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SurfinBird
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Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Sun May 31, 2009 8:08 pm

How can I capture an audio stream playing directly on my PC without setting up a mic to my speakers? It seems I used to be able to do this on my old PC by simply pressing record with a recording program and it would capture it from the mobo somehow, but on the computer I am using now it is barely audible when I do that, and sounds like it is coming from a tin can.

Thanks
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morphine
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:22 am

SurfinBird wrote:
How can I capture an audio stream playing directly on my PC without setting up a mic to my speakers? It seems I used to be able to do this on my old PC by simply pressing record with a recording program and it would capture it from the mobo somehow, but on the computer I am using now it is barely audible when I do that, and sounds like it is coming from a tin can.

Thanks

That's probably because you're recording the mic input. Just go to your mixer panel and set the recording source to "Wave out" or "What you hear" or similar. Then hit record, you should be recording the direct audio stream.
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:37 am

I used X-Fi Fatal1ty before and now PCI Express X-Fi Titanium.
With Creative MediaSource 5 Player, there's an option to record "What u hear"
so any sound on the OS level of your PC, you can record it.
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Meadows
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:59 am

If you're using Realtek, look for "Stereo Mix".
 
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:27 am

As was said, go to the mixer control panel in your audio software (or Programs ---> Accessories --- Entertainment ---> Volume Control if you use the default Windows drivers) and select, "Stereo Mix", "Wave Out", "What U Hear", or some similar setting. Make sure to adjust the volume levels, too. The playback and record volume levels will both affect the final sound that you record. Check the output meter on the program you're using to record the audio and adjust the playback and record volumes such that the maximum volume level is never reached. If it does get to the max volume, it will introduce clipping, which degrades the quality of the recording.
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SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:00 pm

I get where you guys are going with this, but I can't seem to find any sort of option that will allow me to capture "wave out", "what u hear" etc...

I am using Windows Vista, with "Realtek HD Audio Manager" (on board sound).
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:15 pm

Okay, double-click on the RHD Audio Manager icon to bring up the app. The default tab that's open is the Sound Effect tab, with the EQ, environment, etc. settings on it. The next tab is the Mixer tab. Click on it. You see the Playback and Record mixer. Make sure Realtek HD Audio Input is selected in the Record drop-down menu. Now look at the Stereo Mix option and make sure it is not muted (as per the speaker icon beneath it). Now look at the big green Record dial on the left. Make sure it's up towards the '+' and that it is not muted either (again, use the speaker icon beneath it). With that set, you should be all set to record internally.
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SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:57 pm

My Realtek HD Audio Manager appears to be much different in layout than that which you just described. It has some of those features, but not all... perhaps I need to update the drivers?
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FireGryphon
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:59 pm

Yeah, try an update. You could also check the Playback and Recording menus of Windows' Volume Control panel. The same deal applies there: check the Recording section, make sure the 'Stereo Mix' or 'Wave Out' is unmuted and has sufficient volume, and the same with the main Recording volume control.
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MaxTheLimit
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:53 pm

Have you tried the program 'audacity'?
I just tested it out and it recorded the sound from a movie that was playing....
It's free...
 
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:06 pm

Worst case (if your audio drivers are really brain-damaged), you could connect the Line Out of this PC to the Line In on another one, and capture it that way. You'll lose a small amount of fidelity since there'll be an extra D/A and A/D step, but it's better than nothing.

Edit:
MaxTheLimit wrote:
Have you tried the program 'audacity'?
I just tested it out and it recorded the sound from a movie that was playing....
It's free...

Yes, Audacity is a pretty nice "Swiss Army knife" audio tool; I use it for ripping vinyl to WAV format (among other things). But if the problem is with the mixer settings (and it sounds like it might be in this case), Audacity won't get around that for you; you still need to somehow convince the OS to tell the soundcard to route the output of its playback mixer to its audio capture input.
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Meadows
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:00 pm

Make sure you right-click the empty area in your Recording Devices list, and check "show disabled".
Stereo Mix may be disabled in your case, and invisible by default, as a result.
 
SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:27 pm

Have had no luck with this, despite all that has been said.

Unfortunately I don't really have access to another PC to try this on.
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:19 pm

SurfinBird wrote:
Have had no luck with this, despite all that has been said.

Unfortunately I don't really have access to another PC to try this on.

Please upload a screenshot of your sound/recording options and link us to it.
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SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:59 am

Hi.

Sorry, this post is really old, but I would still like to get this figured out.

Here are 3 screenshots of the three main windows of my "Realtek Audio HD Manager":

Image
Image
Image
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morphine
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:32 am

Unfortunately none of those screenshots shows the recording options, which is what you want (so you can select where to record from). Maybe they're in the "Device Advanced Settings" link?
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SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:35 pm

I don't see recording options in the "Device Advanced Settings", unfortunately. I can't seem to find them elsewhere either. Perhaps I should just purchase a separate soundcard, as this is something that I would really like to be able to do.

What would be a good soundcard that would allow me to do this? Or if you or anyone else has any futher suggestions as to how to figure this out, please inform me!

Thanks.
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:07 am

Have you tried going into Control Panel and looking under Sound and Audio Devices?
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Meadows
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:21 am

Those screenshots barely reveal the options that should be available to you, so listen to "just brew it" or right-click Vista's speaker icon on your taskbar.
 
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:36 pm

No, you don't need a separate soundcard for this. You just have to find the recording options, really, they do exist. I'm just not using Vista else I'd have found them for you already.
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SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:08 pm

I can get into the "recording devices" menu doing what meadows recommended, but I only see options for "front mic", "microphone", and "line in"... Do you want a screenshot?
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morphine
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:11 pm

I found this, should solve your problem: click here
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SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:04 am

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have "Wave Out Mix" listed as one of my recording devices. I have right clicked "show disabled devices", but still, it doesn't come up.

Here is a screenshot of what I have:
Image
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:10 am

Stereo Mix looks useful.
...
 
SurfinBird
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:12 am

w00t, I finally figured this out. As several people mentioned earlier it was the "Sterio Mix" that I needed to enable, which was not. I'll play around with this now to get the right volumes and what not, and post if I need more help. Thank you so much everyone for all your help!!!
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morphine
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:26 am

I have to compliment your insistence, though. In the end it's just a little stupid fact:

For some stupid reason Vista (or Realtek's drivers in Vista) hides the Stereo Mix recording input by default. That's all there is, really.
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Meadows
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:37 am

SurfinBird wrote:
Unfortunately, I don't seem to have "Wave Out Mix" listed as one of my recording devices. I have right clicked "show disabled devices", but still, it doesn't come up.

Here is a screenshot of what I have:
[picture]

Had you read my previous posts as well, you'd know it's Stereo Mix. "Wave Out Mix" doesn't even exist (or is used by some third-world audio device maker). The two most popular ones are "What U Hear" on the Creative side and "Stereo Mix" on the Realtek side.

For stereo mix, absolutely make sure that you verify the recording volume and check the "DC Offset Cancellation" box, otherwise you might get weird recordings. You might also want to match the sampling rates of your playback and stereo mix recording for convenience.

Edit: a bit late for a reply, but oh well. :P
Last edited by Meadows on Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:39 am

Just a quick FYI, you'll probably get better quality if you also disable any unused recording sources. The Mic and Line In can pick up hum and static even if there's nothing plugged into them.
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:41 am

just brew it! wrote:
Just a quick FYI, you'll probably get better quality if you also disable any unused recording sources. The Mic and Line In can pick up hum and static even if there's nothing plugged into them.

It's not "they can pick up noise". It's "they WILL pick up noise" :)
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Re: Capturing audio playing directly on PC?

Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:58 am

Oh and just so you know, it's the same thing in Windows 7. I went through pretty much the same thing when I wanted to record internally.

;)
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