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General discussion

Help with Recording

Dec 4, 2004 2:53PM PST

Hello I have a Gateway 500GR with Windows XP Home Edition and I want to record sound through the sound card instead of the mic but when I choose Stereo Mix it doesn't work and there is just static. Can anybody tell me what i'm doing wrong or what to do to fix it? Thanks a lot fo your help!

Discussion is locked

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 4, 2004 7:13PM PST

If this is possible, you will have a line-in jack located on the sound card. If you don't have the line-in, you will need to use the microphone jack. If your speakers are turned up too loud, you can have problems with the quality or feedback.

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 5, 2004 6:58AM PST

It is still not working. I've done this on every other computer i've had without problems. All it is is just capturing sound as it's playing using the Stereo Mix option in the volume control. I have a Line In but I dont know what to do with it cause nothing works when hooked in to it so I don't think that's it. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 5, 2004 7:33AM PST

What program are you using?

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 5, 2004 8:31AM PST

I use Sound Recorder mostly. Sometimes I use Goldwave too.

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 5, 2004 9:01AM PST

When I recorded using the line-in jack to my sound card, I used MusicMatch Jukebox. I had my "boombox" connected and selected line-in as the source. I'm not sure what you are trying to record or from what source. Perhaps if you were a bt more specific, someone can be of more help to you.

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 5, 2004 9:24AM PST

This is what i'm trying to do. Say you are playing a sound file in media player. I want to use the Stereo Mix option to record that sound thats playing in media player into sound recorder. I've done it on every other computer i've owned and it just won't work on this computer all I get is static instead of the sound.

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 5, 2004 7:07PM PST

Sorry but, I still don't know what you are trying to do. Perhaps someone else will be of more help.

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Re: Help with Recording
Dec 6, 2004 2:06AM PST

Leprechaun,

First, it's possible that your current sound driver doesn't support the process. I recommend finding, then downloading and installing a current driver for your sound card. (In order to do that, RIGHT click on "My Computer", choose "Properties", click on the "Hardware" tab, then click on the "Device Manager" button. When that loads, click on the + sign next to "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers" to display the specific devices there. RIGHT click on the specific sound device listing, choose "Properties", then click on the "Driver" tab.) Write down the manufacturer/provider, driver date and driver version. If you have a brand name computer, you can visit the manufacturer's website and find a current sound card driver. If nothing else, you should be able to visit the sound card manufacturer's website and download their updated driver.

Another important note, the "Sound Recorder" program is relatively limited for recording sound. (Usually only up to 60 seconds worth of recording time.) The link below for the "FreeCorder" program allows you to record much longer sound recordings and should allow you to record any sound that would travel through the speakers such as your "Stereo Mix" method. Like it's name suggests, it's FREE. I recommend installing Freecorder, then trying again.

http://www.freecorder.com/

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Stereo Mix option
Dec 6, 2004 2:34AM PST

Following yours and Gib's posts I don't think
that what you want to do will work.

From your post it appears that you want to record
a sound playing in Windows Media Player. If so that will not work.

Went to the help file of Sound Recorder. You can record a sound from the sound card or pull the sound from a file. But not record from another application other than CD Player.

The static sound you are hearing is your recording. On my system it appears that you have to go into Sound Recorder -> Edit -> Audio Properties -> Place check mark in device you wish to use (Mic, Line In, CD Player). Incorrect input device = static.

Hope this helps

Bill

PS: I have a tickle in my head that is saying Sound Recorder is limited to "X" number of mins.
.

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Bill, It WILL Work
Dec 6, 2004 3:32AM PST

I've used the technique on this and other machines. Users can record sounds from ANYTHING that plays sound through their speakers and that includes Windows Media Player or any audio from the internet as well. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I don't use Sound Recorder because of it's limitations, but the recording should work by using "Stereo Mix" or "WaveOut Mix" or something similar depending on the sound card. By the way, I just ran a couple of tests using "Sound Recorder" and "FreeCorder" and "Windows Media Player 9". They both worked fine with the recording settings set to "WaveOut Mix". This particular machine replaces "WaveOut Mix" with "Stereo Mix".

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Re: Bill, It WILL Work
Dec 6, 2004 3:53AM PST

Hey Grif,

I think we went past each other.

I read Leprechaun's post as trying to record from Windows Media Player itself, not from the speakers via a microphone. Maybe that is what he is missing?

Bill
.

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Nope, No Microphone is Needed
Dec 6, 2004 5:01AM PST

It is not actually recorded "from the speakers" but through the sound card. If you want to try, it is recorded directly from Windows Media Player like this:

First make sure your recording settings are correct by double clicking on the "speaker" icon in your system tray. Click on "Options" in the upper left, choose "Properties". Now CHECK the "Recording" selection to view the various volume control selections. Make sure that "Stereo Mix" or "WaveOut Mix" is checked. Now click on OK. YOu should now see the "Recording Control" box. Make sure that "Stereo Mix" or "WaveOut Mix" has a CHECK mark in the "Selected" box. Close the window.

Now open Sound Recorder, (or any other recording program you have installed such as Freecorder that I mentioned earlier.) Now open Windows Media Player to play something, ANYTHING,(don't use a CD for this example) and in this instance I'm using some saved songs in the Windows Media Player "media library". Start the song, and once a song begins to play, then bring Sound Recorder (or other recording software) back up, and click on the "red button" to start recording. When you're done, save the file and you'll have a recorded file with the part of the song you've saved. You can use the file for whatever you wish but because of size issues, I normally use it for small recordings.

This process works on my old Windows 98, plus my home Windows XP SP2, plus my work Windows XP SP2, plus my daughter's Windows 2000 machine. The key item is having the appropriate software to make it all work.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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(NT) (NT) Something new every day... Thanks....
Dec 6, 2004 5:26AM PST
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(NT) (NT) Hopefully, It Works For Leprechaun Too ;-)
Dec 6, 2004 5:34AM PST
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Re: Nope, No Microphone is Needed
Dec 6, 2004 5:37AM PST

What I don't understand, why was the original poster trying to plug something into his sound card jack? If you are recording off of Media Player, you don't need anything external.

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Re: Nope, No Microphone is Needed
Dec 6, 2004 7:14AM PST

I wasn't trying to plug anything in you just confused me when you said something about line in jacks. But yeah now everyone knows what I want to do but when I choose Stereo Mix it doesn't work its just static or sometimes nothing at all it won't pick anything up it's really weird cause this is a brand new computer and you's think a new computer would be able to do something every other machine i've had could do!

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Leprechaun, So...Did You Try What I Suggested ?
Dec 6, 2004 7:21AM PST

There should be no reason it doesn't work IF the soundcard driver supports the operation. I also suggested a different recording tool to install. If you missed it, here's the link again.

http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6121-0.html?forumID=45&threadID=49379&messageID=590078

Do your "Recording" settings also have a "WaveOut Mix" setting. If so, then you can try that instead of "Stereo Mix". Still, most cards only have the one type of "mix" setting. Just checking.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Re: Leprechaun, So...Did You Try What I Suggested ?
Dec 6, 2004 7:35AM PST

yeah I looked for what kind of sound card it is and it says Intel HD but I can't find any drivers for it and i've tried different programs to record in but none work.

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Leprechaun, Please Report Exact Information
Dec 6, 2004 8:41AM PST

RIGHT click on "My Computer", choose "Properties", click on the "Hardware" tab, then click on the "Device Manager" button. When that loads, click on the + sign next to "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers" to display the specific devices there. Please tell us EXACTLY what the device is listed as. INTEL HD? That means it's an Intel High Definition driver but what else? AC'97 Maybe? Something else?

Now...RIGHT click on the specific sound device listing, choose "Properties", then click on the "Driver" tab.) Write down the Driver provider, driver date and driver version number.
__________

Gateway's site is best searched by using the serial number of the computer.

http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/dlcenter.asp

How To Find The Serial Number On Gateway 500GR
http://support.gateway.com/s/MISC/CustIDSerial/Gateway_Learningsu51.shtml

Let us know.

Grif

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Re: Leprechaun, Please Report Exact Information
Dec 6, 2004 9:08AM PST

OK This is what it says:
Microsoft UAA Function Driver for High Definition Audio Realtek 880
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Date: 3/5/2004
Driver Version: 5.10.0.5010

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Here's What I Found
Dec 6, 2004 12:30PM PST

It now becomes your responsibility to do some testing. You'll need to check whether you have a separate sound card, (your description makes it sound possible), or whether you have integrated sound. The link below appears to be the updated driver for your computer, but I can't test it on any of the machines around here. It looks promising as it reads as a fix to a microphone problem PLUS its an updated version number to your current driver. You'll need to download it, scan it with your antivirus program, unzip it, scan again with your antivirus program, then install it.

http://www.dfi.com.tw/Support/Download/driver_download_us.jsp?PRODUCT_ID=3201&CATEGORY_TYPE=LP%20UT&STATUS_FLAG=A&SITE=US

I recommend that you download the file listed in the section that looks like this:

Revision 5.10.0.5028
Driver Audio Driver
OS All
File ALC880_51005028_2KXP.zip
Size 18,618,579 bytes
Description Audio Driver for Realtek ALC880 and ALC260 under Windows 2K & XP to support microphone via front panel.

Still, this is just an educated guess on my part and it may not fix the problem at all. You also have the option to contact Gateway. They may have a good download location for the driver.

Realtek has a driver that might work also, but it doesn't appear as promising to me since the support only goes to the ALC850 series, but who knows, maybe you made a type on the previous post:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4400.html

Its up to you and I hope this helps.

Grif

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Re: Here's What I Found
Dec 6, 2004 1:44PM PST

Well that didn't work it wouldn't even install it said something was missing but thanks a lot anyway for your help I guess it's just not gonna work. I went to the Gateway website and looked and downloaded a driver from there but it ended up not working either. I really don't get why this won't work it's just so weird.

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Leprechaun, Since Those Drivers Didn't Install...
Dec 7, 2004 2:58AM PST

....can you give us the EXACT error message that you were getting when you tried to install them??. (You said "something was missing"?) Sometimes the default Windows driver which is installed currently, doesn't describe the actual sound card that's installed. (A quick check of the various Gateway sound cards doesn't list the one you told us about.) Are you sure you found the correct sound card? A different driver is required but you may need to do some research to find the one that applies. The two drivers you've tried so far aren't installing and you need to find out why. So we don't repeat ourselves here, which driver did you download from Gateway?

You might try contacting Gateway and see if they can help.

Hope this helps and let us know what you find.

Grif

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Re: Leprechaun, Since Those Drivers Didn't Install...
Dec 7, 2004 6:41AM PST

The error message is "Missed WDM Driver Directory"
and the one i got from gateway.com is:
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Version: 5.10.0.5027
and this is the only sound card I can find on my computer.

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Re: Leprechaun, Since Those Drivers Didn't Install...
Dec 7, 2004 7:59AM PST

Leprechaun,

I'm stumped here....but I give you some thoughts...

The driver you got from Gateway should do the job, but the EXACT error message you gave me, I've never seen. How did you attempt to install the driver? The driver should be unzipped to a driver directory and many of the newer driver installations do that automatically, then install automatically. Some require the user to find the directory where the driver files were unzipped to, then run the "setup.exe" file within them. Sometimes, after unzipping the files to a directory, you can access the "Device Manager" sound card properties, then press the "Update Driver" button in the "Driver" tab.

I am aware that the newer drivers require DirectX 8.1 or higher. You might try installing DirectX 9c from the link below then attempt to install the driver again:

DirectX 9.0c End-User Runtime

If none of this works, I would call Gateway and see if their support can help you install the driver they have given you.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Re: Leprechaun, Since Those Drivers Didn't Install...
Dec 7, 2004 8:37AM PST

When I tried to install it I just ran the setup and it started going but right when it enters the installer it gives that message then shuts down. Well thank you for all your help I really appreciated it and i'll keep on trying things and maybe i'll finally crack this mystery. Thanks again!