Record what you hear?

[Arranger]

I'm not sure what's going on. I've tried a few different "Smart Recorders" to record what I hear on my PC and Laptop. I'd like to capture audio from my DVDs.

Every time I record, regardless of the software or the computer, the output is always quieter than the signal that "I hear." I've manipulated input levels, input signals, mixer signals, output forms, playback players, etc, and I always get the same weak replay vs. the original signal.

Can anyone shed some light on this and tell me if my experience is unique?

I even bought an Audigy SE with its own Smart Recorder to see if I just needed to 'buy in' to get a full-fledged application - to no avail. I don't think this should be this complicated.

Thanks in advance for the replies.

 

[danny.guitar]

Recording what's coming out of your speakers is simple.

Open up the Windows Volume Mixer. You may need to go into Control Panel\Sound & Audio Devices settings to enable it. I prefer to use the Windows mixer instead of the sound card's.

From that point, double-click the little speaker icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will open the mixer. Go to Options -> Properties -> Recording.

Depending on the sound card, the one you want to check is something like:
"What U Hear"
"Stereo Mix"
"Wave"
etc.

Check one of those boxes. Don't close the window. Now record in your software. Make sure your software isn't changing which input is checked. If it is, or if it doesn't work, go into your software settings and set the input as "What U Hear", "Stereo Mix", etc.

Hope this makes sense.

Also, you may need to use the fader on the Windows mixer to turn up/down the volume. In the past, when I recorded like this, I'd get a lot of clipping if I didn't turn it down.