Audacity Forum

I recently upgraded my PC to windows 7 and reinstalled all of my drivers (including the latest one for my Sigma Tel sound card), and decided to hook up my turntable through the line in jack to record vinyl records. After getting everything set up, every time I hit record I got the error message "Error while opening sound device. Please check input device settings and the project sample rate". After checking the sound card and making sure that the sampling rates and everything were the same, I still have the same problem. Next, I researched if this was a problem associated with Windows 7 or the sound card, and most of the fixes that I saw said to set the default recording device to "Stereo Mix". However, when I open up the Recording tab in the list of sound devices, the only ones that I see are the Mic/Line jack and the computer's built in microphone.

So, my question is, is there some way to get to these options or does this mean that the driver itself has to be modified to let me record? I haven't tried recording on this machine before, but when I used to record onto another machine running XP, I had no problems. I heard about some other fixes using USB turntables, but I prefer to use a regular one for better sound quality. Also, I noticed that the highest sampling rate my sound card lets me select is 48kHz, when I prefer to record in 96kHz, and I was wondering if this was a hardware limitation or if there is a software fix to it?

m00tc0w wrote:... Please check input device settings and the project sample rate". After checking the sound card and making sure that the sampling rates and everything were the same,

... most of the fixes that I saw said to set the default recording device to "Stereo Mix". However, when I open up the Recording tab in the list of sound devices, the only ones that I see are the Mic/Line jack and the computer's built in microphone.
...So, my question is, is there some way to get to these options or does this mean that the driver itself has to be modified to let me record?
... Also, I noticed that the highest sampling rate my sound card lets me select is 48kHz, when I prefer to record in 96kHz, and I was wondering if this was a hardware limitation or if there is a software fix to it?

There are many places to pick audio options.
My experience, and this may border on superstition, is that you have to touch them all to make it work.

you may have to make selections to get your sound card driver to work both in windows and perhaps a driver control page.

somewhere i posted a messge that had some places to look. not sure where it is now as it got moved. but look in start/settings/controlpanel for system, sounds, your driver name, and drill down and make sure they all agree to use your card.

96 should be a combo of hardware and software. if your sound card says 48 tht is your limit and no software can fix it. get an external card that goes higher if you really need 96.

m00tc0w wrote:heard about some other fixes using USB turntables, but I prefer to use a regular one for better sound quality.

A wise choice IMHO.

m00tc0w wrote:Next, I researched if this was a problem associated with Windows 7 or the sound card, and most of the fixes that I saw said to set the default recording device to "Stereo Mix". However, when I open up the Recording tab in the list of sound devices, the only ones that I see are the Mic/Line jack and the computer's built in microphone.

As you are recording from the line-in socket, you need to set the default recording device in the Windows Control Panel to "Line In".

Is this a laptop computer?
When you plug your turntable into the line in jack on the sound card, do you get a pop-up notification asking you to confirm what has been plugged in?
Are you able to select and enable "Line In" in the Windows Control Panel as the default recording device?

m00tc0w wrote:Also, I noticed that the highest sampling rate my sound card lets me select is 48kHz, when I prefer to record in 96kHz, and I was wondering if this was a hardware limitation

It is most likely a hardware limitation, though it is also likely to be a much less severe limitation than the noise floor from the SigmaTel sound card which is likely to be a lot higher than you would like.