Recording from an internal PC Sound Card

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 6 Jan 2009 7:43 am

Hi folks:

I rarely go here, so this subject may have come up before.

Can you plug a recording device from the output on your sound card such as an Ipod or other record? What I'm after is if I'm listening to something on my computer through the speakers can that sound be recorded?
Sometimes I hear a song that is being streamed that I would like to hear again by recording it.

Thanks a bunch.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 6 Jan 2009 8:52 am

Yes.. a head phone out would work, you will probably have to adjust the input and or output level.
There are probably more advanced methods for internal recording with just the computer.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 6 Jan 2009 10:22 am

You can run the output of your sound card into just about any tape or digital recorder. An iPod isn't a recorder, though. It's a digital music player. It accepts music files from the computer.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 6 Jan 2009 2:46 pm

If your PC's sound card has the "What You Hear" (System Mixer) option you can record streaming audio directly on the PC using a program such as the free Audacity recording program.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

If you don't have that option then you can output using the speaker jack output (or Line out if the PC has that or using the front panel Headphone jack if the PC has that) to an external recorder.

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 7 Jan 2009 6:30 am

Thanks for the clarification from each of you. I don't have an Ipod and wasn't aware as to how it works. Another question: is it possible to record an incoming stream to your hard drive? If I could get it to the hard drive, I could then put on a recording device only the songs I wanted to hear again. Thanks for your input.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 7 Jan 2009 8:36 am

Recording to the hard drive was what I was referring to in reference to having the What You Hear option and using a recording program such as Audacity (which will allow you to record and save to the hard drive).

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 7 Jan 2009 10:47 am

My Dell has this 'record streaming music to hard drive' feature locked out somehow, maybe it's the Dell driver or the proprietary sound-on-motherboard? Whatever...I've tried to find some way to make it work but never did. Searching the web it seems this is just 'the way it is' with a Dell, they do it on purpose. If somebody has a workaround I'd like to know about it. For now, I use a Presonus FirePod and route the audio out from the Dell back into the interface. That works, but is a real PIA, not to mention you hit the converters twice that way, once going out, and again coming back in.

My HP laptop on the other hand, works just as Jack describes with Audacity. You just select the waveout or whatever it's called as the input in Audacity and you're done.

I'm mad enough about the situation with the Dell (it's a desktop in this case, but I think it's true of all Dell PCs) to keep me from buying another one.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 7 Jan 2009 11:24 am

Bill, it's not just Dell. Other vendors have the same issues with some models. Also, in Vista SoundBlaster only supports the What You Hear on certain models of their sound cards, not all of them.

On the Dell forum, users have tried drivers from other vendors and they either did not work or install or did not work correctly, they had to go back to the OEM Dell drivers. I'm deeply involved with support on the Dell users forum, so I'm up on what is happening. Many have installed a PCI sound card to get the What You Hear, such as the SoundBlaster Audigy SE ($30 at Wal-Mart), however if you are installing it on a Vista system you must use the 1.04.0065 driver to get the What You Hear (there is a later 1.04.0077 driver but it does not have the What You Hear). One other issue with a Dell (and maybe others) with installing a PCI sound card, you lose the front panel headphone/mic jack connections as Dell uses a custom (and undocumented) connector to the motherboard for the power switch, audio connections, etc and there is no cable available to connect to the PCI card.

On SOME systems, you can enable the What You Hear function by going to Control Panel/Sounds/Recording and RIGHT click in a blank area of the panel and select show disabled devices. If the What You Hear is there and you "show" it, right click on the icon for What You Hear and then click enable. This only works on some models/systems but it's worth a try.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 7 Jan 2009 11:32 am

Thanks Jack.. I found that info you mentioned on the Dell User Group forum, and went through the driver hassle, never worked for me either.

I could buy another soundcard, but it just makes me mad to have to spend more money. Apparently Dell has some agreement with somebody to disable that feature for some reason? I didn't get the details, but I assume it's somehow tied to copyright protection of recorded material?

Thanks for the suggestion on looking for disabled devices, but it sounds familiar and I think I already tried it. I'll look again. BTW, if you're closely coupled with DELL, tell them I'm mad!!!!

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 7 Jan 2009 4:58 pm

I don't work for Dell, just one of the "user experts" on the Dell users forum (but Dell does reward us (about a dozen "VIP experts" with premiums at times - I got a nice Kodak digital camera one time, a Werner watch last year and several other items over the last 6 years). As I said it's not just Dell, I installed a new HP desktop for a local forumite a couple of months ago and as shipped it did not have the What You Hear (but it was one that could be enabled with the procedure I mentioned). I've also seen posts about this on other brands. "DRM" (Digital Rights Management) may have something to do with this.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 7 Jan 2009 10:45 pm

What is this "What You Hear" thing. I have a Dell, and I use Polderbits and record to it (to my hard drive) from anything that is playing on my sound card.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 8 Jan 2009 3:13 am

Richard, some of the new systems with Vista (and some with XP) from Dell and other PC vendors do not have the capability to record audio from the internet (generally referred to as streaming audio) with the Integrated (on the motherboard) audio systems such as "Sigma-Tel" (which is now named IDT as that company bought them last year). Also some models of the SoundBlaster sound cards do not have the what you hear capability in Vista. I don't know about other brands of add on sound cards as the SoundBlaster line probably has 99% of the sound card business (and all other brands are soundblaster compatible).

The ability to do this is referred to as "What you hear" (what you hear on your PC's speakers) and sometimes as "System Mixer" - sometimes depends on the sound vendor (SoundBlaster calls it what you hear).

It has nothing to do with the recording programs such as Polderbits, Audacity, etc.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 8 Jan 2009 5:24 am

This question came up a few months ago just after I bought my new HP with Vista.
It would not record what I was hearing.
Jack Stoner gave me a proceedure he got off the Dell Forum and I tried it.
It just happened to work for me

Try it. It may or may not work for you.
Open Control Panel
Then Hardware & Sound
Click to open sound
Then click open Recording.
Click on Line In, DigitalIn & Stereo Mix, Also Mike if you use one.
They should all read working now.
Then exit out of control panel and you should now be able to record "What you hear".

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 8 Jan 2009 2:11 pm

Don, that procedure I sent you (and outlined on this thread) does not work for all Vista systems. You were lucky that the HP had the option that was available and could be enabled.

EDIT/ADDED: The procedure I've posted on this thread, and the same as I sent Don, I got from a user post on the Dell users support forum on how they got it enabled on their Dell desktop.

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 9 Jan 2009 7:22 am

Jack is absolutley right. He did give me the above directions.
It may have worked for me on my HP. I was lucky.
The above method is only a guide and you may have to follow a different method for your system.
Jack has helped me more times than I can remember to get me out of jams on my computer.
Thank you Jack.
Don

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 9 Jan 2009 9:04 pm

I have Windows XP and a Realtek AC 97 sound card. How do I open up the "what you hear" feature on this setup?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 10 Jan 2009 3:12 am

The same procedure as I listed should work, if it has the What You Hear (system mixer) capability. Usually that model already has it enabled.

Check the Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices and see if it's listed.

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 11 Jan 2009 1:22 pm

I can't seem to get beyond sounds/speech/audio devices. I cannot find any options for recording.
What am I doing wrong?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 11 Jan 2009 3:32 pm

I don't currently have a Windows XP system and I don't remember exactly how the Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices panels are configured. On Vista there is a tab for Recording, and I don't remember if XP has that too. Maybe someone with XP can chime in on that panels configuration.

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 13 Jan 2009 7:31 pm

Can anyone help me with Windows XP???

Michael Haselman · Post by **Michael Haselman** » 16 Jan 2009 12:16 pm

I'm not at my home computer, so I can't help, Doug. But I would recommend to you or anyone else to spend about 30 bucks on a Soundblaster Audigy sound card and your problems would be solved. Piece-o-cake to install and much better than the Windows sound that comes with most Dell and other OEMs.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 16 Jan 2009 12:25 pm

The $30 sound card Michael is referring to is a SoundBlaster Audigy SE, PCI sound card. It is XP and Vista compatible. Wal Mart was even selling this card, the last time I looked.

This sound card also gives you Hardware MIDI Synth's and if you use Band in a Box or some other program that uses MIDI, the hardware synth's (I use the A synth on a SoundBlaster) are much better than the puny Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth and on a par or better than the software Roland VS33 MIDI synths. And as they are "hardware" MIDI Synths you can eliminate loading another software program like the Roland VS33.

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 17 Jan 2009 6:05 am

Are you saying the Realtek AC97 sound card I have does not have this feature or will not work? It is a PCI card and sits in the 0 slot. How can I find disabled devices on my Windows XP?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 17 Jan 2009 7:45 am

The Realtek AC97 is just a module on the motherboard (Integrated Audio), it is not a separate sound card.
Same way with those that have SigmaTel audio, it is the same type - Integrated Audio on the motherbord.

Whether it has the What You Hear function depends on how the PC vendor implemented the hardware and software. That module has that capability but if the PC vendor decided not to enable that function you can't get it. Sometimes you can use different drivers, other than what the PC vendor provides and get the function, but also many times drivers from some other source (other than the PC vendor) will either not work or work correctly.

Doug Rolfe · Post by **Doug Rolfe** » 17 Jan 2009 7:49 am

Thanks Jack for the input. This computer is from HP. So it appears that they have not included the what you hear feature. I appreciate the info. I'm not sure what I'll do yet. If I decide to try other drivers, what would be the options and where would I find them?