record myself speaking, make an MP3 file of it, attach the file to an email, and send the email to an individual. No need for editing, the sound quality just needs to be intelligible, and the reason for the file to be in MP3 format is so that it can play in Windows Media Player, the default player in the email recipient's computer, when the person clicks on the attachment.

I am a true beginner, not ever having done any recording, so my questions may baffle or astound you in their ignorance.

In reading the instructions in your message, I have the following questions:
1- What is a Windows Mixer?
2- Does my computer have a standard Windows Mixer or a custom mixer based on my computer's sound card (Sonic SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 - see more details above) ?
3- How do I find either one?
4- Is the Windows Mixer a separate item from the Audacity control panel?

Thank you for your assistance.

[steve]

The one bit of information you have not given is if you are using Windows XP or Vista (or other).

I've used SoundBlaster cards a lot on XP, so hopefully it is similar on your computer.
SoundBlaster cards usually have a custom Mixer. It is called "Creative Mixer"

The "mixer" that we are talking about here is the "user interface" for your computer sound system and is not part of Audacity.
You can usually access it through a loudspeaker icon in the lower right corner of the Desktop (near the system "time/date")

Don't worry about being a "beginner" - we've all been there

[Aixa]

Thank you for your very clear instructions and explanations, they are truly helpful.

My computer runs Windows XP Professional.

I located the loudspeaker icon in the lower right corner of the desktop. When I right click on it I have two options: 1- Open Volume Control, with two options, a) Playback Control, and b) Advanced Controls for Playback Control; 2- Adjust Audio Properties, with two options, a) Sound and Audio Devices Properties, and b) Tabs (Volume, Sounds, Audio, Video, Hardware). Do these components constitute the "Creative Mixer"?

[steve]

Try the "Playback Control" and see if it has a "Recording Input" slider on the right hand side.

Do you know how to make a "screen shot"?

[Aixa]

Is a "screen shot" done by pressing the Print Screen button or is it something else? (I have captured an entire web page, covers the whole 17" screen, by pressing the Print Screen button.)

I could not find a "Recording Input" slider at all.

Below is what the Playback Control screen looks like.

_______________________________________________________
Playback Control
________________________________________________________
Options- - - - - Help
________________________________________________________
Playback ------ Wave/MP3 ------ Audio ------ MIDI ------ Line-In

Balance -------- Balance ------- Balance ---- Balance ----Balance

(Slider) -------- (Slider) -------- (Slider) -----(Slider) ----(Slider)

Volume -------- Volume-------- Volume ---- Volume---- Volume

(Slider)---------(Slider) -------- (Slider) ------(Slider)-----(Slider)

□ Mute All- - - □ Mute - - - - - □ Mute - - - □ Mute - - - □ Mute
_________________________________________________________



Below is what the Advanced Controls for MIDI screen looks like.

_________________________________________________________
Advanced Controls for MIDI
_________________________________________________________

Tone Controls

Bass ----------- (Slider)

Treble --------- (Slider)

Other Controls

1 MIDI Reverb
2 MIDI Chorus
_________________________________________________________

[kozikowski]

"Options" might give you the Recording Panel. Or at least it does in Windows 2000. Once you get there, you might find controls for Microphone-Input.

Koz

[Aixa]

"Options" did not give me the Recording Panel, so I clicked on the Start button and looked for programs labeled Creative. The following is what I found.

Creative
> Creative Play Center
---- Creative Database Utility
---- Creative Play Center
---- Creative Play Center Help

> Sound Blaster Live
---- Creative Diagnostics
---- Creative Diagnostics Agent
---- Creative Mixer
---- Creative Restore Defaults
---- Creative Wave Studio
---- User's Guide

I assume that I should be looking for the Recording Panel and the controls for Microphone-Input within the Creative Mixer section listed above. I will do that unless I hear from you differently.

[Aixa]

Although I changed all of the settings in the Creative Mixer to conform with the instructions you provided, it seemed to have made no difference at all in the Audacity control panel, as it still shows no activity of any kind.

I also checked the Creative Recorder, a separate program from the Creative Mixer, which can only record in WAV, but just opening the program locks up my computer to where it requires shutting off manually.

I am pretty frustrated at the moment because I cannot understand the seeming difficulty involved in making a simple recording.

Is there anything else I can try that might work?