ECHO WHEN RECORDING FROM ARCHIVED FILE

[pde]

I have a Toshiba laptop with Windows XP3, and I'm using Audacity 1.2.6. I'm trying to use Audacity to record an archived audio file from a radio station's website - using Windows Media Player (the default player for this particular radio station's archived audio files). I have a high-speed cable to connect to the internet (6-7 mbs). Here's the problem: There is a huge echo & distortion as soon as I try to record the archived file w/Audacity. When I set the output volume & input volume in Audacity to level 1, the program will record with little-no echo, but the playback volume is way too low when I play the recorded Audacity file back in Media Player, even when I turn up the volume settings in my computer. Any help out there?

[steve]

Make sure that you have "Software Playthrough" switched off (not selected) in Preferences.

[pde]

IT WORKED!! Steve The Fiddle, nice job, thanks! Question: Do I ever need to have the Software Playthrough box checked? I use Audacity to: convert cassette tapes to .wav files, record archived audio files in Windows Media Player (like I described in my "help" message above) and also record live music from a local radio station, using my fm receiver's red/white audio out jacks - connected into my Edirol sound card - then connect the Edirol to my laptop. I've always had the Software Playthrough box checked in the past ( I didn't know any better), and it worked for the .wav recording and the local radio station recording......will those recording projects work with box unchecked too?

[steve]

Do I ever need to have the Software Playthrough box checked?

Probably not.

The main use of "Software Playthrough" is when recording from a USB device such as a Turntable and listening to the music at the same time from the computers sound card (a physically separate device). In this case there is no "hardware route" for the audio signal between the USB input from the turntable and the audio output from the sound card. In other cases it should be possible to configure the sound card correctly without software playthrough.