Audacity Forum

I'm doing all the right things . . . but not able to get the playback function (the green button) to work, after making a line recording from my Minidisc RCA outputs and checking the cable via a cassette recorder I have:

1. Sound Recording section of Sounds and Audio Devices Properties (in Windows) has Modem #0 Line Record selected
2. Sample Rate Conversion is Best, and Hardware Acceleration is Full (Advanced Audio Properties)
3. Default Device in Sound Playback section is the same as listed in Device Manager
4. Enable Meter Toolbar is selected in Edit > Preferences
5. The cord from the audio device I'm recording from is plugged into the Blue Line-in mini connector on the back of my computer.

<<<but not able to get the playback function (the green button) to work, after making a line recording from my Minidisc RCA outputs>>>

Excuse my blank look. The complaint is not being able to play an existing file in Audacity, but the description is an inability to record from an external sound device.

Sometimes you can clear recording problems (the red,button, not the green) by resetting Audacity preferences to 44100, 16-bit, Stereo.

Edit > Preferences > Quality

This may be in different places depending on your version of Audacity. Restart Audacity and try recording again.

Koz

It was encouraging to get Audacity to record with a microphone (this without even checking "Microphone" in "Properties") then I changed the sample rate to 44100 Hz and the Sample Format to 16-bit, checking "Line-in" in the same "Properties" dialog.

But the same error message (posted above) appears.

All replies are appreciated.

"Modem #0 Line Record" looks wrong to me. "Line in" might be OK, but "modem"?

There are only three options under "Default Device": (1) AK 5370, (2) SigmaTel Audio (my soundcard), and (3) Modem #O Line Record.

None is working yet . . . !

Do you have a USB microphone plugged in? (possibly a Logitech microphone?)

Regarding the USB microphone, "Yes," I had a Parrott microphone with a USB Pod plugged into the MIC input.

I removed it and still received the "Error while opening sound device . . . " message, on trying to record with Audacity.

Are you able to play an imported file?
or can you generate a tone (generate menu) and play it?

stevethefiddle wrote:Are you able to play an imported file?
or can you generate a tone (generate menu) and play it?

"Yes," I can play an imported file, mp3 files, .wav files and hear them through my headset.

By the way, I forgot to mention the sliders for Input and Output Volume are all the way up.

Dear Friend.

Got a couple of questions for you. If the first one is a 'yes', there might well be a workaround until you find the true cause of the problem.

You say you've MADE the recording. By that, do you mean you can (pardon the lack of scientific expressions!) see the wiggly line in the Audacity window showing that the soundhas actually been recorded?

If the answer to that one is 'YES' then, because you say you can play MP3s O.K., why not export the recording as an MP3, then drag'n'drop it Back into Audacity and listen to it that way? O.K. it's not a cure, but it could well keep you going until you find out what the real problem is.

Yours respectfully

ulrichburke