Audacity Won't Record Streaming Audio: No stereo Mix in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

[nickleus]

I found out that the following problem in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala:

I go to "View" -> "Float Mixer Toolbar". In the drop-down menu on Audacity's mixer toolbar, Neither "Wave Out" or "Stereo Mix" is listed as the input source options....just can choose "Line In", "Internal Mic", "External Mic"

Can anyone help me to record audo from my sound card in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala? Is there any way I can get the "Wave Out" or "Stereo Mix" option in Audacity? Are there any other option of recording sound in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

If you can't select "Wave Out" or "Stereo Mix" is listed as the input source in the mixer toolbar of Audacity, you can still record with Audacity. You just need to install PulseAudio Volume Control.

How to solve the Audacity recording problem in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

1. Install PulseAudio Volume Control by running the following in the Terminal:
   

   sudo apt-get install pavucontrol

2. Run Audacity and
   1. Go to Preferences by pressing Ctrl+P (or select "Edit" -> "Preferences..." from the drop-down menu).
   2. Click the "Devices" .
   3. Change the Playback device to "pulse".
   4. Change the Recording device to "pulse".
3. Open PulseAudio Volume Control ("Applications" -> "Sound & Video" -> "PulseAudio Volume Control") and leave it open.
   The first time you use a recording program you need to to edit the recording settings of PulseAudio Volume Control. It should remember your settings after rebooting.
   
4. Open Audacity and hit the "Record" button.
5. While Audacity is recording, open PulseAudio Volume Control and select the "Recording" tab. It will show "Alsa plug-in Audacity. Alsa capture from" and a combo-box. Choose the "Monitor of internal audio..." if you use an internal sound card.
   
   Note: You need to select another monitor if you use any playback device other than an internal sound card. For example, when I play sound with Microsoft LifeChat headphones connected to my computer via USB, I select the "Monitor of Microsoft LifeChat Analogue Stereo" to capture from it with Alsa.
6. Check Audacity, it should be recording now.

[Quasimodo]

*Excellent*! A very simple recipe, which I followed successfully to get recording of streams from BBC iplayer working on both my desktop (Ubuntu Lucid, with an Asus Xonar sound card) and my big laptop (also Ubuntu Lucid, with on-board Intel sound). Now to have a play with my netbook (Asus Aspire One, currently running Ubuntu Karmic, 'cos when I upgraded to Lucid the wireless networking stopped...).

Thanks again

Ian

Originally Posted by Quasimodo

*Excellent*! A very simple recipe, which I followed successfully to get recording of streams from BBC iplayer working on both my desktop (Ubuntu Lucid, with an Asus Xonar sound card) and my big laptop (also Ubuntu Lucid, with on-board Intel sound). Now to have a play with my netbook (Asus Aspire One, currently running Ubuntu Karmic, 'cos when I upgraded to Lucid the wireless networking stopped...).

Wi-Fi works fine for me in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx.

Also instead of recording BBC streams from your sound card, you can try to download them.

[NickNackGus]

I am running Ubuntu 10.10, and Audacity 1.3.12-beta.

I tried setting the audio recording device to pulse, and having the device toolbar open, confirmed the device. The first drop-down menu said "ALSA: pulse" and the second said the same. It muted my microphone, but it didn't record internal audio.

Is there anything I should do to make sure it is reading from the right source? eg. Rythmbox, and whatever else is listed under applications in the system's main sound preferences menu.