Windows 7 - Record "what you hear"

Benway · 05-11-2009

It seams in windows 7 I can no longer "record what you hear". I boot over to XP and I have this functionality (SoundBlaster Live!) but not in Windows 7. I've searched through the myriad of dialog boxes and settings that I now have to go through, but find nothing. I hope this isn't more of MS's DRM watchdog approach to assuming everyone is a thief. I'm a musician and this really hampers my working environment.

Anyone run across this and any fixes? Any official word from MS?

-b

**jfar** · 05-11-2009

Hi Benway,have you tried,Start/All Programs/Accessories/Sound Recorder.

**happinessiseasy** · 05-11-2009

I have this same problem. Is there no way to record "What You Hear" or "Master Volume Balance" with another program?

I used to sequence MIDI in Cakewalk, and then start up Adobe Audition, hit record, and then play the MIDI file (thus converting it to a WAV file for manipulation).

Is the only way to do this through SoundRecorder now? If so... ugh.

Benway · 05-11-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by jfar

Hi Benway,have you tried,Start/All Programs/Accessories/Sound Recorder.

Yeah, that only records about 60 seconds or so. The functionality that was/is in XP is no longer in Windows 7. I read in over at Sound Issues
it may be drivers provided by MS, so I'll look into that...

**jfar** · 05-11-2009

Ok,sorry it did not do as you thought it would.

torrentg · 05-11-2009

To do what you guys are doing, Sony Sound Forge 9.0e or Cool Edit Pro will work a treat.

Cakewalk should work well too. All depends on your hardware, how you've got it setup and which input you choose to record.

On my downstairs pc with onboard audio (as opposed to my main machine with MOTU Traveler), all I need to do is fire up Sound Forge, play anything I want to record like from a website, and record.

**7NaMeK7** · 05-11-2009

There is also a free program who do it very well, it's Audacity : Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder

**happinessiseasy** · 05-12-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by torrentg

To do what you guys are doing, Sony Sound Forge 9.0e or Cool Edit Pro will work a treat.

Cakewalk should work well too. All depends on your hardware, how you've got it setup and which input you choose to record.

On my downstairs pc with onboard audio (as opposed to my main machine with MOTU Traveler), all I need to do is fire up Sound Forge, play anything I want to record like from a website, and record.

The problem is there is no device to record from. Windows has apparently gotten rid of the Master Balance as a recording device. I don't see it as an option, even in the Audio Mixer.

noyb · 05-12-2009

I can't get Audacity to record what I'm playing ... internally.

But using this adapter to wire line out > line in > speakers works ...
6-Inch Stereo Y-Adapter, 1/8" Jack to 1/8" Plugs - RadioShack.com

**happinessiseasy** · 05-12-2009

That way you can only record mono, and the quality degrades because you're converting from digital to analog, then back to digital again, and adding any line noise and interference the adapter and cords introduce.

There's no reason we should have to resort to such a workaround.