Audacity and Media Player on Windows 7 notebooks
Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:57 am
Using Audacity and WMP12 on Windows 7 notebooks to capture music from records or tapes
Here is a short-form tutorial from start to finish:
Thanks to Gale Andrews, stevethefiddle, waxcylinder and kozikowski for all of the help in posts below; any remaining errors are all my fault
If you get stuck, see the Audacity wiki at http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... uter_or_CD
1. The signal to be recorded must be passed from the record or tape player to the computer running Audacity. This will work best via a cable connected from the stereo Line Out jack of the tape player or phono turntable + RIAA pre-amplifier, to the stereo Line In jack (if available) on the computer. Devices connected to a ‘Hi-Fi’ amplifier can simply be switched through the amplifier Line Out.
• Other signal outputs (Headphone or Speaker jacks) are not as well matched to the computer inputs in volume or impedance, so generally result in more noise or distortion and may cause equipment damage.
If there is no available Line Out jack, the Headphone jack is worth a try, set to a very low initial volume.
Never connect from amplified speaker outputs to a computer – this will very likely damage the equipment.
• If the notebook computer lacks a Line In jack, you can use a USB input device such as the Griffin iMic or Behringer UCA 202 sound cards (or a USB turntable).
It may be possible to use a Microphone In jack. Unfortunately these are often mono inputs, and/or designed for lower signal strengths so it may not be possible to reduce settings enough to avoid clipping or other distortion.
An inbuilt or USB soundcard converts analogue sound signals into digital form, which can be used by Audacity.
A 24-bit (144 dB range) sound card (e.g. Roland UA-1G) may allow better quality than a 16-bit (96 dB range) card (e.g. Griffin iMic) … if (in the future) Audacity can record in 24-bit. See http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 3&start=40
2. If you require a USB input device, plug it into a USB port on the computer. Let Windows load the drivers automatically (works for Windows 7 pro and iMic2); or install them as for other added devices.
3. Check that the sound input path is enabled in Windows Sound Control (via Control Panel > Sound, or Right-Click the Taskbar Speaker > Recording Devices > Properties > General). Inputs may be designated as a Microphones by Windows. If desired, you can change the names to be more informative (like Mic In Jack, or iMic USB). Then check each Tab under Properties. Typically:
• Turn Listen off (you will more likely monitor the recording by software playthrough in Audacity).
• Note the Levels slider. This is one place where you can exert fine control over recording volume.
• Under Advanced, ensure that the Default Format is set to 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD quality).
For the iMic, Windows initially gets this wrong, choosing mono; but it will then remember your settings (at least for the same device plugged into the same USB port). You might choose higher quality for a 24-bit card.
• You can choose to disable any unused microphones during this process if they interfere with recording.
4. In the Playback Devices tab, decide what you want as the default speakers.
• The default may become the usb adaptor. It can be changed back to the built-in speakers if preferred.
5. In Audacity (1.3.12 beta): under Edit > Preferences > Devices > Recording, choose the input device (e.g. the iMic USB or the Microphone in jack) and stereo. Project rate at bottom left of screen should match the quality set above (44100 Hz).
6. While in Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Devices > Playback, choose the desired playback device (the built-in laptop speakers in my case). Then under Edit > Preferences > Recording click Software playthrough if you want to monitor what is being recorded (with a slight delay).
7. In Windows 7, it is necessary to start Audacity after plugging in the iMic to have it appear properly in Audacity menus. Reboot if there is an "error while opening sound device".
• The Audacity volume sliders generally work well under Windows 7: double-click for fine control.
The input slider may fail to control as expected if you swap sound devices during a session. In that case either restart Audacity or control the input volume through the Windows Sound Microphone Levels slider mentioned in 3 above.
You can also drag the meters wider for a clearer look at real-time volumes, with a clipping alert at right.
8. Choose a loud track to set up recording volumes. Make a short test recording, using steps 11-12 below, with View > Show Clipping enabled. Reduce the volume if there is any red on the waveform.
• Ideally, adjust the input level so that loud sections are around -6 dB on the input level meter (equivalent to height of 0.5 on the 0-1 vertical scale of the Audio Track waveform) with no signal reaching 0 dB.
Audacity default settings (Preferences > Interface) display the waveform as +/-1 linear amplitude (like the voltage sent to a speaker) and the meters show from -60 to 0 dBFS. Background noise in many recordings is above -60 dB. The decibel (dB) is a log10 unit of intensity. Studio vinyl or Dolby master tape recordings had 70-80 dB of dynamic range. Human hearing spans < 140 dB from silence to deafening pain. For best use of available dynamic range in tape recording, loud sections were typically recorded up to 0 VU, which was set 8 dB below a specified distortion limit. Clipping was gradual as signal peaks approached tape saturation. Clipping sounds harsher in digital recording (unless filters are used, which bring their own problems) so it is better to allow more headroom and amplify later (step 15) if needed. See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... ng_Quality
Note that Audacity checks for digital clipping (signal near 0 dbFS). It can not tell if your analogue signal was clipped (e.g. by overloading a pre-amplifier in your sound card with an inappropriate input signal strength).
For more on this topic, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(audio) & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
You can also confirm stereo in the Audio Track waveform: L & R tracks will differ slightly in places.
In my case using a HP Mini 5102 (and iMic2):
• With the iMic switch in Line position and the input level slider at 100%, loud sections were around -6 dB
But there was audible background noise in proportion to slider volume. If this exceeds vinyl noise or changes when the cable is touched, try a different cable, a more expensive sound card, or (last resort) noise removal in step 15.
• With the iMic in Mic position and input level slider at 0%, there were just a few clips at 0 dB
This setting gave the lowest background noise. It sounded OK on playback, but in addition to the flagged clipping there was substantial hardware clipping (strings of recorded signal points suspiciously just below 0 dB).
• The HP mini 5102 microphone in jack worked in stereo
But the line-in signal was too strong, even with the input slider set to 0, resulting in a lot of clipping when recording.
• The best combination should be amplifier Line Out through a quality USB sound card switched to Line In.
If all else fails, try the output from a Headphone jack to get adjustable signal strength into the computer (unfortunately generally with more risk of hum and other noise than from a Line Out).
9. The iMic is slightly microphonic (if you tap it you will see a spike in the signal) and it can pick up hum.
Keep it away from power supplies and any source of vibration or loud noise while recording.
If you get hum, it may disappear if you unplug your notebook power supply and record using the notebook battery.
10. OK, you are now connected, with volumes set and ready to record!
11. In Audacity, close (x) any test ‘audio tracks’, then click the Pause button, then the Record Button.
12. Lower the stylus, then click Pause to start recording.
Restart at a lower volume if any red appears in the waveform with View > Show Clipping enabled.
13. Stay alert near the end of your record side 1, and click Pause right after the last track finishes.
14. Flip the record, lower the stylus and click pause to have the flip side record tracks follow on in the same file. At the end of record side 2, click Stop (then turn off the turntable).
15. View > Zoom the displayed ‘audio track’ to a scale where you can easily see the quiet sections between record tracks.
• Move the cursor to these quiet sections and press ‘Ctrl B’ at each one to mark (Label) the breaks between tracks. Or you can try for automated detection of these breaks, by using Analyze > Silence Finder.
Check that you have marked the expected number of tracks (songs).
• From the Effect menu, you can if desired now Remove clicks or noise, Filter out wavelengths beyond human hearing (20 Hz – 20 kHz), and Normalize or Amplify to maximize volume without clipping.
Amplification to a peak level of -1 dB is recommended before export to MP3. See http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... ng_Quality
16. Use File > Export Multiple > MP3. Choose a destination Folder, ‘Split files based on Labels’ and ‘Name files by Numbering’.
17. Then click Export, and in the resulting ‘Edit metadata’ dialog box simply click OK for each track. Wait while Audacity processes the tracks to MP3.
18. There are a few settings to check in Windows Media Player (WMP version 12). These settings will be saved, so you do not have to do this afresh for each album. But on first use at least, check:
A. To avoid having WMP automatically mess with your files, under Tools > Options > Library,
Turn OFF:
Retrieve additional information from the internet…
Rearrange music files…
B. If you want to play in numeric rather than alphabetic order through a car auxiliary input, you may have set up for files to be named accordingly (##-song title) in WMP > Tools > Options > Rip Music > File Name. In that case, in WMP > Tools > Options > Library,
Turn ON:
Rename music files using rip music settings.
19. In WMP, Right-Click Music, then click Manage Music Library and add the Folder (if it is not already present). Then in Library > Music > Album view, it will show as an Unknown album.
20. To retrieve on-line information, right click the Unknown album. Select Find album info. Click 'selected tracks are from the same album', Next.
21. In the fai music window, enter known album information (artist and/or album name) in the Search box. Select the correct album. Click Next.
22. Select the track details in correct order. Click Next, Finish. That’s it!
• The album info (including track details and cover art) should now show in Windows Media Player.
In WMP12 album view, cover art will show from a folder on a local drive, but not a removable SD or USB.
• The file naming will be shown as ##-song title.mp3 in Windows Explorer.
Here is a short-form tutorial from start to finish:
Thanks to Gale Andrews, stevethefiddle, waxcylinder and kozikowski for all of the help in posts below; any remaining errors are all my fault
If you get stuck, see the Audacity wiki at http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php? ... uter_or_CD
1. The signal to be recorded must be passed from the record or tape player to the computer running Audacity. This will work best via a cable connected from the stereo Line Out jack of the tape player or phono turntable + RIAA pre-amplifier, to the stereo Line In jack (if available) on the computer. Devices connected to a ‘Hi-Fi’ amplifier can simply be switched through the amplifier Line Out.
• Other signal outputs (Headphone or Speaker jacks) are not as well matched to the computer inputs in volume or impedance, so generally result in more noise or distortion and may cause equipment damage.
If there is no available Line Out jack, the Headphone jack is worth a try, set to a very low initial volume.
Never connect from amplified speaker outputs to a computer – this will very likely damage the equipment.
• If the notebook computer lacks a Line In jack, you can use a USB input device such as the Griffin iMic or Behringer UCA 202 sound cards (or a USB turntable).
It may be possible to use a Microphone In jack. Unfortunately these are often mono inputs, and/or designed for lower signal strengths so it may not be possible to reduce settings enough to avoid clipping or other distortion.
An inbuilt or USB soundcard converts analogue sound signals into digital form, which can be used by Audacity.
A 24-bit (144 dB range) sound card (e.g. Roland UA-1G) may allow better quality than a 16-bit (96 dB range) card (e.g. Griffin iMic) … if (in the future) Audacity can record in 24-bit. See http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 3&start=40
2. If you require a USB input device, plug it into a USB port on the computer. Let Windows load the drivers automatically (works for Windows 7 pro and iMic2); or install them as for other added devices.
3. Check that the sound input path is enabled in Windows Sound Control (via Control Panel > Sound, or Right-Click the Taskbar Speaker > Recording Devices > Properties > General). Inputs may be designated as a Microphones by Windows. If desired, you can change the names to be more informative (like Mic In Jack, or iMic USB). Then check each Tab under Properties. Typically:
• Turn Listen off (you will more likely monitor the recording by software playthrough in Audacity).
• Note the Levels slider. This is one place where you can exert fine control over recording volume.
• Under Advanced, ensure that the Default Format is set to 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD quality).
For the iMic, Windows initially gets this wrong, choosing mono; but it will then remember your settings (at least for the same device plugged into the same USB port). You might choose higher quality for a 24-bit card.
• You can choose to disable any unused microphones during this process if they interfere with recording.
4. In the Playback Devices tab, decide what you want as the default speakers.
• The default may become the usb adaptor. It can be changed back to the built-in speakers if preferred.
5. In Audacity (1.3.12 beta): under Edit > Preferences > Devices > Recording, choose the input device (e.g. the iMic USB or the Microphone in jack) and stereo. Project rate at bottom left of screen should match the quality set above (44100 Hz).
6. While in Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Devices > Playback, choose the desired playback device (the built-in laptop speakers in my case). Then under Edit > Preferences > Recording click Software playthrough if you want to monitor what is being recorded (with a slight delay).
7. In Windows 7, it is necessary to start Audacity after plugging in the iMic to have it appear properly in Audacity menus. Reboot if there is an "error while opening sound device".
• The Audacity volume sliders generally work well under Windows 7: double-click for fine control.
The input slider may fail to control as expected if you swap sound devices during a session. In that case either restart Audacity or control the input volume through the Windows Sound Microphone Levels slider mentioned in 3 above.
You can also drag the meters wider for a clearer look at real-time volumes, with a clipping alert at right.
8. Choose a loud track to set up recording volumes. Make a short test recording, using steps 11-12 below, with View > Show Clipping enabled. Reduce the volume if there is any red on the waveform.
• Ideally, adjust the input level so that loud sections are around -6 dB on the input level meter (equivalent to height of 0.5 on the 0-1 vertical scale of the Audio Track waveform) with no signal reaching 0 dB.
Audacity default settings (Preferences > Interface) display the waveform as +/-1 linear amplitude (like the voltage sent to a speaker) and the meters show from -60 to 0 dBFS. Background noise in many recordings is above -60 dB. The decibel (dB) is a log10 unit of intensity. Studio vinyl or Dolby master tape recordings had 70-80 dB of dynamic range. Human hearing spans < 140 dB from silence to deafening pain. For best use of available dynamic range in tape recording, loud sections were typically recorded up to 0 VU, which was set 8 dB below a specified distortion limit. Clipping was gradual as signal peaks approached tape saturation. Clipping sounds harsher in digital recording (unless filters are used, which bring their own problems) so it is better to allow more headroom and amplify later (step 15) if needed. See: http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... ng_Quality
Note that Audacity checks for digital clipping (signal near 0 dbFS). It can not tell if your analogue signal was clipped (e.g. by overloading a pre-amplifier in your sound card with an inappropriate input signal strength).
For more on this topic, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipping_(audio) & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
You can also confirm stereo in the Audio Track waveform: L & R tracks will differ slightly in places.
In my case using a HP Mini 5102 (and iMic2):
• With the iMic switch in Line position and the input level slider at 100%, loud sections were around -6 dB
But there was audible background noise in proportion to slider volume. If this exceeds vinyl noise or changes when the cable is touched, try a different cable, a more expensive sound card, or (last resort) noise removal in step 15.
• With the iMic in Mic position and input level slider at 0%, there were just a few clips at 0 dB
This setting gave the lowest background noise. It sounded OK on playback, but in addition to the flagged clipping there was substantial hardware clipping (strings of recorded signal points suspiciously just below 0 dB).
• The HP mini 5102 microphone in jack worked in stereo
But the line-in signal was too strong, even with the input slider set to 0, resulting in a lot of clipping when recording.
• The best combination should be amplifier Line Out through a quality USB sound card switched to Line In.
If all else fails, try the output from a Headphone jack to get adjustable signal strength into the computer (unfortunately generally with more risk of hum and other noise than from a Line Out).
9. The iMic is slightly microphonic (if you tap it you will see a spike in the signal) and it can pick up hum.
Keep it away from power supplies and any source of vibration or loud noise while recording.
If you get hum, it may disappear if you unplug your notebook power supply and record using the notebook battery.
10. OK, you are now connected, with volumes set and ready to record!
11. In Audacity, close (x) any test ‘audio tracks’, then click the Pause button, then the Record Button.
12. Lower the stylus, then click Pause to start recording.
Restart at a lower volume if any red appears in the waveform with View > Show Clipping enabled.
13. Stay alert near the end of your record side 1, and click Pause right after the last track finishes.
14. Flip the record, lower the stylus and click pause to have the flip side record tracks follow on in the same file. At the end of record side 2, click Stop (then turn off the turntable).
15. View > Zoom the displayed ‘audio track’ to a scale where you can easily see the quiet sections between record tracks.
• Move the cursor to these quiet sections and press ‘Ctrl B’ at each one to mark (Label) the breaks between tracks. Or you can try for automated detection of these breaks, by using Analyze > Silence Finder.
Check that you have marked the expected number of tracks (songs).
• From the Effect menu, you can if desired now Remove clicks or noise, Filter out wavelengths beyond human hearing (20 Hz – 20 kHz), and Normalize or Amplify to maximize volume without clipping.
Amplification to a peak level of -1 dB is recommended before export to MP3. See http://manual.audacityteam.org/index.ph ... ng_Quality
16. Use File > Export Multiple > MP3. Choose a destination Folder, ‘Split files based on Labels’ and ‘Name files by Numbering’.
17. Then click Export, and in the resulting ‘Edit metadata’ dialog box simply click OK for each track. Wait while Audacity processes the tracks to MP3.
18. There are a few settings to check in Windows Media Player (WMP version 12). These settings will be saved, so you do not have to do this afresh for each album. But on first use at least, check:
A. To avoid having WMP automatically mess with your files, under Tools > Options > Library,
Turn OFF:
Retrieve additional information from the internet…
Rearrange music files…
B. If you want to play in numeric rather than alphabetic order through a car auxiliary input, you may have set up for files to be named accordingly (##-song title) in WMP > Tools > Options > Rip Music > File Name. In that case, in WMP > Tools > Options > Library,
Turn ON:
Rename music files using rip music settings.
19. In WMP, Right-Click Music, then click Manage Music Library and add the Folder (if it is not already present). Then in Library > Music > Album view, it will show as an Unknown album.
20. To retrieve on-line information, right click the Unknown album. Select Find album info. Click 'selected tracks are from the same album', Next.
21. In the fai music window, enter known album information (artist and/or album name) in the Search box. Select the correct album. Click Next.
22. Select the track details in correct order. Click Next, Finish. That’s it!
• The album info (including track details and cover art) should now show in Windows Media Player.
In WMP12 album view, cover art will show from a folder on a local drive, but not a removable SD or USB.
• The file naming will be shown as ##-song title.mp3 in Windows Explorer.
