Windows 7: Audacity - Unable to record

Since I have started using Windows 7 I can no longer record radio shows, etc from my PC using Audacity, (or anything else for that matter!)

Previously this was a simple matter of opening Audacity, making sure the correct input was being used and pressing the record button.

When I right click the speaker icon in the taskbar and open "Recording Devices" I see two Microphones and one CD Audio, nothing else.



I have read, elsewhere, conflicting reports about Microsoft bowing to pressure and making direct recording no longer possible. Is this the problem or is it something else?

Audacity is my application of choice for recording and editing and I would like to stick with it if I can.

Any advice/ideas/comments?

Are you using an on-board sound card? It might be your hardware. I have an external m-audio sound card and audacity with no problems recording live or anything else.

Thanks. That's interesting. I am using the soundcard installed on my laptop but the problem only arose with the installation of Windows 7.

At least I now know that Audacity should be able to record properly.

I believe you may be the victim of the default Driver problem,

It is unfortunately not unknown for the out of box drivers for hardware to be without some functionality that is available with the customized drivers provided by the manufacturers.

This is often the case with sound cards, (and on-board chips), where the basic driver supplied to Microsoft for inclusion in the box or on Windows update, is without the "what you hear" type of recording input.

The only thing I can suggest is that you search for a driver from the motherboard manufacturer or chip supplier that provides this functionality. This may actually mean going to a Vista driver rather than the Windows 7 one as most manufacturers will not be issuing Windows 7 drivers directly until RTM if at all. (we all remember the Creative fiasco with Vista )

Yeah i agree with barman. When i was testing 7 on my laptop a few weeks ago i had some major sound problems. I was lucky enough to get an update through windows 7 updates which made everything run hundreds. On top of that i also installed ASIO4ALL to get rid of latency and alot of 'clicks' and 'pops' with recording audio in cubase and midi reason. A bit off topic but yeah

As I'm not really sure where to start looking for the relevant driver(s) and as everything worked just fine before I installed Windows 7, I may as well revert back to XP.

There is a simple solution to this

Open Control Panel and click Sound
Click the Recording tab
In the white area right-click and tick Show Disabled Devices
Stereo Mix appears
Right-click and enable it
Restart Audacity

I tried this and when I check "Show Disabled Devices," I don't see Stereo Mix (see http://stevesideas-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/Capture.JPG) - what am I doing wrong?

You're probably doing nothing wrong. I've since been unable to do this on another computer.
Hopefully the people who make Audacity will find a way.

If your Laptop has a Line out (headphone) and a separate Line/Mic in ...
And you can record from Line/Mike in ... (I can't tell from the HP specs ???) ..

Then you should be able to wire around ( Line out >> Line in) ....
With one of These .. and record what you're playing...
Until you can find a working driver with Stereo mix.

You will Not be able to use the internal speakers to monitor the audio ...
They will probably be shut off when you plug into Headphone out.