Audacity Forum

Hello everyone,

i'm hoping somebody can help me out here.

on the volume control panel it says "default input source" and can not be changed; that's my only option.
in the "audio and MIDI setup" application on my computer, none of the combinations seems to be working.

as default input I have two options (built in Microphone and built in input) and as default output it's only Built-in output in both case.

It doesnt record anything. I managed to record with the built in microphone, but I want to use an internal microphone cuz I want to record audio coming from the web.
It was so easy on windows... What am I doing wrong?

thanks very much

The one place the Mac doesn't work so hot.

I use WireTap Pro which I believe is now known as WireTap Studio. WireTap allows you to record "Mac Audio" which is basically anything you can hear. I also believe there is a free version if you look hard enough. Pro and Studio allow me to schedule a recording at any time. The free one doesn't do that.

I bet you're wondering what dunderhead left this off the Mac menu of choices? The same dunderhead that made Mac audio services an order of magnitude more stable and trouble-free than Windows. If you take a quick peek at the Audacity Windows forum, about a third of the complaints have nothing to do with Audacity, but are from people who screw up Windows "What You Hear" or "Mix Out," the features you're looking for.

"How come I get an echo when I record a live microphone?" "I have everything turned down and I still get howling feedback. What's Audacity doing wrong?"

I know how it works and I still get burned on my Windows machines.

Koz

As rare as it may be for me to stick up for Microsoft, it's not really fair to criticise Windows for this one. XP has a very good sound system - quick, efficient and stable. The problem is with the many horrible audio drivers and interfaces that come with many PC soundcards (especially on-board soundcards).

First of all, raining on Microsoft/Windows is always fair. "I had a flat on the freeway last week. Darn that Microsoft."

Second, I'm using that as a shorthand since almost all third party sound cards seem to end up in Windows machines--the ones that don't end up in Linux machines. I can clear a room in fifteen seconds flat with the line: "I'm on a Linux machine and I'm having sound troubles."

Macs, if they didn't do anything else, are models of straightforward sound services even if they are missing a tool here and there.

Koz

One more item. Vista doesn't have "Mix-Out." [True|False]

Koz

kozikowski wrote:One more item. Vista doesn't have "Mix-Out." [True|False]
Koz

No idea - I wouldn't touch Vista with a barge pole - the day Microsoft launched Vista I had a flat on the freeway, darn that Microsoft.

ok well, even though it turned into a mac vs windows discussion I do appreciate the suggestions.
i'll look for the prg you recommended.

by the way, i might have been a lucky one, but I had no problem w/audacity on windows... it's not studio quality, but cant expect a lot more from a free prg.
thanks again.

Wait. We're not done bashing Windows/Mac yet.

Koz

Here's my post (below) from several months ago on a different thread, that addresses your question. It works great for me, and I just recorded a few seconds of audio coming through an internet radio station playing through iTunes by switching sound sources on the fly; it takes only seconds. If you try it, let me know if it works for you.

You could try downloading Soundflower, a freeware app that allows you to route audio between applications that don't normally "speak" to each other. I also own and use Wiretap Studio, but I like some of the effects available in Audacity's editor that are unavailable in Wiretap Studio, (i.e., cut, copy, paste, and reverse, among others), so I also use Audacity. Although I could simply import audio files recorded with Wiretap Studio into Audacity, I kept seeing references to Soundflower on the web and I was intrigued...I WANTED to be able to record streaming audio with Audacity if I chose to do so. I could already record vinyl lps in Audacity through my line-in port, and this would just add more functionality. I even saw Soundflower referenced on Audacity's Wiki page discussing issues pertinent to Mac users. See:

"No built-in streaming audio recording

Applies to: All Audacity versions
Macs almost always have no ability to record streaming audio internally off the built-in audio device. You could use Audio Hijack or Wiretap instead, which will capture the audio to AIFF files directly from the player application. Turn off compression in Wiretap Preferences if you want to import the recorded AIFF files into Audacity.

Alternatively if you are on OS X 10.2 and later you can use the free open source Soundflower system extension, on which Audio Hijack is based, too. Soundflower behaves like an additional system audio device, so for example to record streaming audio into Audacity you would select Soundflower as the output device in the application in which you are playing sound, and Soundflower as the input device on the Audio I/O tab of Audacity Preferences. If the application playing the sound does not allow you to specify its output device, you can make Soundflower the default output device in Apple Audio-MIDI Setup."

So, if you'd like, download Soundflower and install it. You won't see a window pane open up, but you should see a little flower icon in your menu bar. (If you want this to always be on, add it to your log-in items, otherwise, you'll have to open Soundflower every time you reboot.) You should probably make Soundflower your default system audio device. For easy switching, download a free app from Rogue Amoeba called Soundsource. It will appear as a little set of headphones in your menu bar. You can easily switch your input and output devices here. You should select "Soundflower 2ch" as your input device in the Soundsource menu.

Then, when you open Audacity's preferences, you'll have a choice to select your "recording" device as not just "built in line input" or "built in digital input" but also "Soundflower 2ch." (You can leave your output device as "built in line output.") When you want to record internet radio or other streaming audio, go to Soundsource and switch your system output device from "Line Out" to "Soundflower 2ch." Audacity should be able to "hear" and thus record any streaming audio coming through the system. When done, I like to go to Soundsource and switch system output back to "line out," simply because it allows me to adjust the system volume manually using the sliders and the keyboard; when the system output is selected as "Soundflower 2ch," you can't do this.

This may all seem complicated, as it did to me when I was reading about it, but it's really pretty easy once you try it. (Believe me, I am not techie, so if I can do this, you should be able to.)