How do I capture system audio (the sound that comes out of my speakers)?

Transcription

1 How do I capture system audio (the sound that comes out of my speakers)? First load the song you want to audio captured. The song can be from the MIDI file you loaded with the Table Rock Sound software, from YouTube s web site or from audio player application in your computer. Have that application ready to play but don t start it yet. From TRSGuitar program select File menu and select Capture audio option. The screen below shows the option. In Audio Capture window select the option that says playback. Different sound card will show different names. The screen below shows the available options in some Windows Vista computers. The playback.. option would allow you to capture the sound directly from internal sound system.

2 Click the button on the Output file field and type the name of the audio file you want to save the audio (e.g., Test_Audio_Capture in this example) and then click the Save button. The screen below shows an example:

3 After you clicked the Save button the output file will be set with the proper file extension as shown below:

4 Click the Start Capture button and go to the other application (e.g., TRSGuitar main screen, YouTube, etc.) and start to play the song. For TRSGuitar, if you already loaded the song just click the Play button in the bottom of the main screen. While the song is playing in the back ground go back to the Audio Capture window. Notice that the Start Capture button now shows Stop Capture. After you complete recording click the Stop Capture. You can test your recorded audio by clicking the Play button. You can locate the file and run it with Windows Media Player or any other audio player. There is no playback option shown in the audio device!

5 You don t see playback audio device option in the Audio Device drop-down menu. You can t record the system sound. Well, there is still hope. Before we venture into troubleshooting, let us first consider the following challenges we ll try to overcome. By default, Windows is set to record your internal microphone, or a microphone attached to your sound card. If you want to record from something other than your internal microphone, you may need to try additional changes in your Windows Control Panel to record from alternative audio sources or devices. This feature is different for different Windows versions and it may not work at all. This document does not explain this how to change Windows s audio settings. You ll have consult Windows s operating manual. Not all computers record system audio in the same manner. There are numerous sound cards with a range of capabilities and limitations as well as a large difference between the way Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 handles system sound. It s possible your computer (sound card, specifically) is simply not capable of recording system audio, in which case we offer some less-than-ideal workarounds, or you may wish to purchase a new sound card or buy a USB audio mixer. Try "Looping" a Patch Cable More a work-around than a true solution, this method might work well enough to suit your needs. One good thing about this work-around is that it s somewhat less technical than trying to install a new sound card or going through a mixer. The basic idea is to trick your computer by running a cable from your headphone/speaker (audio out) port directly into the Line in (audio in) port. Note: Vista users, make sure your cable is plugged in so it can be detected and you still have to make sure your line in port is enabled. What is this mysterious cable and where can you get one? Many electronic component stores will have them for around $5. You can also enter, 3.5mm stereo cable into your favorite online shopping site. Be sure to get a male to male cable.

6 There are a couple downsides to this workaround. The first downside is that since the sound is going directly from your headphone/speaker, you can t hear it!. The second downside is the audio quality may not be as good as if you could record it directly from your sound card. However, depending on your needs, you may not even notice or care. Here s what it the cable looks like with the computer:

7 You can add one more level of workaround trickery by adding a 3.5mm splitter (one 3.5mm male, two 3.5mm female). These are also very inexpensive and allow you to split the headphone/speaker port into two outputs. You can sometime find these splitters in the MP3 player/ipod section of your electronics store as they allow two people to listen to the same device. Using this method put the splitter into the headphones/speaker port. Then plug your headphones into one of the female ports. Take your patch cable and connect the other female end to the Line in port on your computer. Now the good news is that you can hear the system audio so you can achieve precision. The bad news is that audio quality will probably degrade.

8 Record System Sound Using Microphone and Ambient Volume By far the simplest, least technical (and likely lowest quality) solution is to attempt to position a microphone in such a way to capture your system audio as it comes out of your speakers. Needless to say, quality will never be great, and will vary drastically by the type of speakers and recording environment. Here are some tips: Position your microphone about 12 inches away at the midway point between your computer's stereo speakers. Test the recording level, and then adjust the speaker volume as necessary. It is important to note, with this option any noise present in the room will also be recorded. Buy a New Sound Card or Purchase an Audio Mixer Be aware that prices and functionality vary dramatically. The main purpose of this section is to raise awareness that A.) Your computer (sound card specifically) may not be able to record system audio. This is especially common with Windows Vista. B.) If you are unable to record system audio and want high-quality recordings, you may want to make the investment in one of the following solutions a new sound card, or audio mixer. An audio mixer may sound expensive and intimidating, and like many things, prices vary dramatically ($50 hundreds of dollars). Advantages include the ability to use the mixer with any number of computers, getting a high level of control, great audio quality, and peace of mind that you won t have to struggle with a multitude of sound card settings, drivers etc. USB mixers are generally preferred, but analog is fine too. Here s a picture of a cable that might be used with an analogue mixer. The 3.5mm male end of the cable is plugged into the sound card s audio out (headphone/speaker) port. The other ends are left and right speaker audio that go into the mixer. You'll need another cable to go from the mixer back into your computer s Line in port.

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