Distortion when recording from Stereo Mix

[deadevil13]

Hello.

Okay so im recording songs from Spotify (a music streaming program) using the Stereo Mix input. But when i am recording the music, at times it can become distorted. Ive tried turning up and down the volume, but it still insists on distorting. Im currently using my onboard Realtek High Definition audio.

Im really stumped on how to avoid this distortion.

Thanks

[steve]

Ive tried turning up and down the volume,

It depends on where you are turning down the volume. Are you using the Windows Mixer to adjust the record level? The recording level for Stereo Mix relies on both the Record Level of Stereo Mix, and the playback level of whatever is playing. Normally the playback level for "wave" output should be around 70%

[kozikowski]

Stereo Mix is a little magic. The music goes almost all the way through the playback pathway to your speakers and the computer turns it around and runs it back through the recording pathway. Both sets of volume controls work.

If you get Stereo Mix to work right, please keep track how you did it, because if you ever want to record from a microphone or other real-live flesh and blood performance, you need to turn all that off to avoid distortion, echoes, flanging, and other oddball noise problems.

If you have any burning desire to use Skype (or you use it already) you need to know that Skype resets all those sound pathways while it's working and only sometimes gives them back when it's done.

Koz