Error recording guitar on Windows 7 x64

[Alex2011]

I did connect my guitar direcly to the line-in and I can hear the sound. When I start recording in Audacity 1.3.14-beta I get the error message "Error while opening sound device. Please check the input device settings and the project sample rate." In Audacity I have MME, Realtek speakers AC'97 and line-in choosen. While playing the guitar I have the sound in the speakers so I do not understand where is the problem. Must say the yesterday I could record the guitar maybe using the microfone line. The motherboard is Asus A8N-SLI and I have connected the guitar to the light blue line (the pink one is for the microphone). Help please !

[steve]

First check in the "Transport" menu that "Software Playthrough" is not selected.

If that's not the problem....

Go into the Windows Control Panel sound settings and check that the line-in is connected and enabled.
(see here for details: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Windows_Vista_OS#cp )
Check the sample rate that is set (44100 or 48000 are generally recommended).
Also check to see which the default playback device is.

Then go into Audacity "Edit menu > Preferences > Devices" and check that both recording and playback devices are set to use the same defaults as you have just set up in the Windows settings.
Go to "Edit menu > Preferences > Quality" and check that the "default sample rate" is set the same as in the Windows settings.

If you still have a problem, try changing the "Host" setting in Audacity from MME to Direct Sound.

[Alex2011]

Thanks for the answer. I did check in Windows Control Panel and I found some problem. In audio (sound), recording I have 3 items: Microfone, Line-in and Phone line (sorry for translation as I have the Italian language in windows). I read "ready" for the microphone , but the line-in and phone line are "actually not available". This could be the problem, but if I connect the guitar to the line-in I can hear the sound of the guitar anyway, but Audacity gives me back the error message. Any idea ? In the listen tab the "hear the item" is checked (and I can hear it). In the advanced tab "2 channels, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD quality) is choosen. Could be broken the motherboard sound card ?

[steve]

I read "ready" for the microphone , but the line-in and phone line are "actually not available".

Did you check this with the guitar plugged into the light blue socket (and nothing plugged into the pink socket)?

We may be having a translation problem - check that the line-in socket is not "disabled". If it is, you will need to enable it.
It's possible that Windows may be "auto-detecting" the guitar as a microphone. Try unplugging the guitar and then plug it back in - does anything change in the Windows Sound settings? Can you set the Line-in as the default recording device?

[Alex2011]

I did unplug the speakers too and did restart the PC without changes. How could I enable the line-in ? In the bios I did not find where to enable or disable it. Sorry, if I right cklick on the line-in icon I get a menu and it is not disabled (the disable voice is not checked) but it is still "now not available". Nothing is plugged in the sound card. Then I did plug-in the guitar in the light blue or the orange port, but tle line in is still not available. The line in is the default recording device ( has the green V).

[steve]

Does your computer pop up a notification when you plug in an audio jack?
Do you have a RealTek HD Audio Manager icon near the time/date on your Desktop?

[kozikowski]

If you have one of these...

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/RCAMiniStereo.jpg

...Try plugging it in to the blue socket, but don't connect anything to the RCA plugs. See if the Windows panels work differently and seem to work OK.

It is proper to connect a guitar to the blue connector. The guitar volume is very loud and a close match to the Stereo Line-In. It will overload the pink socket.

However, electrically, the connection is "not correct" because the guitar is mono and the blue socket is expecting stereo. It is possible that relatively tiny error is confusing the card and Windows.

If that test stereo cable starts working, you can get a "Y" cable for your guitar and feed it into both left and right of the blue socket.

Koz

[Alex2011]

Finally seems solved ! First, thank you for your suggestions, I have found an hidden icon near the time. This is the Asus sound effects manager. In the Speaker Configuration tab I have choosen 4CH speakers settings noe, as a Trust Soundwawe 2000p is connected. Now I have these colors specification: grey=back speaker (non connected to the Trust), Black=Side speakers, light blue=line in, lime=front speakers, pink=microphone (non connected to the Trust) , orange=cental speakers. So, now that I have changet to 4CH speakers in the Asus control panel The line-in seems to work. In Audacity I have set: MME, Realteck AC'97 Speakers, line-in Realteck, 2 channels stereo and 44100 Hz (bottom left in the software window).

I was looking for the Asus/Realteck control panel in the all programs menu befor now, but obviously could not find it.

That's incredible ! While I was writing here now I did try again to record and I have got again the error message. Nothing was changed ! So I did close Audacity and run again it. Then record works again ! Do you understand why ? If I know why could help me the next time.

Thank you very much.

[Alex2011]

As I was getting back the error message again every time, I did disable the microphone in Windows audio panel->record. The line in is now availabe while the microphone is not and Audacity works well again.

Wow ! May be I am becoming color blind ! One of the speakers jack was plugged in the microphone as color seems similar to the orange one, becouse the sound card is old and the colors are faded !

Hope at this point the problem seems really solved ! It is so stupid to make such a mistake with colors ! And I did also read the motherboard manual for colors !

Sorry, but without your help I would never resolve it.