Simple problem: Just want to record the sound I have coming in through a mic. line . Any suggestions? (I do understand that there will be quality loss the way I'm doing this but still.. )
Use a sound recording program. Go somewhere like download.com then search for sound recording or the like.
Audacity works great. This would be my first choice, because it provides a variety of formats and sample rates...not to mention that it's free. Also, windows has a built-in recording program. All Programs>Accessories>Entertainment>Sound Recorder or Run>"sndrec32.exe" And there really shouldn't be that much quality loss, unless youre acutally using a microphone to record audio. The way you have it worded makes me think that you're using a Line Out>Line In cable. If you have a stereo source, use the Line In jack, not the Microphone jack.
This is true, because it record to .wav format, without compression. The files also get very big. Just use audacity, it's as good as anything else.
To better explain the quality loss, I'm pulling the sound through a rca to mic. cable (headphone jack on one end, rca on the other) So I'm losing the 5.1 source and recording what I'm assuming is now 2 channel. (at least it sounds that way) Other than an on-board sound card that is fully in use, I don't have a better way w/o going and purchasing an additional sound card. And as far as windows sound recorder, I never could get it to record more than 60 seconds either. I'm sure it can be manipulated.. just don't know the technique. Anyways, if anyone is wondering, I have been reanging my entire set up, so I have yet to actually give audacity a try.. but I cannot wait.. I will let you all know how that goes as soon as I get everything in place.
Most sound cards only support stereo line in, so say bye-bye to your 5.1 source. The word "quality" isn't really the right one here- the audio quality (actual sharpness of the sound) shouldn't change, but you're losing channels. I hope that your input source summs up the channels for the stereo output- i.e. you're not just recording the front left and right, and losing everything else. However, you may want to do this anyway to get the full 6 channels of audio: The only way to record 5.1 audio using your current setup would be to record each set of channels seperatley; record from the front left and right, then the rear left and right, then the center channel, then the subwoofer channel. You'll end up with 2 stereo tracks and 2 mono tracks... then you could combine them into one file, although you would need some audio software and a codec that supports 5.1 multitrack audio. You would have to play the original source 4 times, which could be a pain, but it might be worth it to you if you want to preserve audio in 6 channels rather than 2. If your input device supports Digital Out (S/PDIF) then you could stream it directly to a sound card. If your input device only supports analog outputs, you could get an external S/PDIF digital encoder that supports 6-track audio, and run all channels of the source into the encoder, then stream digital audio from the encoder to your sound card. Hopefully your computer supports S/PDIF input....if it dosen't, then these options won't work for you. I don't think Windows Sound Recorder is a great choice for this, especially if you want to record six tracks or record digitally; audacity will work, although you will need another program to sum up the 6 seperate channels into a 5.1 channel audio file. Many sound cards also come with recording software specially tailored to that card's inputs, like software that can record 5.1 audio directly from a digital source. If none of these options are viable, you could always borrow a multitrack recorder from a local radio station or theatre and use it. If you get caught stealing one, I didn't tell you to!
