Recording from Stereo Mix

[Rmmm]

Here is the "Preferences" screen shot.

Thanks again...hope this can be resolved.

Rmmm

Preferences.JPG (18.42 KiB) Viewed 1679 times

[Gale Andrews]

If you click those "Exclusive Mode" boxes and select "Windows DirectSound" for Audacity "Host" then as I understand it, that renders "Default Format" irrelevant. Audacity will request the sample rate of the card according to the Audacity project rate. No resampling between Windows and the recording device is allowed under Exclusive Mode, so your project rate needs to be one the sound device supports. See:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Windo ... mple_rates

Since 44100 Hz is a listed rate under default format, you can "probably" assume it's valid for the Audacity project rate under Exclusive Mode. I doubt it's a sample rate problem.

If you are using 1.3.13 supplied by us, "Stereo Mix" is in Device Toolbar, not Mixer Toolbar.

Are you actually playing the audio you want to record on the Realtek Device (you have that set as the Default Device on the "Playback" tab of Sound)? You can only use Realtek Stereo Mix to record audio playing on Realtek. If you are playing the audio on Realtek, is the playback volume turned up? You can't turn the volume down and still record from stereo mix as you could on Windows XP.

And of course you have the input level for Stereo Mix turned up? Right-click over it > Properties: Levels tab.



Gale

[kozikowski]

The two standouts that come to mind after all this are the straight-forward idea that your sound card is broken -- or your drivers or support software are broken or not up to date, and you may have too many settings. Do you use Skype or other communications software? Skype viciously reassigns sound pathways. That's one of the reasons it's so successful. We all get to follow Skype's act, not the other way to.

I can help a little. If you didn't already know this, if you click inside the red recording meters, they will wake up in diagnostic mode and monitor the sound input without putting Audacity in full Record. You can also Right-Click on the red meters > Start Monitoring.

The reason you're getting so many puzzled looks is you have the impossible combination of normal "Stereo Mix" but no sound. That nearly never happens. Is that a sound meter to the right of the Stereo Mix icon? Does it bounce when you play music?

Did you restart Audacity when you changed settings? It's not unusual for Audacity settings to not "stick" until after a restart, particularly heavy system settings. Since this is so intractable, I would restart the computer once if you haven't already. I've had Windows machines up for a long time to some pretty strange things.

Can you record Stereo-Mix in Windows Sound Recorder?
Windows Sound Recorder
-- Start > Programs > Accessories > Entertainment

Koz

[Rmmm]

I think we are on the right track.
Hope this will resolve and I can summarize for other users.

Following are three different ACTIVITY jpegs.
In spite of every effort to get the Stereo Mix feature activated, you can see that in Control Panel Playback RealTek is active.

BUT in Control Panel Recording - Stereo Mix is silent.
So I opened the PROPERTIES dialogue box.
I have set it to "LISTEN" to Realtek HD Audio.
I note here that Stereo Mix is not shown again, as I am already inside that device.
Seems that is correct.

I will carefully review Gale's and Koz's last responses. Then post again with what I find.
Something is not quite right.
I will disable Skype also.

Thanks
If you have some other suggestions please post.
In the meantime, I will work hard to check out your suggestions.

Rmmm

[Rmmm]

Here is Control Panel RECORDING
Notice that Stereo Mix is deaf.

Control Panel Recording.JPG (65.46 KiB) Viewed 1674 times

[Rmmm]

And Finally .. here is Windows Volume Control from the Win 7 Task Bar lower right.

Notice also that Stereo Mix is deaf.

So this maybe shows the settings are not really set up fully.
I will check everything carefully and try to find the mistake.
Rmmm

Windows Volume Control.JPG (56.07 KiB) Viewed 1674 times

[Gale Andrews]

What exactly is "Realtek Digital Output" - a separate output jack on the computer?

I believe if you set the Default Device under "Playback" to "Speakers - Realtek HD Audio" it may record.

I have set it to "LISTEN" to Realtek HD Audio.

Generally speaking you do not want to set stereo mix to "listen to this device". It's software playthrough and will just create feedback echoes because what's being played is recorded, then replayed, then re-recorded....



Gale

[Rmmm]

Hi Gale and Koz..

OK..fixed.

I tried my AudioEngine speakers by wireless mode. No luck.

THEN.. as per Gale's suggestion, I wired directly to the GREEN output jack in the rear of my computer.

Voila!! Audacity records just fine.

I also unchecked the LISTEN TO THIS DEVICE as per Gale's suggestion, although I did not try with and without this checked.

Thanks for the great support.
Case Solved.

Rmmm