Sound recording problem

[Rebel1]

I installed a Sound Blaster Audigy Fx card and found that its Mixer
function shows record gain sliders for Line In and Mic, but not for
Stereo Mix (aka Record What I Hear). So I can only record (using Cool
Edit Pro 2.1) from these two external sources.

I right-clicked on the Speaker icon and chose Recording Devices. I again
right-clicked on the white space and checked Show Disabled Devices and
Show Disconnected Devices. Still, no Stereo Mix appeared.

I then removed the Sound Blaster and changed the BIOS to use the sound
controller on the mobo. Still no Stereo Mix.

I next downloaded and installed Realtek drivers. Still no Stereo Mix.

Device Manager shows various devices in the Audio Inputs and Outputs
grouping, but the Driver properties shows them from Microsoft, not
Realtek. Under the Sound, Video and Game grouping there is one entry:
High Definition Audio Device, again with the driver by Microsoft, not
Realtek.

If I use CCleaner's Uninstall function, it does list Realtek as
something it can uninstall, even though Device Manager doesn't show
Realtek anywhere.

Windows 8.1 Pro, 32 bits.

Thanks for you suggestions.

R1

 

[Flasherly]

On Sun, 04 May 2014 11:46:04 -0400, Rebel1 <[email protected]>
wrote:

Haven't a clue about SBlaster -- as I set up an ASUS Xonar PCI board
for its recording devices. Yes...it's widely regarded the garbage
path, going thru common computer sound equipment when doing
multitracking -- specifically for sound-on-sound recording (over
existing tracts). There *Can Not Be Any* latency issues, slop in
delayed timing, especially for vocals and singing in harmony.

I researched and found this item based on advice given after I called
and spoke with a pro. Bear in mind I was working with a vocalist and
he bought it. A perfectly valid point, although I play guitar, so his
issues are not perforce mine.

It's still a damn nice piece of gear. I got it up and running with
Cool Edit. (Poor bastard, took it home with him, but he's dumber than
a box of nails when it comes to technology and computers -- I should
have offered him $50 on the ProSonus. All my mixing, of course. Hell,
I even researched the damn thing down and then got it on a special
return item, half priced.)

http://www.amazon.com/
PreSonus-AudioBox-USB-Recording-Interface/dp/B00154KSA2

 

[Rebel1]

Flashery,

Your needs are more demanding than mine, so PreSonus is far more than I
need. All I'm tring to do is install Realtek drivers, hoping that it
will offer a Stereo Mix channel to Cool Edit.

Thanks,

R1

 

[Rebel1]

I just uninstalled the RealTek drivers using CCleaner. The same devices
listed before uninstalling RealTek still are listed. So even though
CCleaner had shown the RealTek drivers as being installed somewhere,
Device Manager couldn't find them. (I checked ALL the groupings in
Device Manager, including absurd possibilities like Keyboard, Display
Adapter, Monitor, etc.)

The RealTek driver I downloaded, from one of the US servers, is the
first one on the list here:
http://www.realtek.com/downloads/do...=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

R1

 

[Flasherly]

On Sun, 04 May 2014 12:38:39 -0400, Rebel1 <[email protected]>
wrote:

Yeah, I got Cool Edit going with the stereo in jack for the Asus Xonar
soundboard. SoundBlaster stuff, though it's been awhile since I owned
one, left me with an impression that they really lay it on thick when
it comes to a driver install -- or more along layers and suites of
sometimes unwarranted audio applications.

I'd suggest a fresh install at a bare driver minimum if that's
possible. Download the base driver resources or hunt around on the SB
resource CD for them.

Once the drivers take for the OS system to report its output sound
source, try and get Cool Edit then configured to recognize the board
for its input/record source. (You've probably already spotted that
portion in configuring Cool Edit -- believe it's also offered as a
part of the individual "track" menus, shows for an "armed" track's
source-in selection. I know with the PreSonus drivers, it could get
tricky -- I'd have both the PreSonus and Xonar offered -- with the
PreSonus drivers being thrown off, requiring a subsequent driver
install whenever an OS "anomally" occured. Basically get it working,
follow certain steps, and watch out if deviating from them.)

 

[John Doe]

I installed a Sound Blaster Audigy Fx card and found that its Mixer
function shows record gain sliders for Line In and Mic, but not for
Stereo Mix (aka Record What I Hear).

Have you been told somewhere that you are supposed to have stereo
recording control? Where?

 

[Rebel1]

Have you been told somewhere that you are supposed to have stereo
recording control? Where?

The previous card I had, an ASUS Xonar, offered it. It developed
something buggy in the mixer software, so I bought the Sound Blaster to
replace it.

I can't be 100% positive, but the Stereo Mix seems to be a software
issue. One post claimed that it was removed (or made hard to find) to
minimized copyright infringement from recording stuff from YouTube,
which I never had a problem doing with my previous card.

I'm puzzled as to why I can't get the RealTek drivers to register in
Device Manager. If I succeed in doing that, Stereo Mix may return. If
not, it probably is a hardware issue.

R1

 

[John Doe]

The previous card I had, an ASUS Xonar, offered it. It developed
something buggy in the mixer software, so I bought the Sound
Blaster to replace it.

I can't be 100% positive, but the Stereo Mix seems to be a
software issue. One post claimed that it was removed

And that's your basis for expecting it to be present?

Have you been told somewhere that you are supposed to have
stereo recording control? Where?

 

[Paul]

The previous card I had, an ASUS Xonar, offered it. It developed
something buggy in the mixer software, so I bought the Sound Blaster to
replace it.

I can't be 100% positive, but the Stereo Mix seems to be a software
issue. One post claimed that it was removed (or made hard to find) to
minimized copyright infringement from recording stuff from YouTube,
which I never had a problem doing with my previous card.

I'm puzzled as to why I can't get the RealTek drivers to register in
Device Manager. If I succeed in doing that, Stereo Mix may return. If
not, it probably is a hardware issue.

R1

OK, I just fixed mine, so I can share

There are three possibilities:

1) Stereo Mix enabled and present immediately.
This is something we'd see in an older OS, like WinXP SP3.

2) Windows 8 (Microsoft driver only).
A generic HDAudio label appears in Device Manager (devmgmt.msc)
Stereo Mix doesn't even exist for this one. Removed (Microsoft).

Microsoft installs this driver, if the manufacturer
doesn't submit one. Analog Devices tech support is "single
instance", and they generally only give out drivers when a
motherboard maker pays for them (i.e. buy some of our chips,
get a driver with it). Once a chip is no longer being soldered
to new motherboards, there is no path for updates. Normally, I
would chase around the net until I found one (Dell), but none
are visible this time. Just scam sites.

3) Windows 8 (Manufacturer driver).
This is a branded driver. Shows SoundMax in Device Manager.
Stereo Mix exists but is disabled by default.
Using the speaker icon (lower right corner of screen) and
select Recording Devices, you can probably find the control.
In there, adjust the tick boxes on "disabled devices" or "hidden
devices". If you're lucky, a Stereo Mix shows up.
Go back to your audio application, restart it, and test.

The situation was a little tricky for me. I have a Soundmax 1988B
HDaudio chip. It showed the generic HDAudio entry in Device Manager.
So I go to the manufacturer site (Asus), and there is no Windows 8
driver. There is a Windows 7 driver, but upon examination internally,
it is actually a Vista driver.

So I do a backup of C: first, and forge ahead.

From past experience on these, I don't click the "Setup.exe" type
thing. Reason for doing that, is an "OS filter" may be present. It
might check, see Windows 8, and stop the install. Instead, I head
to the AMD64 folder (64 bit driver stash). It has a nice INF file,
plus the actual DLL style files that are part of the install. Now,
this doesn't always work, but you try it anyway. (RealTek has 20 or 30
INF files in their folder, so this step is not for the faint hearted.)
I right click the INF that looks like it is for me
(198B VEN/DEV visible) and select "Install" from the
right click context menu.

Windows 8 finishes quickly, and asks me if I want to reboot.
I eventually reboot.

Now, when Windows 8 comes back and I've logged in, I head to the
speaker icon in the corner, select "Recording Devices", make sure
the hidden and disabled bits are turned off, and I got a Stereo Mix
out of it.

I haven't tested it. I already tested Audacity a while back,
and even using Compatibility Mode for the .exe, I wasn't making
any progress. So even with this "fix" visible, you may not be
completely done with the thing. Audacity may give you grief.
But I've been through that on other OSes, so this is more
or less standard for Audacity.

So even a Vista driver might work for you.

Have fun,
Paul

 

[Rebel1]

The previous card I had, an ASUS Xonar, offered it. It developed
something buggy in the mixer software, so I bought the Sound Blaster to
replace it.

I can't be 100% positive, but the Stereo Mix seems to be a software
issue. One post claimed that it was removed (or made hard to find) to
minimized copyright infringement from recording stuff from YouTube,
which I never had a problem doing with my previous card.

I'm puzzled as to why I can't get the RealTek drivers to register in
Device Manager. If I succeed in doing that, Stereo Mix may return. If
not, it probably is a hardware issue.

R1

I somehow got the Realtek drivers installed, and a Stereo Mix appeared
when I right-clicked the speaker icon and chose Recording Devices.
Problem is, the Sound Blaster FX Control Panel said something like it
couldn't find a device (or something to that effect) and the mixer
function wasn't even shown. So I reinstalled the SB drivers and lost the
Stereo Mix, but at least the Control Panel is working. I'll try Paul's
suggestions tomorrow.

R1