Does anyone have advice for using an external sound card?

[Spritsailor]

I was thinking of trying one to see if the sound garbling problem I experience would be alleviated with an external sound card.

 

[fireberd]

Depends on what the "sound garbling" problem actually is.

Can you elaborate a little more on what "sound garbling" problem you have?

One comment, what sound driver are you using? As you have a Toshiba, the Toshiba provided sound driver should be used. Non vendor sound drivers, in many cases, can either not work or not work correctly.

 

[Spritsailor]

Depends on what the "sound garbling" problem actually is.

Can you elaborate a little more on what "sound garbling" problem you have?

One comment, what sound driver are you using? As you have a Toshiba, the Toshiba provided sound driver should be used. Non vendor sound drivers, in many cases, can either not work or not work correctly.

The recorded music sounds perfect for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, then sounds like it's underwater and never recovers. Doesn't matter if the sound recorder that came with my computer is used or the Roxio program......the source doesn't matter......can be a microphone, youtube from my Galaxy or an external mudic recorder.

 

[fireberd]

Do you have the correct Toshiba sound driver, as I mentioned?

Also what other programs do you have running? Anything such as skype or some other program that also uses audio?


(Did you get an snow from the storm? My wife is from the south of Clarksburg).

 

[Spritsailor]

Do you have the correct Toshiba sound driver, as I mentioned?

Also what other programs do you have running? Anything such as skype or some other program that also uses audio?


(Did you get an snow from the storm? My wife is from the south of Clarksburg).

I have the sound card and everything else that came with the computer. It's all factory equipment. I haven't downloaded Skype. No other program uses audio. From what I gather, the "sound card" is part of the processor.

Where I live in Parkersburg we didn't get any snow, except for a few flakes. Elkins got pounded and the power went out with two feet of snow there. Clarksburg made it through with alot of rain.

 

[fireberd]

The sound "card" is an IC chip on the motherboard, its not part of the CPU.

Go to the Device Manager and display the sound device. It should be the actual hardware device, such as RealTek, IDT, VIA, etc. If it says "HD Audio Codec" that indicates the generic Windows installed sound driver and that could be the problem. If this is the case you will have to get the correct Toshiba supplied sound driver and install that, as a first step.


If its listed as the correct device in the Device Manager, RIGHT click on the entry for the sound device to highlight it and then LEFT click "Uninstall". DO NOT check the box to also uninstall the drivers. Then restart the PC and when Windows starts it will detect and reinstall the sound. This fixes a lot of flakey problems.

Thanks for the update on Clarksburg area.

 

[Spritsailor]

The sound "card" is an IC chip on the motherboard, its not part of the CPU.

Go to the Device Manager and display the sound device. It should be the actual hardware device, such as RealTek, IDT, VIA, etc. If it says "HD Audio Codec" that indicates the generic Windows installed sound driver and that could be the problem. If this is the case you will have to get the correct Toshiba supplied sound driver and install that, as a first step.


If its listed as the correct device in the Device Manager, RIGHT click on the entry for the sound device to highlight it and then LEFT click "Uninstall". DO NOT check the box to also uninstall the drivers. Then restart the PC and when Windows starts it will detect and reinstall the sound. This fixes a lot of flakey problems.

Thanks for the update on Clarksburg area.

Mine says "Conexant SmartAudio HD" and "Intel(R) Display Audio". Should I proceed with the uninstall?

 

[fireberd]

The Conexant is the PC audio, you can do the uninstall on it, The Intel display audio is for HDMI audio.

 

[Spritsailor]

The Conexant is the PC audio, you can do the uninstall on it, The Intel display audio is for HDMI audio.

I just tried it and my computer told me it reinstalled the sound card. I recorded music at various volumes and got the same result, except now the recorded music sounds muddled and under water the entire time, not that it makes any difference!

 

[fireberd]

Do you have any "Sound Enhancements" enabled. My RealTek and many others have some options for enhancements such as echo, reverb, chorus.

"Recorded music" is bad. What happens if you play a commercial audio CD? Or some other audio from the internet?

Also, what program are you using to record, and what are you recording?

 

[Spritsailor]

Do you have any "Sound Enhancements" enabled. My RealTek and many others have some options for enhancements such as echo, reverb, chorus.

"Recorded music" is bad. What happens if you play a commercial audio CD? Or some other audio from the internet?

Also, what program are you using to record, and what are you recording?

There are no sound enhancements that I am aware of. If I just listen to music it sounds perfect. When I try recording on this Toshiba Satellite with the "sound recorder" or another program like Roxio it gets garbled. That same Roxio program on my old computer recorded beautifully. I am recording music from either Youtube or my Zoom recorder I use to record live music. Played through my stereo that Zoom sounds perfect. When I record it on my computer it gets garbled.

 

[fireberd]

OK. So its just recorded music that is bad.

In the Sound Panel, Recording section. You should have Stereo Mix or System Mixer (both are the same). Doubleclick on that and it will bring up the Stereo Mix (or whatever yours is called) panel. In mine there is an enhancements tab (section) that enhancements can be enabled or disabled. Check yours to see if there is something there.

 

[Spritsailor]

OK. So its just recorded music that is bad.

In the Sound Panel, Recording section. You should have Stereo Mix or System Mixer (both are the same). Doubleclick on that and it will bring up the Stereo Mix (or whatever yours is called) panel. In mine there is an enhancements tab (section) that enhancements can be enabled or disabled. Check yours to see if there is something there.

There is only a Stereo Mixer on the Playback. There is no Stereo Mixer on the Recording Section. The only thing I get when I click on the microphone in that section is a way to configure the speech recognition stuff. I did click on properties and see that there is a Microphone Boost in that section. I turned down the microphone boost from 24 dB to 12 dB.

 

[Spritsailor]

I tried recording again with the Microphone boost down and this time it came out crystal clear for 25 seconds, then sounded underwater/garbled again.

 

[fireberd]

There should not be a Stereo Mixer on the Playback. If there is there is a major problem. The Default Playback device should be set to your "Speakers" (the Connexant integrated audio device). However, you should have Stereo Mixer in the Recording section. Bring up the Sound panel/Recording section and then RIGHT click in an empty space in the panel and then check the boxes to show disabled devices and disabled devices. If the Stero Mixer is now shown, enable it and make it the default recording device.

 

[Spritsailor]

There should not be a Stereo Mixer on the Playback. If there is there is a major problem. The Default Playback device should be set to your "Speakers" (the Connexant integrated audio device). However, you should have Stereo Mixer in the Recording section. Bring up the Sound panel/Recording section and then RIGHT click in an empty space in the panel and then check the boxes to show disabled devices and disabled devices. If the Stero Mixer is now shown, enable it and make it the default recording device.

I have it up now....the choices in recording section properties is General, which says it's working normally, Listen, which is set to "default playback device" with "speakers conexant smartaudio HD" as an alternative. It's set on "default playback device". Levels where the mic and boost are located and Advanced where I see there is an "audio enhancements" box that is checked. NO stereo options in the Recording section.

 

[fireberd]

Here is what I have for the Playback and Recording panels. You should have something close to these.

 

[Spritsailor]

Here is what I have for the Playback and Recording panels. You should have something close to these.

All I have on mine are speakers and microphone. No realtek or stereo mix.

 

[fireberd]

This appears to be the sound download for your model. Suggest you download and install it, even if its the same driver that you have.

Conexant driver 8.51.1.0a

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...4210&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663

 

[boohbah]

Right click an area of the sound/record window and select show hidden or disabled items ,
I'm using my phone to post so I can't give you the exact terms ,but you should see similar when you right click,