Audacity Forum

I hope someone can suggest what’s going wrong.
I’m using Audacity (1.2.6) to record from my cassette player to my PC (Windows XP). I have done this several times before with no problems at all.

This time, however, there is just a flat blue line behind the cursor on the Audio Track when I press record and nothing shows on the input meter.


I have set Preferences correctly (in fact haven’t changed them since I last used it.), both Playback and Recording device set for Sound card. Sound card is Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS.

Input is set onto Analog mix.

The cable is OK, as I think are the settings for my sound card. If I go onto these settings through the Control Panel and adjust the recording level, the input level slider on Audacity moves as well. So they are talking to each other.

I can also hear the music on my cassette player through my PC speakers.

I’ve also tried to record sound from YouTube using ‘What you hear’, as that has worked in the past. The result is the same. No input, nothing showing on input meter.

Also downloaded Audacity 1.3, and that was exactly the same.

I’m sure I must have missed something obvious but can’t imagine what it could be. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

THanks

Paul

Check the settings in the sound card's mixer/control panel (there should be an icon near the Time/Date on your Desktop). Those settings may override Audacity's settings.

Hi Steve
Thanks for the reply.

I've done that. They're basically the same as what I get through the Control Panel. The slider for Analog Mix is set at about 60%, as it's always been.

The only change I've made since I last used Audacity was to ditch AVG free antivirus and start using Microsoft Security Essentials. Could that have an effect?

Thanks

Paul

PaulRB wrote:The only change I've made since I last used Audacity was to ditch AVG free antivirus and start using Microsoft Security Essentials. Could that have an effect?

I doubt it.

To record from an external source (such as a cassette player) you should really set the recording source to the actual input that you are using (such as "Line In", if that's what you're using).

For "What U Hear" to work, the thing that you are trying to record must be playing through the same sound card. Is it?

Yes, as I said, it's on Analog MIx for the cassette player.

The 'What You Hear' comment was just something else I'd tried (with YouTube, not the cassette player) to see how the recording went with other inputs.

What settings do you have in Audacity "Edit menu > Preferences > Audio I/O" ?
What other options are available?

Are you able to record anything with "Windows Sound Recorder"?

Hi Steve

Thanks for your input. All my Audacity settings were OK.
Problem is now solved. Uninstalled and reinstalled sound card driver and there we were.

Paul