Not Recording

[John B.]

I uninstalled and reinstalled but having problem recording. Tried various devices. I can hear playback with Windows Direct Sound: Primary Sound Driver. There are five different drivers in the microphone list and I've tried each one. Should I go to Device Manager and delete all the audio and restart computer? I last recorded on Oct 23 but that was lucky. Attached my audio codecs. Which one should I remove? Microsoft?

Windows XP Pro, SP3,

John B.

[Gale Andrews]

I'm sorry you had no answer until now. If you are still stuck, the codec list isn't likely to be relevant. Forget the "modem" choice in the list of recording devices. "MME" and "Windows Direct Sound" are only different methods or "protocols" for accessing the same C-Media Device (the motherboard sound device which is the only device you have listed). The "Sound Mapper" or "Primary" choices are again the same C-Media Device, but using the specific C-Media input (for example, microphone, line-in or stereo mix) that is the current Windows default input.

You can see which input is Windows default input by going to Sounds and Audio Devices in the Windows Control Panel (in the "Sound recording" panel, click "Volume" then see which "Select" box is checked). If you want, you can tick another box to change the default input to some other one. Turn the volume up for the input you choose, close the window that has the "Select" boxes and click OK. Now, "MME: MIcrosoft Sound Mapper" or "Windows DirectSound: Primary Sound Capture Driver" in Audacity should record from the input you just made default.

Alternatively, leave the Audacity recording device at either "C-Media Wave Device" choice, then use the input selector in the Audacity Mixer Toolbar to choose between mic, line or any other options.

If you want to hear what you are recording while you are recording it, either (1) check Transport > Software Playthrough in Audacity, or (2) try unmuting the input in the "Sound playback" section of Sounds and Audio Devices. (1) will have a delay, (2) if it works will have much less delay. Choosing Windows DirectSound as the method to access the sound device should give you a bit less delay in either case.




Gale

[John B.]

In Recording Control Wave only is selected and in Audio/Volume/Options/Properties are all checked in Playback and Recording. I've done that over and over again. I have gone one step further. I took out the sound card and restarted the computer and wasn't close to recording so I NEED the sound card. I reinstalled it and the drivers but no change. I even opened the sound card console so I can record with it and I tried but there was no sound with it so now I'm convinced that I need a new sound so I I am gambling on eBay for less that $8.00 on a new sound card with the exact chipset C-Media Device (CMI8738). It will arrive in about a week. My old sound card, Maddog Predator 5.1, is over six years old. I can't see buying a more expensive card just for my desktop. I'll keep trying your suggestions and other suggestions throughout the forum until the new sound card arrives and if something works, fine.

Thanks for your help and I haven't lost time in my recordings because I think I've done most of my work but I'll always think of another,

John B.

[Gale Andrews]

In Recording Control Wave only is selected and in Audio/Volume/Options/Properties are all checked in Playback and Recording. I've done that over and over again.

If Wave is selected in Recording device in Windows, that is all you will record unless you choose a different input in Audacity.

I have gone one step further. I took out the sound card and restarted the computer and wasn't close to recording so I NEED the sound card. I reinstalled it and the drivers but no change. I even opened the sound card console so I can record with it and I tried but there was no sound with it so now I'm convinced that I need a new sound so I I am gambling on eBay for less that $8.00 on a new sound card with the exact chipset C-Media Device (CMI8738).

I assumed C-Media was the motherboard sound device. You only have one device listed in Audacity so one of either the external card or the motherboard device isn't showing up on the computer.

If your aim is to record wave out (audio playing on the computer), you can't use playthrough for that. Are you saying you can't hear any audio playing on the computer, even if you don't record it?



Gale

[John B.]

If your aim is to record wave out (audio playing on the computer), you can't use playthrough for that. Are you saying you can't hear any audio playing on the computer, even if you don't record it?

I can hear audio on my computer. Sometimes while I attempted to record I can't.

John B.

[John B.]

I just put in my new sound card, Creative SB Live Series (WDM), and I cannot record still. This time I cannot see WAV in the drop-down menu only Stereo Mix along with Line In, TAD, Auxiliary, and CD Audio. The card does come with a center channel and TAD. Can I find drivers for my sound that has WAV or do I even need it? I didn't spend much on this card and the problem might not be the card after all. I'll try reinstalling Audacity again and see what happens. Any thoughts?

John B.

[Gale Andrews]

I just put in my new sound card, Creative SB Live Series (WDM), and I cannot record still. This time I cannot see WAV in the drop-down menu only Stereo Mix along with Line In, TAD, Auxiliary, and CD Audio. The card does come with a center channel and TAD. Can I find drivers for my sound that has WAV or do I even need it? I didn't spend much on this card and the problem might not be the card after all. I'll try reinstalling Audacity again and see what happens. Any thoughts?

Forget about re-installing Audacity - that rarely solves anything because Audacity settings persist after un- and re-installation. I don't think it will help your current situation, but you can initialise those settings at any time by exiting Audacity and editing the audacity.cfg settings file to read only "NewPrefsInitialized=1". See http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audac ... reset_beta .

Input devices that record computer playback may have various names and they may be used interchangeably. "Stereo Mix" should usually record a mix of anything that is playing on the computer, so if you had unmuted your mic in the playback side of the card, spoke into the mic, started a YouTube video in your browser then recorded from "Stereo Mix", you should record both YouTube and your voice. An input called "WAV" may only record YouTube in that example, but equally could just do the same as stereo mix.

You should always get the latest drivers you can from Creative. Click this link to look for Win XP drivers for your card.

Generally speaking, if you choose the SoundBlaster as "recording device" in the Audacity Devices Preferences, set the input you want in the Audacity Mixer Toolbar selector, and turn the input level up to left of that, you should be able to record. If it doesn't work, you should select the input you want in the SoundBlaster control panel instead.



Gale

[John B.]

Here is a screen shot of the latest attempt to record. It almost looks good but the oscillations don't quite look right and it won't playback with sound. Maybe a program I may have downloaded is interfering? I uninstalled LAME v3.98.2 and installed FFmpeg_2009.

John B.

[steve]

That looks like you have a "feedback loop". If you are recording "Stereo Mix" then "Software Playthough" must be off.

[John B.]

I deleted two or three things in the Registry with "1.2" but still no change. I'm toying with the idea of doing a XP Repair and maybe there is something damaged somewhere that can be fixed. I'm trying to find things in the forum to try.

John