How do I record AM's stream

[gmknobl]

I'd like to record Avian's shows direct from the stream onto disk when it comes on, preferably automatically, so I can play it back later, maybe even burn it to disk.

Shades of illegal listening!!!!

So, what products, preferably free, does anyone have for doing this from AM's 128K stream feed?

I am using the much denigrated PC running XP.

[moses]

There's a cool little free program called CD Wave that you can get from http://www.milosoftware.com/cdwave/

[Well, it's free for 31 days but it doesn't stop working after that. That said, of course you should support the developer and pay for it.]

It will record the stream for you, but you'll have to set your soundcard's source to be (and this may vary slightly depending on your soundcard) Stereo Mix (or soundcard output or whatever).

NOTE: This will record whatever sounds your PC is making. So if the stream is playing, you'll get that. If your PC beeps because you just got an email or anything like that, it will record that too. (I don't mean it will record fan noise or anything like that, you'd have to set the input source to microphone (and have a microphone!) to do that.)

After you've recorded the show, CD-Wave can also cut it into tracks for you to burn to CDs if you so desire, and save them in many formats. However, I don't think it can be set to automatically start recording at a certain time. Perhaps that feature is there and I never noticed it though.

[edit] OK I just checked, that feature is there... "Start Recording At" and you specify a time. Sounds like what you're looking for! [/edit]

[Yesspaz]

Hey Moses, can you help me figure this CD Wave out? I'm trying to record a stream and can't get it to work. Thanks.

[moses]

OK I'm guessing you have the program installed and running, and that you've found the round red circle that's labeled "Record (Ctrl+."

The window that comes up needs a filename and location for the recorded stream. Use the name of your favorite pet, or call it AuralMoonStream. Or whatever you want.

The "Format" section is a bit misleading. No matter what settings you choose there, it will still record a WAV file. You can just make them sound better or worse (but of course no better than the quality of the actual stream.) The default settings are standard "CD Quality" so unless you're going to be burning the stram to DVD-Audio or you have serious disk space constraints, leave that part alone.

The "Device" setting might have a couple choices of soundcards in the dropdown, depending on your hardware configuration. Pick whichever one you're using. The "Microsoft Sound Mapper" is nothing special, it's just a fancy (or not) way of saying "whatever the default device is." If you have the MSM and only one other sound card listed, either one is fine because they're the same thing.

What's important here is that you have that device set up properly. If you've got a little gray speaker in the system tray (bottom right, near the clock), you're set. Double-Click that. If you ain't got that, you just need to take the long way. Click Start Control Panel Sounds and Audio Devices (in Classic View) Advanced (on the Voice tab under "Device Volume").

No matter how you got here, you should now have a window open called "Volume Control" and it's got sliders and such. Click Options, then Properties. Then click the radio button next to Recording. See the check boxes below that? Look for one that says "Stereo Mix" or "What You Hear" or "Sound Card Output" or something like that (it varies depending on your sound card.) Make sure that one is checked. Hit OK.

Now you're back to the sliders, except these are the recording sliders, whereas the others were playback sliders. Check the one below "Stereo Mix" or "What You Hear" or "Sound Card Output" or whatever you just found on the last screen. Adjust the volume appropriately. If it's all the way down you'll be recording silence, which is arguably less interesting than GY!BE. The disk space wasted by recording silence is... well I'm digressing.

So you don't know where the volume slider should be? It depends, but about 90% should be safe. Here's a trick... you can leave this window open and go back to CD-Wave.

If you'd like to set up your Voice Activated Start or Schedule Recording, feel free to do that at this point. Let's say we're running a test to make sure this works. We've got our file name and location, proper soundcard selected, and so on. So we'll hit "Start" when Aural Moon is playing something particularly cool.

A waveform starts delevoping in the CD Wave window! Here's where you can adjust your recording and playback volume to fit. Too loud will sound bad, too soft will be... soft.

Done? Wanna stop? That's the black square. There you go. You're done, your stream is recorded. The save button will allow you to save it as an mp3 if you desire, or split it into tracks before you try to save it.

NOTE: If you have anything else running that makes sounds (instant messengers, email checkers... anything) and one of them make a sound while you're recording, you'll get those sounds on your recording too. Best to disable sounds on all your other programs or leave them closed, unless you like the sound of (Geddy Lee voice) "Searching for the lost [You've got mail!] Xanadu."

OTHER NOTE: I hope this doesn't come off as condescending. I deal with some people at my job who need things done step by step or else they're lost. Thinking for themselves is not an option. Therefore, I must write tutorials in this manner.

I followed these instructions and ended up with a nice recording of the Aural Moon stream. If it's not working for you, it's YOUR FAULT!

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by gmknobl
I'd like to record Avian's shows direct from the stream onto disk when it comes on, preferably automatically, so I can play it back later, maybe even burn it to disk.

Shades of illegal listening!!!!

So, what products, preferably free, does anyone have for doing this from AM's 128K stream feed?

I am using the much denigrated PC running XP.

Let's not get off on the OS debate... (though it's sooo tempting )

What you want to do is the subject of the Podcast(see below). It would be nice to make shows here available as Podcasts but I believe there would be new and extra royalty/license fees to be paid to do so legally. It would be up to Jim to decide if AM wants to pony up for more licensing fees. I bet I already know that answer.







Podcasts are, for all intents and purposes, simply .MP3 files made available for download.

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by moses

OTHER NOTE: I hope this doesn't come off as condescending. I deal with some people at my job who need things done step by step or else they're lost. Thinking for themselves is not an option. Therefore, I must write tutorials in this manner.

...but everyone tells me Micro$oft is soooo intuitive. I don't understand why you should need a tutorial at all.

[Yesspaz]

Originally posted by moses
No matter how you got here, you should now have a window open called "Volume Control" and it's got sliders and such. Click Options, then Properties. Then click the radio button next to Recording. See the check boxes below that? Look for one that says "Stereo Mix" or "What You Hear" or "Sound Card Output" or something like that (it varies depending on your sound card.) Make sure that one is checked. Hit OK.

Ok, I've got none of that. I have the following, and the * are default checked:

SPDIF-In
CD Digital
MIDI
*CD Audio
*Line-In
*Microphone
*Auxiliary
TAD-In
Wave

SOooo, which is it?

Thanks so far anyway

[Yesspaz]

PS, I'm not recording AM.

[moses]

I would try Wave. If that doesn't work, it sounds like you've got a rare soundcard that doesn't have that option.

Vax... in reply to the "let's not get into an OS debate, but here's a potshot" thing... I am thinking of writing an article that addresses that "intuitive" myth, among other MS myths. I'll probably never finish it. Besides, these are people who seem to have chosen not to intuit.

I don't know if there are additional licensing costs for podcasts or not. None that I've heard of... I'll look into it, but in the meantime, if you go to The Fusion Reactor you can find podcasts of a show by a certain bald AM listener.

If they suddenly disappear, you'll know why.

[Yesspaz]

Ok, I was able to record the stuff, but it sounded like crap. I think it was my mic recording my speakers. Terrible. What am I doing wrong?

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Yesspaz
Ok, I was able to record the stuff, but it sounded like crap. I think it was my mic recording my speakers. Terrible. What am I doing wrong?

Is there some way to selct the source?

On my various Mac sofware packages for audio, there ways to select built-in mic, line-in, USB/Firewire sources, anything sent to the output, etc. Look for and check the source selection in your recording software.

[Akunosh]

Have you tried streamripper?? there is a good program to recording