Laptop Needs "What You Hear" Recording Capability

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 3:58 pm

How do I go about recording what's being sent to my laptop speakers (via the dvd player or a website, for example) if my sound card doesn't give me the option? Does it come down to a simple software download? Any suggestions would be great. I'm new so a big hello to all.

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 4:07 pm

Are you asking about recording on to the laptop the sound that is coming out of the same laptop?

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 4:17 pm

Let me guess, another caught up in the "Vista has no Stereo Mix in the mixer"...

Step 1: Install Linux. XP if you have a copy of it though.

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 5:43 pm

You got it. Vista seems to give me no control over my sound card or mixer.

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 5:55 pm

This would be recording the sound coming from the same laptop. In XP there was an option to set the recording input to "What You Hear".

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:25 pm

Somehow, I really don't think it's a Windows problem? This appears to be a device/driver thing? I believe it's that as I am maintaining some Dell office computers, recently, for John McLaughlin's production company, (not the guitarist but the political talkshow host) running Windows XP Pro with the same peculiar problem. So, the stupid workaround was to connect an additional USB audio device and do it in the analog domain. But for crappie talking head reference material, that's fine. That wouldn't be my first choice if music was involved. Especially with multiple conversions in & out. Although I'd consider contacting the company for a reasonable explanation. I'll see what I can find out? Could be one of those blasted Microsoft updates too? So maybe you are correct? But my XP Pro/Media Center machines have the current updates and I don't have that problem.

Not amused being protected from myself.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:13 pm

I always thought that "What You Hear" was a specific Creative/Soundblaster thing as that was the only time I remember seeing it.

Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:33 am

Google/search here for "Stereo Mix Functionality", this was discussed in a thread titled like that and IIRC a few links were posted and things were dropped into conversation that might clear it up.

Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 12:02 pm

I'm not sure if the previous thread regarding a "Stereo Mix" applies in this scenario. It appears as though the laptop's sound card simply doesn't allow real-time recording of any/all audio passing "out" of the soundcard itself.

Does anyone have any thoughts on aftermarket laptop soundcards that could allow this type of recording, like the previous post referred to, such as Creative or Soundblaster? I got the "What You Hear" terminology from my desktop pc, which uses a Soundblaster Audiology card.

Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 12:10 pm

I'd say it's Vista rather than the soundcard. If I understand correctly, the elusive Stereo Mix is just a software level grab of the audio being sent to the headphone/speaker out.

Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 6:01 pm

There's a relatively cheap piece of software called Wire Tap Studio that allows you to record the sound on your computer. I've been using it to get the audio from concert footage from youtube and it has worked wonderfully for that.

Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 6:25 pm

FootPrints wrote:

There's a relatively cheap piece of software called Wire Tap Studio that allows you to record the sound on your computer. I've been using it to get the audio from concert footage from youtube and it has worked wonderfully for that.

Seems to be Mac Xclusive software.

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:14 am

you need an external sound card. something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-iMic-External-Sound/dp/B00006BALQ
just shop around.
it acts as the computers new sound card while recording, except that this one has microphone, line in, output jack, etc.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:58 am

Correct me if Im wrong, but couldn't you just buy one of these and plug your speakers into one side and get one of these to run back into your MIC input? I mean this would not be the most quality work around but it would work none the less right?

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