Stereo mixer cannot be found

[John Gray]

This is just a very faint hope, because I haven't been able to get anywhere with the matter, except to install new software.

I am running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit on a box which has an nVidia GT220 graphics card, and whose drivers, curiously, also provide Sound (in Device Manager, 1 x High definition Audio Device and 4 x nVidia High Definition Audio entries)).

The sound works fine through the speakers, but I am unable to find a Stereo Mixer to use in Audacity (all the input devices flat-line, and thus nothing can be recorded from the BBC Radio iPlayer). I've done all the Sound -> Recording tab -> right click in blank area and tick in front of Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices, but no Stereo Mixer shows up. And yes, I have downloaded and installed the latest nVidia drivers.

The only way I can get recording to work is to use Freecorder (many annoying features in this product) or i-Sound Recorder for Windows 7 or Virtual Audio Cable, or there is a hardware bodge with a splitter and a link back from one half of the splitter back to the microphone socket.

I'm just interested if anyone has encountered this problem, or knows of a better way to get Audacity to work?

[Hey Jude]

Have you made changes in Audacity's Preferences. In Audacity, click on Edit > Preferences and select the Audio I/O tab. Under both the Playback and Recording fields, use the drop down menus to select your audio card, not the respective Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output and Input choices.

I found my other saved instructions from another forum:


"Audacity installs slightly different according to your sound card so the features may be slightly different on your computer.

In Audacity look near the center of the tool bar and you should see a drop down with "Stereo Mix, Mic Volume, and Line Volume". Select either Stereo Mix or Mic Volume, depending on which works. Next go to Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O and beside Channels make sure it is 2 (Stereo)."

[John Gray]

Thanks, Ms Jude, but I've been through every single option in Edit -> Preferences -> Devices, in all combinations...

[Hey Jude]

Thanks, Ms Jude, but I've been through every single option in Edit -> Preferences -> Devices, in all combinations...

I'm using 1.3.12 Beta. Do you see Stereo Mix option because the stereo mixer is built in. Weird.

Edit: I heard from my friend and this is his suggestion:

"It's probably an issue with the combined video and audio on board. I have the Nvidia video but separate audio by Realtek.

Only thing I can think of that might resolve the situation is to buy a sound card and disable the on board stuff. I did something similar when my on board ethernet went bad. Bought a Linksys ethernet card and problem solved."

[JoeP]

According to How to enable stereo mixer, sometimes you have to revert to Vista drivers.

Joe

[John Gray]

Thanks, both - I think that this may be a 'function' of the motherboard/drivers to prevent the Stereo Mixer being displayed. The only (cheap!) way round it seems to be a program (such as those I have suggested previously) to acquire the sound via the 'internal speaker output' (if you see what I mean!). The advantage of Audacity was being able to top and tail a recording...

[Hey Jude]

There is an Audacity forum where you can directly post your question
Audacity forum
Web Of Trust gives this a green rating.

[Hey Jude]

It sounds like you have exhausted the options available i.e.

"...Be aware that on some machines, the "Stereo Mix" option will never work because it is disabled internally by the driver settings due to copyright concerns. This is a known issue with Lenovo Thinkpad laptops, but sometimes editing the driver files can enable stereo mix.

If all else fails, you can connect a cable from the line-out (green) port of the computer to the line-in (blue), and choose the line-in as recording source. If you need to hear what you're recording, you can buy a single stereo to double stereo adaptor that will give you a spare jack to plug the speakers into. Alternatively, try Freecorder 3.0 which is a virtual sound driver distinct from your sound device. It installs as a browser plug-in. Note that later versions of Freecorder from the manufacturer's site do not record to WAV, forcing you to record to the lossy MP3 format. Or buy an external USB sound card, which normally offer a "stereo mix" type of option, such as the Trust Sound Expert External...."
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Mixer ... trol_Panel