Recording audio from your computer

[jute gyte]

Can someone tell me how to record audio that is playing on my computer? It seems bizarrely difficult to accomplish, and my first instinct is to distrust the programs that come up during a Google search.

[JonPorobil]

Used to be Windows had a way to set up your output as your input device. I haven't had access to a feature like that, though, since my old desktop died back in 2004. Nowadays, whenever I need to do this, I just run a 1/8" cord from my speaker output to my mic input, like a patch cable. If you don't have one, they're like $2 for a three-inch cord at RadioShack.

[pegor]

download audacity. It does what you want without messing around with loopback sorta stuff. Thats why so many podcasters use it ( I think).

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

[irwin]

I use Jack on OSX. It allows you to internally route the output of one program to the input of another. You can then use your favorite recording program to capture and edit.

http://jackaudio.org/

Looks like there's a Windows port also.

[HeuristicsInc]

Partly this depends on your soundcard - my desktop's soundcard has a means to record that, I use it all the time. I bet M$ disabled the old Windows method on the behest of RIAA.
-bill

[JonPorobil]

I bet M$ disabled the old Windows method on the behest of RIAA.
-bill

Which is so silly, considering how easy it is to work around (see every post above yours).

But yeah.

[Hoblit]

You should be able to go to your windows mixer/sound control > options > properties > recording (sometimes you first have to use a drop down if applicable to select your input DEVICE) >

You should have a list of inputs in the dialog below. Check anything that isn't checked and then click OK >

Here you should SEE all those inputs much like you would see the outputs when you first clicked on the windows mixer/sound control

SOME sound cards have a 'select' box for each 'input'. While other automatically select ALL of them and you have to use the 'mute' control to NOT record that particular input.

You want to select 'wav'

I apologize if this seems so remedial that I must have missed something. I just wanted to make sure that you had this covered and if not...its really this easy.

[jute gyte]

Hoblit, that method simply doesn't work on this computer, for reasons about which HeuristicsInc hypothesized above. I think Audacity might be the ticket here, though. Thanks for the help, guys!

[ujnhunter]

hrmm where in audacity is this? also... can anyone compile Jack for Windows? the site says it works for Windows but doesn't offer a download of it.

edit: i think i found a windows compile at http://www.grame.fr/~letz/jackdmp.html

[pegor]

hrmm where in audacity is this?

For me on my win xp pro, and on my home windows media PC it works this way by default. If I open up Audacity and hit record -then play an itunes song - then play a youtube vid - the audio from those two sources ends up in the audacity track.

ymmv

[signboy]

For the record, I've never had loopback issues with the cable in/out method. It seems pretty tongue in cheek, but it has worked fine on 3 computers (all with onboard sound) even though it has no right to.

[Rinkydink]

goldwave can do this

in the 'window' menu choose 'classic control'

in the control box that pops up click on the button with the radio button and checkbox on it

click on the 'volume' tab and set 'volume device' to your soundcard output

hit record then hit play on what you want to record