How can I get Stereo Mix functionality?

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:17 pm

Ok, well wow... Apparently I'm full of assumptions tonight. When I said:

aristjohn wrote:

Any type of speaker system will do, you can grab one for $20 at Radio Shack to do what you are wanting which is capture audio. Hook the cable up to the out port and the other into your line-in on your laptop.

The later sentence followed after the first sentence of using a speaker system, I assumed, he would get that. Perhaps you're just toying with me, who knows. But, whatever Smile

Anyways... step by step here:

Get a speaker system. An inexpensive one will do. $20 at Radio Shack

Get a 1/8" speaker cable.

Plug said speaker cable into the outport of SPEAKER SYSTEM.

Plug other end of said speaker cable into the in-line port of LAPTOP.

Go to Recording Menu on Windows ensure it is set to line-in (Grove, probably this is the only thing you ARE seeing since it is a Dell. Dell really screwed their customers with the sound card issue).

Record what you are trying to capture with whatever software. Cakewalk, Audacity, Record Now, CapTalk, doesn't matter... whatever it is. IF it is Audacity it should most likely either be grayed out or defaulted to line-in as the only option available to you. It'll assume the role as a mic, but you are using the out port on the speaker system to help aid in the capture of the audio. So don't worry about it, you won't have to do anything that's just the way Audacity picks it up when you're telling it to record. But, I believe you are saying your going to use Record Now, and that's a very very simple program and you won't have to do anything except check to ensure that Record Menu in Windows is in fact set for line-in which I'm 99.9% with a repetend bar positive that it is.

Now, seriously.. for the exception of pointing out that I assumed that someone (outside of the ones who don't know where the power button is on their computer) would know pretty darn quickly they don't have an out port on a Dell, seriously Space, I didn't think I had made it into this big huge deal and all complicated. ::shrug:: Sorry!

Apologies on any confusion, guys!

Good luck to you, Grove! Hate to see a fellow Dell user (and hopefully former Dell buyer) go through this. This is nasty situation for all Dell, HP, Gateway (?) customers, and a double whammy for musicians and even hardcore online broadcasters who mix.

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:54 pm

It's convoluted that is why you had to read me the script on it.

It reads like just plugging a 1/8 inch plug into the line in would be enough to set this chain of events into play with no need for the speakers. The speakers don't actually play right?

It's just inside out to me...and I have had my mind around some fairly cosmic scenarios.

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:00 pm

???

Yet another reason I build my own boxes!

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:00 pm

Cucco wrote:

Are you suggesting that he take a line out from his stereo into his laptop so he can take sounds from a CD or iPod and put them on his computer?

That's what it sounds like you're saying to me.

Also, I'm not familiar with this class action law suit. Do you have a link to some documentation on this?

I didn't read anything about an iPod or CD from Grove. I might have missed something in the middle of trying to get everything all straightened with the confusion I caused Space.

Throw out iPod, CD, all that. Take it out of your mind. That's not what Grove is talking about.

What Grove is trying to do is record audio that he is hearing (most likely) from the internet.

E.g. You're watching CNN News online. You click on a video, and you can SEE and HEAR the video. You decide that you want to record what you are hearing from the video, like you would use a VHS tape to record what you are seeing on your television screen. He takes whatever software program he is using to record the audio with, and he is SUPPOSED to be able to select stereo mix in Windows and it will record what you are hearing from your speakers while watching the hypothetical video on the net.

That's all this is. Click. Record. That's it.

Because Dell and other manufacturers have disabled this feature, stereo mix cannot be used. You have to have: a computer, an 1/8" cable, and a speaker system. Then you follow what I said in my prior post and it does the exact same thing the stereo mix does. Records whatever is coming out of your speakers.

All the cable is doing is allowing the speakers to mimic the stereo mix feature on the sound card. That's all it does, and that's all it will do, and it'll provide the same quality as the stereo mix feature on the sound card that is disabled on your system. E.g. Dell

As for the lawsuit... that's why I said "apparent." I haven't seen any reference to it on the internet, except for the chatter from forums and word of mouth from other music buddies that got wind about it being a class action suit. Dell has one class action suit against them already for false advertisement of computer systems; and I believe that is 2 or 3 years old and it's on-going. You can find that lawsuit info at www.consumeraffairs.com

But this issue isn't what that lawsuit is about, and as of yet I have not found any news source talking about it, but some forums are chatting about it. If you google around about the issue and come across the forums, you'll see it referenced at least once or twice per forum. The apparent/supposed/whatever suit regarding this is based on bad business practices by not informing customers of the RIAA agreement which directly effects consumer purchases. That's my understanding of it.

For a musician, I can understand the importance of it, because serious musicians have a tendency to buy atleast one system SOLELY for their work (outside their personal comps). If you have a sound card that can't even do the basic functions for the exception of transferring audio to the speakers and recording from an external mic, then that's a problem. And I completely understand if someone took the battle to Dell on that. Don't blame them one bit at all! Sure, there's a HUGE copyright issue more now than ever before, but if you're going to build a comp a customer bought, but disable some of the features on the hardware the customer picked for their comp, that's a big big problem. And I hope Dell gets socked for it. You want to disable stuff, disable it, but tell the customer so they have the right to say Yay or nay on buying the system at all. Other wise it sounds like a bad sell in my opinion.

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:05 pm

Space wrote:

It's convoluted that is why you had to read me the script on it.

It reads like just plugging a 1/8 inch plug into the line in would be enough to set this chain of events into play with no need for the speakers. The speakers don't actually play right?

It's just inside out to me...and I have had my mind around some fairly cosmic scenarios.

When the cable is plugged in, you won't be able to hear sound come out of the speakers. Because it is being filtered back into the line-in port, which allows the cable to act as a stereo mix; hence Grove/you/me/anybody, has whatever it is they were trying to capture to begin with via the sound card.

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:06 pm

bent wrote:

???

Yet another reason I build my own boxes!

Amen, Bent.

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:53 pm

The question that started this thread reads:

mickhende wrote:

"My new Dell laptop comes with Vista and does not have a "stereo Mix" function, my external Creative Soundblaster MP3+ soundcard also does not have this option, how can I get this stereo mix funtion please,? I would prefer a software option but if not, then hardware, help?"

So what you are saying, AJ, is the answer for this concern, is that the way you are reading it?

I don't have a Dell nor have I every had a store bought computer. Pieces and parts, like that chicken commercial, I put my boxes together, I think everyone should.

It is still a haphazard though none the less effective solution for this issue, if it does do what you say it does.

The trick, if this is of any effect a'tall, seems to be to trip the plug. I'm still not biting on the external speakers.

But if this answers the question of "how to get a stereo mix" and can be replicated, who am I to stand in the way of progress?

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:28 am

Space wrote:

The question that started this thread reads:

mickhende wrote:

"My new Dell laptop comes with Vista and does not have a "stereo Mix" function, my external Creative Soundblaster MP3+ soundcard also does not have this option, how can I get this stereo mix funtion please,? I would prefer a software option but if not, then hardware, help?"

So what you are saying, AJ, is the answer for this concern, is that the way you are reading it?

I don't have a Dell nor have I every had a store bought computer. Pieces and parts, like that chicken commercial, I put my boxes together, I think everyone should.

It is still a haphazard though none the less effective solution for this issue, if it does do what you say it does.

The trick, if this is of any effect a'tall, seems to be to trip the plug. I'm still not biting on the external speakers.

But if this answers the question of "how to get a stereo mix" and can be replicated, who am I to stand in the way of progress?

I posted a few days ago regarding Mike's question and stated that he should move past trying to use the stereo mix because it is NOT going to work no matter WHAT he tries to do to bypass by way of his computer alone (of course, you are now saying differently -- IDK, try it guys!). I then said something to the effect of... that now that he knows that, listen to the other guys on the thread about finding what hardware he can use in place of stereo mix, because I noticed that he was preferring to try some type of software. Software WILL NOT resolve this issue, trust me, many have tried (including myself) and have just gotten further pissed off because it doesn't resolve the issue. The OEMs had thought about stopping that too. The silly blokes.

What I've been talking about for the past... oh, I don't know, what... 6 or so ridiculous hours now (5 1/2 more than I should have wasted -- I can only blame myself for that) was directed towards Grove's question. Grove... ::shrug:: legit question.. g/l to you, man!

Anyways...

Mike, Grove, whoever else -- I don't even care anymore -- you heard from Space himself. Try "tripping the plug."

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:10 pm

Your idea, I couldn't focus...sorry. really, I'm embarrassed. You helped much, appreciate your time AJ.

Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:07 am

OK...I admit I was totally confused by his initial request. Lemme see if I have this straight. I had no idea what Stereo Mix meant in that context...never heard it used that way.

"Stereo Mix" is a lot like "What-U-Hear" in a Soundblaster?

He wants to capture sound from online, or from another input source, but he can't hear it while it's being recorded?

He has a Dell computer (laptop?) with limited functionality?

Is this right?

He needs, probably, an inexpensive USB Digital Audio I/O, preferably with some software bundled...even if it's "Lite"?

Is this the correct assumption?

Kapt.Krunch

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:40 pm

\I feel for ya mike. Hi I am Dawn and I have the same problem with the wave/stereo mix issues. Just got a new laptop (with Vista) and a Soundblaster X-fi Xtreme Audio notebook external soundcard. I love to sing karoake on paltalk, and have a lot of cdg's on my computer that no one can hear the music to. I am presently in the process of having someone remotely connect with me trying to solve the problem. If I come up with a solution, or you do, (lol), email me PLEASE!!! 8[]

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:02 am

So I'm not sure how I stumbled across this post, but the quickest/cheapest/easiest way to do this would be to download Audacity, which has a "Stereo Mix" input option. Then he can play with that to his heart's content, and if it works pay his thirty bucks or whatever it is these days to keep playing with it. Good luck,

Nathan

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 2:27 pm

wow I had forgotten that I had even posted with this site. Thank you for the heads up...will give it a shot ..can't hurt to try Very Happy

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 6:12 pm

ARGH all I see is confusion on the Windows mixer and someone talking about 1/8" cables running FROM speakers??

I assume we've resolved that what you would do is record from a radio etc, by running a 1/8" to the line in...Good.
Anyone still confused, in your Playback on the Windows mixer you turn the Line In volume up, and suddenly, from your computer speakers you can hear the input signal (monitoring it). Turn down the Wave if you don't want any Windows noise (which isn't in the recording regardless).

Now, Vista disabled the Stereo Mix? WTF.
If you want to record from your computer's music player, use a short 1/8" from the Line Out to the Line In. I assume that your laptop/PC will actually have a place to plug in your speakers.

Probably patronised someone here, but hopefully this has cleared up something for someone.

PS: Anyone running Linux, the ALSA mixer works the same way I think.

This topic sponsored by: