OS - Windows 7
Audacity v. 2.1.0
I am trying to use Audacity to record phone calls using a USB headset. It will record the microphone but I cannot get it to record the sound coming through the headset. I have watched a number of tutorials, enabled the Stereo Mix in settings and tried every combination of MME, DirectSound and Wasapi with no luck. An help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Audacity not recording system sounds
Forum rules
This forum is for Audacity on Windows.
Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
The old forums for those versions are now closed, but you can still read the archives of the 1.2.x and 1.3.x forums.
This forum is for Audacity on Windows.Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".
Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
The old forums for those versions are now closed, but you can still read the archives of the 1.2.x and 1.3.x forums.
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Bibliosaur
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2016 6:03 pm
- Operating System: Windows 7
Re: Audacity not recording system sounds
Do you mean that you want to record the sound coming through the headset AND the sound from the microphone at the same time? If so, then that's probably not going to work. Audacity records from one device at a time, so in order to record both the microphone and system sounds, both must be available from the same input device, and most sound cards can't do that. The best way to record Skype (or other voip) is to use software that is designed specifically for the job, such as Pamela for Skype.Bibliosaur wrote: It will record the microphone but I cannot get it to record the sound coming through the headset.
9/10 questions are answered in the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
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kozikowski
- Forum Staff
- Posts: 69384
- Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:57 pm
- Operating System: macOS 10.13 High Sierra
Re: Audacity not recording system sounds
Recording is harder than you think. Skype, for one example, got to be so popular by viciously re-configuring your computer to suit itself as it's working. At the end of the day that means it works no matter how screwed up your computer is. It also means it's very difficult to second-guess it into doing a recording.The best way to record Skype (or other voip) is to use software that is designed specifically for the job, such as Pamela for Skype.
There's a joke about some people who do manage to change a few Windows settings around and get a sound recording to work just fine, both directions. Those people are celebrity unicorns. Most people can't get recordings to work that easily.
We hope they don't post a YouTube video about how easy it was [cringe].
Koz