Audacity Forum

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
Audacity 1.3.10 Beta

I just installed Audacity for the first time but can't record. When I select the record button I get a dialog that says "Error while opening sound device. Check input device settings and project sample rate." When I go to Edit->Preferences->Devices->Recording I find no devices under recording - is this the problem?

Interface host has: MME & Windows Directsound
Playback Device has: Primary Sound Driver, Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio), & Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio))
Recording Device has: No devices found

Any help setting up Audacity such that I can record would be greatly appreciated. Thanks & Merry Christmas!

Craig Feldspar wrote:Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
Audacity 1.3.10 Beta

I just installed Audacity for the first time but can't record. When I select the record button I get a dialog that says "Error while opening sound device. Check input device settings and project sample rate." When I go to Edit->Preferences->Devices->Recording I find no devices under recording - is this the problem?

Interface host has: MME & Windows Directsound
Playback Device has: Primary Sound Driver, Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio), & Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio))
Recording Device has: No devices found

We assume you have actually reinstalled your sound device if you have installed Windows 7 over XP or earlier. We also assume you have 64-bit sound device drivers meant for Windows 7 (or at least for Vista if Windows 7 drivers are not yet available):
http://audacityteam.org/help/faq?s=general&i=64-bit

Otherwise, the issue is probably the common behaviour in Windows Vista and 7 that recording inputs are not always enabled in the system mixer, so not available for applications to "see". Exit Audacity and go to the system mixer to enable and select the correct recording device:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... es#vistacp

Make sure you use the right-click menu to "show disabled devices" and to "enable" the one you want to record with. Then right-click again over the device you want to record with and hit Properties. On the Advanced tab, make sure the "Default format" matches both with the project rate bottom left of the Audacity screen, and with the number of "recording channels" on the Devices tab of Audacity preferences.



Gale

Gale,

I did install the 64 bit drivers.

When I look at the recording devices (right click speaker in system tray) I see 3 devices which are all disabled. The devices are: Microphone (not plugged in), Microphone (not plugged in), Line-In (not plugged in). I can not enable any of them, and there is not an advanced tab?

Please advise - thanks.

Craig Feldspar wrote:Gale,

I did install the 64 bit drivers.

When I look at the recording devices (right click speaker in system tray) I see 3 devices which are all disabled. The devices are: Microphone (not plugged in), Microphone (not plugged in), Line-In (not plugged in). I can not enable any of them, and there is not an advanced tab?

You have to read the link I gave you:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... es#vistacp

Right-click over one of the devices and "Show Disabled Devices" so you get the full device list. Then plug-in the device you want, right-click over it again, and click Enable. Right-click over it yet again, choose "Properties" then you will see the "Advanced" tab.


Gale

Gale,

Thanks for helping with this. I think I have not described my issue well, so please let me clarify. I do not have a recording device as input - all I want to do at this time is simply record sreaming audio (not record from an external source).

With this clarification, can you help?

Craig Feldspar wrote:I do not have a recording device as input - all I want to do at this time is simply record sreaming audio (not record from an external source).

Recording streaming audio still requires that a recording device is selected. The recording device needs to be set as "Stereo Mix". On SoundBlaster cards this is called "What U Hear". Selecting the recording device is described in the link already given.

Unfortunately not all sound cards have the option of "Stereo Mix" in which case a workaround must be used. This is all described here: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... e_computer

Steve,

That helped some, but still didn't get me working. I believe that my Realtek drivers do not have a recording device by default. What I did was unplug the speakers and jumper the recording line input to the speaker line output. After matching recording speed, the line-in shows up as a recoding device and I did successfully record some audio and export to mp3. Problem is that the mp3's sound is a motor boating noise, and not the music it should be. Any suggestions?

Yes, yes, yes. After Windows Updates installed a new Realtek audio driver this morning I can now select Stereo Mix - which records streaming audio. Thanks all.