[Galleherjazz]

I have been fretting with this issue for months, have consulted with the techies at Total Recorder (HighCriteria) and at Ashampoo (regarding their software Ashampoo Music Studio). I have also consulted with my soundcard manufacturer's technicians (Creative). The two software companies gave me numerous suggestions as to how to get their software to record streaming audio...all to no avail. It seems that with Vista, the sound card does not give the options Line In and Soundboard as recording options!

Does anyone have any definitive wisdom on this? I have been told that Vista deliberately blocked streaming audio recording for copyright reasons. Is this so? Is there a workaround? There are numerous instances when I would like to record legitimately legal audio streams. Total Recorder has been a wonderful instrument in XP, but every time I install it in Vista, it highjacks my system sounds and mutes everything until I uninstall the recorder.

I am truly desperate to fix this problem. Does anyone know a workaround or a registry fix to allow the recording of streaming audio?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Noyb]

I'd try Audacity ... http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
You may have to split line out .. to your speakers - and back to line in.

You have me wondering if FireFox and the Download helper addon would work.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006

[Galleherjazz]

I have audacity, and I do not see how it has record capability for system sounds, namely, streaming audio through the Internet. Also, to jerry-rig the speaker cables might work, but the operating system SHOULD have this option, or be able to allow this option somewhere.

I'll check out the Firefox extension you refer to.

Thanks for your reply!

[Noyb]

I've always been able to record what my computer is playing with Audacity.
Depends on your sound card/chip if you can record what you're playing.

Newer sound chips and Vista can make this difficult.
Wiring line out to line in - will work if all else fails.

[Galleherjazz]

Thanks, Noyb,

Indeed, I had forgotten Audacity's record function. But, alas, it does not record from my sound card. The rewiring line out to line in should work, and I'll get the patch cord at Radio Shack.

Meantime, are we saying that Vista just doesn't allow for audio streaming recording? And that, as far as can be determined, there is no workaround short of the wiring you describe?

But thank you for reminding me about Audacity.

Sincerely!

[Galleherjazz]

I just re-opened the Roemer Software program Easy Hi-Q Recorder, and the pickup from my Logitech microphone is so good that I get a good quality sound off the mike! So this is a workaround of sorts, though when I set the recorder to record off the soundcard, I get nothing. After talking with the Creative folks, it would seem that this is a Vista issue, not a Creative issue.

Thanks, guys, for your suggestions. If anyone knows a registry fix to get us to record from the soundcard, I'd appreciate knowing it.

Sincerely!

[mset]

I'm going to try to bump this thread before I start another one. I have tried several of the workarounds for the apparently disabled functions which prevent use from using the Stereo Mix option on these programs like Audacity etc. All the software I have tried shows me only the input options 'Line in', Mic in' and CD Option'.

I have tried wiring the output back into the line is as suggested but I am still not getting any input to the software.

In addition, if I plug my iPod directly into the line in on my computer via the line in, it does not work.

The speaker output is working and the sound card is working because I have Skype set up and the microphone is working fine as well as the headset.

I have checked all the levels in the Windows Sound Preferences. Everything looks good.

Has anyone else had problems following the usual instructions for making these streaming audio recorders work? Any other workarounds available?

[Noyb]

Originally Posted by mset

I have tried wiring the output back into the line is as suggested but I am still not getting any input to the software.

With the output "split" back to the input .. It should work .. If you can hear the music in your speakers.
It's kinda tricky to get everything set up .. levels adjusted and make sure the line/mic input is not muted .. etc ..
Just got a new "Splitter" for my new computer.

You should be able to record from the line or mic input ... Are you saying Nothing works ???

[mset]

Originally Posted by Noyb

With the output "split" back to the input .. It should work .. If you can hear the music in your speakers.
It's kinda tricky to get everything set up .. levels adjusted and make sure the line/mic input is not muted .. etc ..
Just got a new "Splitter" for my new computer.

You should be able to record from the line or mic input ... Are you saying Nothing works ???

Hey Noyb, good to see you again. I have some experience in the recording studio so I know a bit about recording levels etc. I have made sure that all settings in Sound Manager are correct. I have the 1/8" inputs/outputs set up just as you described. I can hear the music in my speakers.

What I discovered late last night, though, is this. If I run the output of the speaker out into the Mic Input, what happens is that I can actually record the sound, but it is extremely faint.Now, I know it just seems like a gain structure issue at that point, and that I have to make sure that the levels are all optimized, in both the program and using Sound Manager with WIN XP. I have spent a few hours going over and over all the settings but there just aren't that many settings to go over.

And once again, the Line Input does not seem to be functional at all since I cannot get my iPod to play through it.

Any other hints with this new info?

[Mumbodog]

Control Panel > Sound

Go to the Recording Tab, right click in an empty part of the pane and tick "show disabled,disconnected devices"

If "Stereo Mix" shows up on the recording tab now, enable it, then do a properties on it and go to the Advanced Tab and tick both boxes in the "exclusive mode" section, hit OK, OK


Hopefully you can capture streaming audio now.

[Noyb]

Originally Posted by mset

...And once again, the Line Input does not seem to be functional at all since I cannot get my iPod to play through it...

There was a link on some Spam here this morning ... (It's gone now) .. but it mentioned that if all fails ... a new sound card is needed.
It was Spamming some iPod software.

I haven't had a chance to play with my newest computer much yet .. But I had to use the mic input for more (sufficient) recording gain using my newest Radio Shack Splitter.

I think it's a conspiracy by the RIAA, MPAA (and maybe the NRAA) and Ballmer n Company in an attempt to stop us from being able to do anything...
Since everything is now considered illegal.

I once tried to use Dragon Naturally Speaking in this computer .. and there's not enough mic gain for it to work accurately.
My best computer is 3 generations old now .. So much for Newer is Better.

[mset]

Originally Posted by Mumbodog

Control Panel > Sound

Go to the Recording Tab, right click in an empty part of the pane and tick "show disabled,disconnected devices"

If "Stereo Mix" shows up on the recording tab now, enable it, then do a properties on it and go to the Advanced Tab and tick both boxes in the "exclusive mode" section, hit OK, OK

Hey MB!

Okay... I went to my Control Panel, but in there I don't have an icon that just says 'Sound'. I have one that says 'Sound and Audio Devices'. When I click on that I get a dialog box that says 'Sound and Audio Devices Properties'. There are 5 tabs on this box - 'Volume--Sounds--Audio--Voice--Hardware'.

No tab that says 'Recording'. I swear I have seen that tab somewhere, though. I went through all the 5 tabs I can see but didn't find the recording area and didn't find the option to enable the Stereo Mix which is exactly what I want to do!

I do have an icon that says 'SoundMax' in Control Panels but it doesn't do anything when I click on it.

I am in Windows XP here.

Any further suggestions?

[mset]

Originally Posted by Noyb

I think it's a conspiracy by the RIAA, MPAA (and maybe the NRAA) and Ballmer n Company in an attempt to stop us from being able to do anything...
Since everything is now considered illegal.

I once tried to use Dragon Naturally Speaking in this computer .. and there's not enough mic gain for it to work accurately.
My best computer is 3 generations old .. So much for Newer is Better.

I don't doubt that it's M$FT. This machine is about two years old.The post above yours shows a way to enable the Stereo Mix capability but it doesn't work for me (no Recording Tab available).

Might be out of luck here. Thanks for your replies.

[Noyb]

Did you go to Options ... Properties ... and select the inputs .. to enable the recording options ??

EDIT .. had to change the attached picture

[Galleherjazz]

Thanks, everyone, for continuing this agonizing and (for a medium-level expertise user) confusing thread. This issue is not a SOUND CARD issue. I have experimented with additional sound cards, talking to technical people at my sound card technical support...it seems to be a VISTA lock-out.

The question remains: short of fooling with the inputs and outputs, is the software able to be changed, manipulated, tweeked to allow for streaming audio recording? When I write Ashampoo and Total Recorder, they act as if this isn't a big problem! But it is. Shame on Microsoft for locking us out of this capability!

Thanks for all of your input!