Audacity Forum

Dear Gale et al.

For starters, thanks for your patience with this computer idiot here! Secondly, I'd never heard of external soundcards, I'm living in the UK, I'll have to look into them. If they come in a caddy - I suppose they must do if they're USB, I mean you wouldn't have an uncovered card lying on the desk waiting for stuff to get spilled on it, would you (not that I drink THAT near my computer but you know what I mean) - I might be able to swap it out for my lovely M-Audio Audiophile 2496.

Just 2 moire questions. I tried experimenting with internal playback/record settings and ended up with a feeback loop so bad I had to use System Restore on the computer. Anyone know ROUGHLY what the R ecording/Playback settings SHOULD be on - I mean I know the wording would be different on different computers/motherboards/soundchips but a rough working combination so I know what to try without killing the system again?

And second - would it be more likely to be a Windows 7 prob/glitch, or an Audacity one, or a prob. with the Foxconn motherboard? Has anyone else here had probs. with recording/playback on Windows 7 or Foxconn motherboards? I honestly don't know what to try next here, because I don't want to naff things up any worse than they already are again.

Yours respectfully

Chris.

I suppose you are using a desktop?

The only time I remember that internal feedback killed an OS, was on a computer that had a weak and old power supply. We changed the PSU and the problem was gone.

It wasn't with an M-Audio Audiophile 2496, but it had a PCI soundcard in it. Don't remember which one, it was years ago.

A USB audio interface is much less susceptible to this kind of problem, but potentially comes with other problems, such as ground loops inducing hum.

Unfortunately, there's no way to test the PSU without taking the desktop apart.

ulrichburke wrote:I'd never heard of external soundcards, I'm living in the UK, I'll have to look into them. If they come in a caddy - I suppose they must do if they're USB, I mean you wouldn't have an uncovered card lying on the desk waiting for stuff to get spilled on it

External USB sound cards/interface come in an enclosure, yes.

ulrichburke wrote:I tried experimenting with internal playback/record settings and ended up with a feeback loop so bad I had to use System Restore on the computer.

Yet another indication that the motherboard or other parts of the computer are faulty, or the motherboard is missing its proper drivers, in my opinion.

ulrichburke wrote:Anyone know ROUGHLY what the R ecording/Playback settings SHOULD be on - I mean I know the wording would be different on different computers/motherboards/soundchips but a rough working combination so I know what to try without killing the system again?

In Audacity's Device Toolbar, MME host, IDT stereo mix for recording, and IDT Speakers or headphones for playback.

Or use Windows WASAPI host as in Steps 1 to 7 below. If you do that, you would be better to turn off Exclusive Mode for the IDT Device in Windows Sound (turn it off for both playback and recording). This is because you say you want to use unknown other applications to produce sound effects.

1. In Audacity, open Device Toolbar.
2. In the first (Host) box of Device Toolbar, choose "Windows WASAPI".
3. In the second (Recording Device) box, choose the (loopback) input for the IDT speakers or headphones you are using for playback. For example, if you are using "IDT Speakers" for listening to playback, choose "IDT Speakers (loopback)" in this step.
4. In the third (Recording Channels) box, choose mono or stereo.
5. In the fourth (Playback Device) box, choose the IDT Speakers or Headphones that you are using for listening.
6. Start playing the audio you want to record.
7. Press the big red Record button in Audacity.

In either case above, turn off Transport > Software Playthrough in the Audacity menus. If it has a tick mark, click it to remove the tick. Otherwise you will get feedback.

ulrichburke wrote:And second - would it be more likely to be a Windows 7 prob/glitch, or an Audacity one, or a prob. with the Foxconn motherboard? Has anyone else here had probs. with recording/playback on Windows 7 or Foxconn motherboards? I honestly don't know what to try next here, because I don't want to naff things up any worse than they already are again.

As I already said, lots of people have problem with Beats Audio, which may appear on the particular IDT chip that your Foxconn motherboard uses.

I am curious why you expect us to carry on answering your questions when you choose not to answer ours, making it near impossible to help you.

In a nutshell, if you have Beats Audio, buy an external USB sound card. If you don't have proper Windows 7 drivers for the Foxconn motherboard, or if it continues to behave as erratically as you describe, buy an external USB sound card.


Gale