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Records only White Noise

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:06 am
by jmatt
Hello --

I've used Audacity in the past to record online audio (i.e., Interviews, music, etc.) on a different computer. On my new computer all I ever get is static white noise. The recording carries on normally but playback is white noise/static.

I downloaded and installed the library necessary. I could really use this program and would love some advice.

Help!

Re: Records only White Noise

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:15 am
by kozikowski
I downloaded and installed the library necessary.
Which is? Please don't post in generic terms. We need all the specific information we can get.

It's generally not an Audacity problem when you can't record internet audio. The computer itself has to support it and it's been getting harder and harder to do in newer machines.

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Recor ... e_computer

Koz

Re: Records only White Noise

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:40 am
by jmatt
Sorry for being too vague.

I searched Audacity troubleshooting and found one example of something similar to my problem. The advice was to make sure the program had the ffmped library downloaded and I followed the directions for that. It's version f(52.36.0),C952.32.0),u(50.3.0) and I believe it's downloaded properly.

I have Windows XP -- the computer is a year old. I was able to use the older Audacity version without problem on the old computer. My sound controller is Realtek high definition audio.

I really don't know what else to put down ... Is it possible that the audacity beta version won't work with Windows XP?

Let me know what other info you may or may not need.

Thanks!

Re: Records only White Noise

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:52 am
by kozikowski
We're good. The FFMpeg library makes it possible for Audacity to recognize, play, and export many more modern music file types than Audacity alone. I believe that's the software you need to directly manage Windows Media files and Apple AAC iPod format. Without that software, Audacity would either look at you with that wounded puppy look, or worse, damage the music.

It has nothing to do with recording material straight from the internet.

That link I posted is the current knowledge on how to do this on a Windows machine. It should be relatively easy to do this on an XP machine. I think this was before Microsoft started hiding the tools. You want to record from Mix-Out or What-U-Hear instead of a microphone or other music device.

That's as far as I go. I'm a Mac elf. Macs won't do this at all without additional software and fuss. Dig in that link.

Koz

Re: Records only White Noise

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:54 am
by steve
Audacity 1.3.12 works with XP (I use it everyday at work).
If you generate a tone from the "Generate" menu, does it play correctly?
What are you trying to record?

Re: Records only White Noise

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 6:11 pm
by jmatt
Thanks to all who've answered.

Steve, the tones do work -- all of the options. It's definitely something in the recording. Maybe somehow my sound card and audacity aren't communicating correctly. I'm trying to record things like interviews from television programs.

I'm sort of computer illiterate and my brain hurts trying to figure this out...

Re: Records only White Noise

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 6:55 pm
by steve
jmatt wrote:the tones do work
Good.
jmatt wrote: I'm trying to record things like interviews from television programs.
You mean from a real TV? How are you doing that? With a microphone? Please go into detail.