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Recording Radio

 
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gazmando



Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 560
Location: Huntingdon

PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 3:37 pm    Post subject: Recording Radio Reply with quote

I had always used Audacity to record any radio I wanted, and while it is good I found it a bit fiddly just for recording radio.
When my laptop went kaput 6 months ago I bought a new one but never bothered to re download Audacity.
I wanted to record Len Goodman this week (he's not on, Grrrrr), so I had a look round for another program to record radio and found RamaRadio and have found it so easy to use.
All you do is select your region (ie UK) and a long list of stations come up, you can then right click ones you like and add them to your favourites.
Once you've done that all you do is click on the station to listen to it and then if you want to record it click on the record button, simple as that.
It records the file as an MP3 but if you want to change that you just right click on the station and click on properties and change it to what you want.
It's free and I think it's great for anyone who likes to keep things simple, the only minus against Audacity is that it only records live radio and not stuff on Iplayer.
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Helen May



Joined: 10 Dec 2006
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Location: Cheshire

PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for this Gazmando.

I use Total Recorder (it was $12.00 about 8 years ago with free upgrades whenever they come out) which I've found to be the best piece of software I've ever purchased. That said I'd like to have a back up just in case as I record a lot.

TR can record from iplayer as it can capture anysound from your computer. Does yours only record from radio?

H
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gazmando



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PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers Helen,
I think it only records live radio,(I only downloaded it today)
I remember you saying about Total Recorder ages ago but I went with Audacity because it was free.
I found it a little bit annoying if I was recording Radio because it would pick out all sounds, whereas I can click on things using RamaRadio without it picking up mouse sounds etc.
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Helen May



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PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You only get the source that you are recording with Total Recorder.

I tried Audacity once on an old computer but found it very fiddly to use compared to TR. For some reason I took to TR without any problems, mind I've not done anything fancy with it! Keep meaning to edit a few things but never seem to find the time. Something for the winter months I think!

H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gazmando wrote:
I found (Audacity) a little bit annoying if I was recording Radio because it would pick out all sounds.


That sounds like you were recording sound through a PC microphone or webcam. Avoid external sounds by choosing recording device 'Stereo Mix' from the drop-down tab menu.
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gazmando



Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks John I was using stereo mix, I meant the sound you get when you mistakenly close a window etc, not any external sounds.
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I've just run a recording on Audacity in Stereo Mix, clicking mouse and typing this message... let's have a look.... 16 seconds of silence!
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Ian Robinson
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Joined: 11 Dec 2006
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Location: Chorley, Lancashire

PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a mac user, I've started using Get iPlayer. Just type what you want into the search bar, add to your queue, press start... and about 10 minutes later the show is in iTunes. Very handy!
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Shaky Fan



Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 628

PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gazmando wrote:
Thanks John I was using stereo mix, I meant the sound you get when you mistakenly close a window etc, not any external sounds.


I think that happens on mine. If for example I ad facebook opened and somebody sent me a message it would pick up on the ping sound when the message came through.
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gazmando



Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 6:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's the kind of sound i meant Shaky, not the clicking of the mouse.

Last edited by gazmando on Fri Nov 29, 2013 11:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Grump.

Just getting around to using the new Dell Laptop. Networks wirelessly OK with the PC, though I can't get 'Homegroup' to work.

Anyway, earlier in the thread we talked about Audacity. I've always found it useful on the PC, for recording off internet, youtube etc, using the dropdown menu to Stereo Mix. I've downloaded Audacity (and LAME for mp3) but I can't see option for Stereo Mix on the laptop. There must be somewhere to activate playback 'devices' but all I find is the 'internal microphone' which is in the webcam.

Is there somewhere in this Laptop/Win7 to activate Stereo Mix, and also 'line in' which I may want to use later too?
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Colin



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Although I've done this on Windows devices I now only do it on my Apple Macs (on which it's much easier). I've learned more recently that Audacity's functionality here is closely related to the brand and model of sound card on the Windows machine. I've had a Stereo Mix option on one machine and nothing whatever on another!

I spent hours fiddling with the confounded thing and eventually sussed it after exiting Audacity altogether, rebooting the PC and fiddling ONLY the sound i put settings in the Control Panel. That's where you realise that the sound card affects ghe options though!

I now use a Humax HDR Freesat+ box to record, and then output the capture file to a USB stick which I then import into my editing apps. Life's too short!
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gazmando



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PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello John,
To activate stereo mix:-
Right click the speaker icon on the right hand side of task bar on your desktop
Left click on recording devices
Right click on an empty space in the box that appears
Left click on show disabled devices
Right click on stereo mix
Left click enable.
Hope that helps,
Gaz
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Colin



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That doesn't always work, Gaz. As I mentioned above, it does depend upon the installed hardware. It's one of the many quirks of Windows-based devices that's so frustrating.
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gazmando



Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I appreciate that Colin but it's worked on the only 2 laptops I've ever had and a couple of my friends too so it's always worth trying isn't it.
Also remember sending John a private message a few years ago saying the same thing for his old computer and it worked too, so fingers crossed it will again.
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Colin



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes I agree it's the first thing to try. One thing that can occur is that on some you can vary the input (recording) levels and some you can't. That said, I've not used it on Windows for a couple of years so I'm sure you're right. It will be interesting to see if John cracks the problem!
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks gazmando and Colin.

Yes. those instructions from gaz are what I had found (eventually) in the Audacity FAQ/manual. But I've tried all the routes and cannot 'find' any other 'device' to enable.
(there's something called WASAPI but I can't see how that enables anything)

Audacity does suggest an external USB soundcard as the final option. Anyone used one of those?
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Colin



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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:
Audacity does suggest an external USB soundcard as the final option. Anyone used one of those?


I do, John, bit not for the purpose above. The thing with capturing live streams is that you're asking a sound card, operating system and recording software to do two jobs. You need it to pass the live stream input to yhe output stage of the soundcard ( or hardware) and the write that stream to disc while monitoring it. That's waht the Windows "stereo mix" facilitates.

Most external soundcards or interfaces provide a variety of inputs and outputs, usually via USB, Firewire or Thunderbolt connections - but they're designed to convert existing line sound inputs such as microphone, mixer o/p or instruments. Your need to capture a live stream is slightly different.

The alternative is to take a stereo line output of a tuner or audio receiver and feed that to the audio line in of your PC, recording with Audacity. Or use a separate audio interface to convert analogue to digital via USB2 and capture that Audacity.

If I'm saving broadcasts to Freesat+ box (see a previous post) then I record the Freesat receiver's o/p to a DAT or MiniDisc for capturing to a Mac later.

Anyway, as I said above, this live stream capturing in Windows is very hit'n miss!
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gazmando



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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a shame John.
I just had a look at this site,
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/39532/how-to-enable-stereo-mix-in-windows-7-to-record-audio/
He has the same instructions as I said but says if you still can't see Stereo Mix, downloading older audio chipset drivers may work.
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John W



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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Colin, gaz. My Dell PC (2 yrs old) in Win7 is OK with Audacity, Stereo Mix etc.

It's the new Dell laptop that doesn't seem to provide the input device for Stereo Mix. I just wanted to set laptop up same, as a back up.

The laptop has very little in the way of input sockets. There's three USBs, one HMDI, one for speakers and one for an external microphone. So, another thing I can't do at the moment, if I wanted to, is line-in connection from my hi-fi amp with the jack that I currently connect to the PC.
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gazmando



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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just looked at a site where some other people can't get stereo mix on their computers.
There was a few recommendations for the program "Freecorder" which apparently records sound on your PC without the need to enable Stereo Mix.
I don't know if it's OK or not, you may have to read up on it first.
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John W



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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks gaz I may look at that. I'm not desparate though, just wanted a backup system of what I do regularly on the PC.

In fact the back up for a line-in input would be more of a need for the podcasts that I do, if the PC went down.
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Colin



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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John, if a good professional-standard sound input to your PC, check out an A-D interface such as a Focusrite Scarlett or something from M-Audio. You'll get a much better quality input (16-bit 48kHz) via USB2 than you will by the built-in 3.5mm jack input.

I have a capture system based around a Soundcraft EPM8 sound mixer, Focusrite USB2 interface and iMac computer for analogue audio capture and the audio quality is much, much better. I recently converted 160 audiotaped interviews with former codebreakers at Bletchley Park and the Focusrite proved invaluable.

Btw - is your new PC using Windows 8? If so, that could partially explain the problem. It's riddled with hardware and driver incompatibilities.
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had an amazing machine once... worked every time. It was called a music centre. Pushed a button and it recorded the radio.. and... you could take the tape out and play it on ANY other machine!

I'm a bit bitter as my Roberts recording radio has just bit the dust.. it won't recognise previous recordings on the SD card and it won't even format a new card... in other words - scrap, as nobody can mend anything nowadays.
Plus, my A3 Brother photocopier also went wrong this morning so that's history too.. Sad
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gazmando



Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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Location: Huntingdon

PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That first paragraph could be straight out of grumpy old men Santa Fe, I think you should copyright that one lol.
I do get where you're coming from though, a lot of stuff nowadays seems to over complicate things.
Colin, your house must be a gadget fans dream, you must have a fortunes worth of gadgets (just a tad jealous haha).
Did you listen to any of the Bletchley Park interviews?
I think the people who worked there were absolutely brilliant.
PS, In his original question John said his PC was Windows 7.
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SantaFefan



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I am a grumpy old git and getting worse... Razz today's high tech stuff is a major reason for that. I know it's great when it all works but is it worth the hassle? life was so simple.
I used to have a "Santa Fe's moan thread" so maybe I'll dig it out to vent my frustration!
I read the forum for Roberts radio problems.. ( there's a lot of them )
One chap said I must remove the SD card from the problem radio and use my PC to format it instead.. but I must format it using "FAT".. not "FAT 32"... Shocked What's that all about? and why does it record in MP2 instead of MP3?
But my main complaint about today's stuff is why do we find it acceptable that expensive things can't be mended? it's disgraceful when you think about it..
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Colin



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

gazmando wrote:
Colin, your house must be a gadget fans dream, you must have a fortunes worth of gadgets (just a tad jealous haha).


Gaz, the reason my house filled up with what my wife calls "junk" is the reason I had to rent commercial premises. The business outgrew the house! (That said, I still have quite a lot of stuff at home as well).

gazmando wrote:
Did you listen to any of the Bletchley Park interviews?
I think the people who worked there were absolutely brilliant.


Yes, some of the recordings are 20 or more years old and recorded with a variety of devices - some good, some not so - and everything needed to be tweaked, balanced etc so I listened to all of it. And fascinating it was too!

I also transferred 50 hours of video interviews as well. The most notable one was with the naval sub-lieutenant who was detailed by his Captain to take a boarding party onto the stricken German U-boat up in the north Atlantic only to find it was completely abandoned. In this "shoat ship" he and his wireless operator discovered a naval Enigma machine and a full set of code books which were immediately ferried back to their destroyer. He was lost in tears telling of how three ratings drowned when the whaler they were in broke up when colliding with the sub as they waited for the boarding party to come back out.

Some of my transfers now appear on the "Bletchley Park Podcasts" available on the website, and produced by former BBC Producer Katherine Lynch, who is now BP's Media Relations Director.


gazmando wrote:
PS, In his original question John said his PC was Windows 7.


Ooops. Speed-reading again!!!
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Colin



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 11:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:
One chap said I must remove the SD card from the problem radio and use my PC to format it instead.. but I must format it using "FAT".. not "FAT 32"... Shocked What's that all about? and why does it record in MP2 instead of MP3?


FAT32 is a format used to make use of the 1024 Kilobyte sectors on a PC's hard disc or external storage medium (Apple does it differently - and more efficiently). It's an old format that dates back to the days of DOS and really should be pensioned off. It has a file size limit of 4GB which was massive at the time but is now useless for larger files (especially video, high-res images, etc). On Windows PCs I use NTFS, which doesn't have this limitation. However, that aside, yes it's better to format the card on a PC.

MP3 is actually "MPEG-2 Layer 3" and is closely related to the MPEG-2 which is the codec your DVD discs and players use to compress and decompress video. Best leave it at that!!! Smile

SantaFefan wrote:
But my main complaint about today's stuff is why do we find it acceptable that expensive things can't be mended? it's disgraceful when you think about it..


Largely because today's micro-circuitry and low cost of components & assembly means it's cheaper to make 'em than it is to repair 'em.
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Helen May



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:
Yes, I am a grumpy old git and getting worse... Razz today's high tech stuff is a major reason for that. I know it's great when it all works but is it worth the hassle? life was so simple.
I used to have a "Santa Fe's moan thread" so maybe I'll dig it out to vent my frustration!
I read the forum for Roberts radio problems.. ( there's a lot of them )
One chap said I must remove the SD card from the problem radio and use my PC to format it instead.. but I must format it using "FAT".. not "FAT 32"... Shocked What's that all about? and why does it record in MP2 instead of MP3?
But my main complaint about today's stuff is why do we find it acceptable that expensive things can't be mended? it's disgraceful when you think about it..


Oh SanteFe I'm sorry to hear your Roberts recording radio isn't working. I was envious of you having one but I faffed around and they'd stopped making them when I finally decided and went for the internet one which doesn't record but is superb and am going to get another one for upstairs.

Have you spoken to Roberts? Maybe they can help.

After Christmas I need to tackle my heap of recordings that need to be taken off old formats before the players bite the dust. I think my reel to reel has had now but I think I got all I wanted to keep from the tapes. I've a drawer full of leads that I'm sure won't be needed again. Colin I think I may need some of your knowledge!

Only yesterday I had to fix my Dad's mini disc set up. He hadn't used it in a long time and had forgotten how it hooked up and played. He is 86 so must be allowed a senior moment or 2!

H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005
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SantaFefan



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Luckily Helen, I have another which I use every weekend for SOTs and PotPs and it's working fine.... Razz
I bought the failed RD41 marked down as a display model from Comet and I remember they gave me another power supply for it which wasn't the original so maybe that's the cause.
I'm busy with Christmas decorations at the moment but I did think to give Roberts a ring to see if it can be repaired but I'm not holding my breath.
According to the forum, it's better to use a 1GB card instead of 2GB which I use.

I was eyeing up the new version, the Roberts Record R but reading the forums, there's a host of problems with that unit so I'll make do with the one I have for now.

Yes, the internet radio is a must for me and I bought another for our other place ready for when we get an internet service there.
I bought a third unit over Ebay but it didn't work so the company refunded my money straight away ( xs items ) so that was a relief.
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