Audacity Forum

I have been unable to hear any playback after recording. The output monitor shows plenty of activity. I am using Windows XP with version 1.3.11 using default devices USB audio CODEC. Any ideas?

When you plug in a USB device like this your computer hands over control of all sound services to the USB device - both input and output. Since your USB Tapedeck doesn't have a set of speakers, you then don't get any sound from the computer (not even the normal computer sounds).

All you need to do is to get your O/S and Audacity to retarget the sound output onto your computer's on-board soundcard. In Windows use Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio > Sound Playback (I don't know the MAC equivalent) - in Audacity use Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O > Playback Device - you may need to close and restart Audacity for the change to take effect.

See : http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/USB_turntables
(it's primarily about USB TTs - but most of it will aplly to your tape device too)

WC

Thank you. I have changed the sound playback to default to Realtek AC97 Audio and Sound Recording to USB Audio CODEC in Windows and Playback Realtek AC97 Audio and Recording to USB Audio CODEC in Audacity and restarted Audacity. While recording there is definite recording going on the watching the monitor and in play mode there is definite activity in the playback monitor but still no sound. I checked to be sure speakers are powered on and plugged in. They work for other audio. ????????????

Thank you Waxcylinder. Your suggestions were spot on. The only difference is that I was using 1.2.6 and downloaded 1.3.11 and changed the settings to what you had suggested. Works good.