Record - Troubleshooting

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Recorder Settings can be accessed by going to Tools > Advanced Tools > Record Sound > Options, and selecting Recorder Settings in the tree.

If the status just keeps displaying "Waiting for sound" even though you think it should be recording...

Verify that your external device is connected to the correct jack on the sound card and that it is functioning properly and set to a comfortable listening volume.

Go to Recorder Settings, and:

• Verify that you have selected the correct recording source, e.g. Line-in for the line-in jack on the sound card or Microphone for the microphone jack. The CD Audio source will record from your computer's CD drive only if there is an audio cable from the CD drive to your sound card.
• Verify that you have selected a reasonable volume level for the recording source. For most circumstances this should be around 50% to give a good volume level without distortion.
• Verify that the Gap level parameter is not set extremely high. It should normally be in the 1 to 15 percent range.

If the recorder isn't picking up the beginning of some tracks, especially ones that start out with a quiet section...

• Use the Auto volume adjustment tool in the Recorder Settings to select a proper recording volume level.
• Lower the Gap level parameter one percent at a time until it starts recording where you want it. Be aware that if you lower this too far, track splitting may not work properly.

See Recorder Settings for help with setting the volume and gap level.

If the automatic track splitting feature isn't working properly...

Make the following adjustments in the Recorder Settings box:

1. If too many tracks are being created (single tracks split into multiple), try increasing the Minimum gap between tracks parameter and/or lowering the Gap level parameter. You might try 2500 or 3000 for minimum gap or if you have a very clean recording source such as a CD player, try dropping the gap level to 2% or 3%.
2. If not enough tracks are being created (multiple tracks combined into one), try decreasing the Minimum gap between tracks parameter and/or raising the Gap level parameter. You might try 1500 for minimum gap or if you have a somewhat noisy recording source such as an old well-used cassette tape, try raising the gap level to 10-15%.
3. If the beginning or end of a song track is getting cut off, it may be because the music is very quiet at that point and the Gap level parameter is set too high so the system thinks this is just background noise. Try lowering the gap level a couple percent.

To make the track splitting feature most accurate, use the Track Names button to enter track names and times. This assists the recorder in deciding whether a quiet spot is really an inter-track space or just a quiet section in the music. This is especially useful on classical recordings that have a lot of dynamic range. If you enter track times, you might also want to drop the Minimum gap between tracks parameter somewhat (maybe 2000).

If your recordings seem too quiet with a lot of background noise or are too loud with a lot of distortion...

Use the Auto volume adjustment tool in the Tools > Advanced Tools > Record Sound > Options > Recorder Settings and click on the "Auto" button under Recording Volume.