| From Paul Umfleet=20
| Sat, 7 Jul 2007 17:22:12 -0500
| Subject: [Audacity-help] audacity
| I have 1.2.6 installed on my desk top and on my laptop...
| On my laptop I can not get the drop down box for Stereo mix etc to wo=
rk.=20
| On my laptop it is in the upper right corner instead of the middle of=
the=20
| tool bar.
You cannot permanently change the location of any of the Toolbars in 1.2.6,=
=20
they will always return after restarting Audacity to their default position.=
But=20
the very first time you launch Audacity the window will be restored down to=
=20
small size and the Meter Toolbar will be in the center of the window so tha=
t it
can fit in the window size. If you click on maximise top right of the Title=
Bar,=20
the Meter Toolbar will move to top right and will stop there if you close
Audacity maximised.=20
As for your other question, the recording source options displayed on Windo=
ws
and Linux systems in Audacity's Mixer Toolbar dropdown relate to the sound=
=20
device you have selected as the recording device in the Audio I/O tab of Au=
dacity Preferences. The drivers of that selected device (not Audacity) then=
determine
what recording source options are displayed in the Mixer Toolbar dropdown,=
=20
and how well they work (or if they work at all).=20
The sound device on your laptop may simply not offer a "stereo mix" or simi=
lar=20
option for recording the computer's sound output which you have on the desk=
top.
Or the laptop may be running with outdated generic drivers that do not offe=
r this
option (or are not automatically making it available), or the drivers may p=
revent
the input choices working properly when you access them via the Mixer Toolb=
ar=20
dropdown. Note: If your laptop is running Vista, the Mixer Toolbar selecto=
r does
not function - choose your inputs instead in the Audio I/O tab of Preferenc=
es in=20
the "Recording Device" dropdown. =20
If you cannot find the input source you want in the dropdown selector or in=
the
Audio I/O tab, or if it won't work properly, then assuming you are on Windo=
ws=20
you should try to select the input source you want in the Windows system mi=
xer
instead of in Audacity.=20
=2E
To access the mixer on Vista, click Start > Control Panel > Hardware and=20
Sound > Sound, or if you are using Vista's "Classic View" there is a direct=
link to
"Sound" in the Control Panel. Then click on the "Recording" tab, and click=
and
highlight the input you want to use. You can instead right-click on the spe=
aker=20
icon in the System Tray > Recording Devices. On XP, click Start > (Setting=
s) >
Control Panel > Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices > Sounds and Audio devices=
=20
(or right-click on the speaker icon in the System Tray > Adjust Audio Prope=
rties).
Then click on the Audio tab, on "Volume" under the "Sound Recording" panel,=
=20
and select your input.
If you need an option to record the computer output, it could have a number=
of
different names other than "Stereo Mix" e.g.: =20
* What U Hear=20
* Loopback
* Sum
* Wave Out
If you don't see such an option, be aware that input sources are sometimes=
=20
available to use, but hidden. To check this on Windows XP or earlier, click=
=20
"Volume" under the "Sound Recording" panel again, then Options > Properties.=
=20
Select your sound device in the Mixer Device panel, and ensure all the boxe=
s=20
in the window below are checked. Click OK. On Vista, you can view all the
potentially available inputs by right-clicking over any device in the list,=
and put
a check mark by "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices". To=
=20
enable a particular device, right-click over it and put a check mark by "En=
able".
All devices so enabled should be listed in Audacity's Audio I/O tab, but ma=
y still
show as "currently unavailable" in the Windows "Recording" tab if they do n=
ot
have an active input.
If you now have the input source you wanted selected in the Windows system=
=20
mixer, try restarting Audacity and recording. =20
If you still have problems getting input sources to record, or cannot make =
more=20
sources available you should try updating the sound device drivers. You wan=
t the=20
latest ones for your computer model from the manufacturer of the sound devi=
ce
or motherboard. Do not use Microsoft drivers as they are only low quality g=
eneric=20
drivers. It is best to update your soundcard drivers using Windows Device M=
anager.
To access Device Manager on Vista with its default view: click Start > Cont=
rol=20
Panel > System and Maintenance, then scroll down and click on Device Manag=
er.
With Vista "Classic View", there is a direct link to Device Manager in the =
Control
Panel. On XP and earlier, click Start > (Settings) > Control Panel > System=
, click
on the Hardware tab, then on the "Device Manager" button on the Device Mana=
ger
panel. Expand "Sound, Video and Game Controllers" by clicking on the + sign=
,
right-click on the sound device and click "update driver".=20
After the update (even if more recent drivers cannot be found), right-click=
on the
device again, click Properties and then on the Driver tab to check who the =
current
"Driver Provider" is. You don't want drivers from Microsoft - these are onl=
y low
quality generic drivers, and must be replaced with drivers made by the
manufacturer of your hardware. If Device Manager has updated the drivers an=
d the
Driver Provider is not Microsoft, you could see if the new drivers cure the=
problem.
Otherwise, note the name of the Driver Provider (if it's Microsoft, note th=
e name
instead of the sound device you right-clicked over), and visit the website =
of the
driver or sound device provider. If they don't provide end-user support, go=
to the
site of the motherboard manufacturer for help. =20
If your sound device really has no "stereo mix" option for recording the co=
mputer
output (even after a driver update), you can also try running a cable from =
the
line-out (green) port on the back of the computer to the line-in (blue), an=
d choose
the line-in source in Audacity. This will mean you cannot hear what you are
recording, but you can buy a single stereo to double stereo adaptor that wi=
ll give
you a jack to plug the speakers into whilst feeding in the line input. As =
another=20
alternative you can buy an external USB soundcard that will give you a "ste=
reo mix"=20
type option.=20
Gale Andrews =20
Outbound message virus free.
Tested on: 7/8/2007 1:52:38 AM
|
