How to Record Audio from SigmaTel Cards

Many new Windows Vista or XP PCs use a SigmaTel Sound Card, which has no native ability to record audio. Just about every audio recording program on the planet will fail with these cards except one - Freecorder Toolbar. Click here to learn more about the free Freecorder Toolbar.

This page has answers to the most common Replay Radio 5 recording problems.

• I can't record anything. I just get silence when I listen to my recordings.
• My recordings sound distorted. What can I do to improve the quality?
• The recording volume is too low or too high - how can I adjust it?
• I installed the Enhanced Sound Card Driver, but it doesn't appear as an option.
• I can't record from Real Player. Other players work fine.
• Recording from QuickTime or iTunes plays garbled.
• I can't record from WinAmp.
• I can't record from MusicMatch.
• Replay Radio no longer records. It used to work fine.

I can't record anything. I just get silence when I listen to my recordings.

You can fix this in two ways - use a different Recording Source, or download the Enhanced Sound Card Driver.

Please select your Replay Radio version number below for a detailed step-by step guide to determining the correct audio recording method for your compuyter:

Version 6 configuration steps
Version 5 configuration steps

The Enhanced Sound Card Driver is available here. It requires less configuration, and supports more sound cards, but on some PCs it may have certain side-effects. Please click here to download and learn more.

If you choose not to use the Enhanced Sound Card Driver, the most common reason a recording fails is that the Recording Source is set improperly. To determine the best Recording Source:

1. Select a show, and click Edit Show.
2. Click the Recordings Tab. The Recordings section appears:
   
   
   
   
3. Click Test Recording Sources.
4. Once the test noises stop, you will see the recommended source. Use this source for all future recordings.

Another possibility: With some sound cards, the Mute Sound While Recording feature (under the Recording tab when editing a show) may disable all sound when recording, causing pure silence. If you have this checked, try unchecking it and see if it makes a difference.

Occasionally, installing the latest drivers for your Sound Card fixes recording problems. Here's how to update your sound card drivers using Windows XP (other Windows versions work similarly):

1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Sounds and Audio.
2. Click the Hardware tab. The hardware dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
3. Select your sound card, then click Properties. (In the above example, SigmaTel C-Major Audio is the sound card. The name will vary from PC to PC.) The Audio Properties screen appears:
   
   
   
   
4. Click Update Driver.

Finally, if you still have trouble, it may be something specific to the Player (like Windows Media Player, Real Player, etc.) you are using. The rest of this page has suggestions for specific players.

My recordings sound distorted. What can I do to improve the quality?

The Enhanced Sound Card Driver will record what you hear on your PC's speakers without distortion, but may not work on all PCs. Click here to learn more or download the Enhanced Sound Card Driver.

If you choose not to use the Enhanced Sound Card Driver, or if you're recording from the Microphone or Line-In inputs, try lowering the recording volume as explained below. Some sound cards or microphones will make distorted recordings if the recording volume is too high.

The recording volume is too low or too high - how can I adjust it?

You may need to manually set the recording volume level in Windows as follows:

1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, and select Sounds and Audio.
2. Click the Audio tab.
3. Under Sound Recording, click Volume.
4. Increase or decrease the volume level for the recording source you are using in Replay Radio.

Hint: If you don't see the Recording Source option you're using, click Options, Properties, and make sure the all the options are selected for display.

If you do this, make sure the Optimize Mixer Volume for Recording option under Replay Radio's Settings, Sound Mixer tab is UNCHECKED.

I installed the Enhanced Sound Card Driver, but it doesn't appear as an option.

First of all, the Enhanced Sound Card Driver option will appear as a Recording Source selection if properly installed. You can see this either in Quick Record, or when editing a scheduled show (under the Recording tab).

When you install it, be sure to install it into the same folder as Replay Radio, usually "c:\program files\replay radio 5". Replay Radio looks for the file RRUserDLL.dll in that folder. If it's not there, then the Enhanced Sound Card Driver option won't be listed.

I can't record from Real Player. Other players work fine.

Real Player may need to be adjusted do that it records properly as follows:

1. Open Real Player, and click Tools, Preferences from the menu.
2. Click Hardware. The Preferences dialog appears as shown:
   
   
   
   
3. Click Settings under the Sound Card Compatibility heading. The Sound Card Compatibility dialog appears:
   
   
   
   
4. Make sure Disable Direct Sound is checked, as shown above.
5. Click OK.

Recording from QuickTime or iTunes plays garbled.

QuickTime and iTunes often default to using Direct Sound, which leads to sound distortion during both recording and playback when Replay Radio is active. To correct this problem, you need to tell QuickTime to use the Replay Radio driver as the default playback device instead.

For QuickTime Version 7:

1. Make sure Replay Radio, Replay Music and iTunes are closed.
2. Open QuickTime via Start, Programs, QuickTime, QuickTime Player.
3. Select Edit, Preferences, QuickTime Preferences.
4. Go to the tab marked Audio.
5. Verify that Safe mode (waveOut only) is selected.
6. Click the Select Audio Playback and Recording Devices button to open your windows audio control panel. Set both devices to match the name of your sound card. Click OK.
7. Click OK in the Quick Time settings, then close QuickTime.

For QuickTime Version 6:

1. Make sure QuickTime and iTunes are closed.
2. Open QuickTime via Start, Programs, QuickTime, QuickTime Player.
3. Select Edit, Preferences, QuickTime Preferences.
4. In the dialog that appears, select Sound Out from the list at the top.
5. Pick waveOut: Windows Preferred Device. Your settings window should now look like this:
   
   
   
   
6. Close the settings window and you're done.
   
   

For QuickTime Version 4 and 5:

1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, QuickTime.
2. In the drop down list, select Wave Out, Windows Preferred Device.

I can't record from WinAmp.

In most cases, WinAmp works fine with Replay Radio. The only potential incompatibility is in using Direct Sound. To make WinAmp work with Replay Radio you should do the following:

1. Start WinAmp.
2. Right click on the green dot in the upper right-hand corner.
3. Select Options, Preferences.
4. If you're using WinAmp version 5, choose Plug-Ins, Output. For version 2 or 3, select the Audio I/O tab.
5. Look at the Output plug-ins drop-down list. If "NullSoft Direct Sound" is selected, change it to "NullSoft WaveOut".

This should fix the problem.

I can't record from MusicMatch.

MusicMatch needs to be reconfigured to use the Default Sound Card Driver when recording.

1. Open MusicMatch
2. Click Options, Settings.
3. Click the Player tab. The screen now appears like this:
   
   
   
   
4. Under Output Control, make sure Default is selected.
5. Click OK.

If the Output Control option doesn't show Replay Radio driver mixer as an option, or you cannot select another driver, here's what to do:

1. Make sure MusicMatch is closed.
2. Open Replay Radio.
3. Start the Quick Record.
4. Now, open MusicMatch.

   You can now start and stop the Quick Record session, and it will work fine.

Replay Radio no longer records. It used to work fine.

The most likely reason this would occur is if your default sound card setting has changed.

First of all, check the Replay Radio Sound Card Driver setting:

1. Open Replay Radio's Settings, and click Sound Mixer.
2. Note the setting of the Sound Card Driver option.

Next, check your system default Sound Card:

1. Go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, Sounds & Audio.
2. Select the Audio tab
3. Note the Sound Card drivers for playback and recording.

The Sound Card selections for the above should match. If not, change either the Replay Radio setting or the Windows Control Panel setting.

If you're using the Enhanced Sound Card Driver option, and still cannot record, you may need to uninstall the Enhanced Sound Card Driver, and then reinstall it.

Other questions?

Email us using the Support Email Form here.