Audacity Mixer Toolbar

[VernonRobinson]

Needed to put Audacity on my new machine. I was looking to record what was coming through the speakers. However, I have no choices in the Audacity Mixer toolbar. I have sound coming out of the speakers. The machine uses Realtek HDAudio drivers. Any idea what might be going on here? Using Windows XP SP2. Audacity version 1.2.6 Updated to the latest Realtek drivers 1/2008. Following Chuck's Tutorial and having no luck.

Thanks,
-Vernon

[Jayell]

If I'm understanding you correctly ..
Some sound cards just don't have that option. I know lots of the Sigmatel drivers that come with Dell's don't provide that option anymore. Look in your volume control .. look under Options ->properties -> click on Recording. If you don't have an option for Stereo Mix .. or What You Hear, Audacity can't help. But then you sort of already said Audacity doesn't have that option

[RJ Johnston]

Total Recorder from http://www.highcriteria.com is probably what you need; however, it isn't compatible with Premiere Elements.

Anyway, I downloaded and installed Audacity and couldn't get it to record what was playing in Windows Media Player. What type of file are you playing?

Edit: I tried the latest and probably last version of Total Recorder 6.1. After installing it, I rebooted, then ran the recording wizard. I was able to record what was playing in Windows Media Player.

I was able to start Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 without getting an audio error. Maybe as long as you don't change the default device in the Windows volume settings from RealTech to Total Recorder you won't have a problem.

[VernonRobinson]

If I'm understanding you correctly ..
Some sound cards just don't have that option. I know lots of the Sigmatel drivers that come with Dell's don't provide that option anymore. Look in your volume control .. look under Options ->properties -> click on Recording. If you don't have an option for Stereo Mix .. or What You Hear, Audacity can't help. But then you sort of already said Audacity doesn't have that option

Jayell,
Thanks for the tip. I neglected to mention that the recording control that you mentioned does have an option for Stereo Mix. However, when I check it, nothing seems to happen. In Audacity, there is not only no opton for Stereo Mix, etc. There are no options in the dropdown for anything. It is greyed out. I thought there would be something in there.

-Vernon

[VernonRobinson]

Total Recorder from http://www.highcriteria.com is probably what you need; however, it isn't compatible with Premiere Elements.

Anyway, I downloaded and installed Audacity and couldn't get it to record what was playing in Windows Media Player. What type of file are you playing?

Edit: I tried the latest and probably last version of Total Recorder 6.1. After installing it, I rebooted, then ran the recording wizard. I was able to record what was playing in Windows Media Player.

I was able to start Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 without getting an audio error. Maybe as long as you don't change the default device in the Windows volume settings from RealTech to Total Recorder you won't have a problem.

RJ,
I was playing a WMV file in Windows Media. I also tried a tutorial from a ProShow Demo. Wanted to listen to it on my MP3 player. As I said in the post to Jayell, not only is the Stereo Mix option mixing. All options are missing. Maybe I should try a reinstall of Audacity.


//Edit Update: Tried reinstall. Waste of energy. Back to the drawing board.

Thanks,
-Vernon

[RJ Johnston]

In Audacity on my machine, I have the dropdown box and all the options are available. But even so, I can't record what is playing in Windows Media Player no matter which option I choose. I also made sure the Windows recorder volume control settings were set the same (e.g. stereo mix).

If you don't even have a dropdown box, then you have to enable the Mixer Toolbar in preferences.

If you do have the dropdown box, then I don't know why the options would be greyed out.

[Chuck Engels]

It definitely has to do with the audio driver for your sound card.

I had the same problem with my new system until I updated the driver for my XFI sound card, now it works.
You may see 'Stereo Mix', or 'What You Hear', they are both the same.

I don't have any problem with recording anything coming through my speakers, iTunes, WMP, Audacity, Browser, Anything.

If you search the internet for 'What You Hear Audacity Realtek' you will find a few people with the same problem.

Here is some good information
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... bar_Issues

this may have a solution
http://driverzone.com/forum/printthread.php?tid=2121

[VernonRobinson]

It definitely has to do with the audio driver for your sound card.

I had the same problem with my new system until I updated the driver for my XFI sound card, now it works.
You may see 'Stereo Mix', or 'What You Hear', they are both the same.

I don't have any problem with recording anything coming through my speakers, iTunes, WMP, Audacity, Browser, Anything.

If you search the internet for 'What You Hear Audacity Realtek' you will find a few people with the same problem.

Here is some good information
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... bar_Issues

this may have a solution
http://driverzone.com/forum/printthread.php?tid=2121

Chuck,
I would agree with you. I was trying to follow along with the tutorial and basically got stopped. However, I went back and ignored the setting. Once I checked "Stereo Mix" on the sound applet, it records. The Mixer Toolbar dropdown box is still disabled. Oh well, back in business.

-Vernon

[RJ Johnston]

I got mine to work too. I was sitting hear like a dummy with my USB headphones on with the audio device set to Logitech USB when I should have switched to the SoundMax audio device and listened with my other headphones.

At first I didn't think it was going to work because of the distortion, then I realized I needed to adjust the recording level. After 25 years of this stuff, I'm finally catching on.

[Chuck Engels]

Great, everyone is has theirs working now