Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording

Subject: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:08 AM

Running 5.1 Standard Edition, I never had any trouble before, nor do I recall changing any settings. But one day, to my chagrin, it quit catching stuff. Can anyone steer me through a recheck of settings and then-- maybe [shudder] -- maybe some Windows update disabled it?

I already tried downloading an updated version-- same deal.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 09:59 AM

What version of Windows are you running? What firewalls and such are in residence?

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 10:09 AM

Windows XP with updates, period.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 12:37 PM

Before fooling with software tweaking, have you disconnected and reconnected the hardware and cables you're using? Taking a little time to do that might save you a lot of grief (because after you do all of the software stuff you'll STILL have to plug in the cables properly!)

I'm not familiar with the particular recording program, but it sounds like the difficulty is OS or equpiment generated, so I'd look at equipment first then the OS and since you can in theory go back, you might have to. Are you familiar with XPs "go back" feature? Can you pinpoint a date when the software died?

Meanwhile, John In Kansas will no doubt notice this thread and offer a couple of yards of text to help solve the problem!

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 17 Jul 05 - 08:47 PM

Are you sure it's TOTALLY quit recording?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 09:01 AM

Stilly -

I'm afraid JohnInKansas can't offer much help here. I made several LP to CD conversions a while back, but when I went back to try it again nothing in my setup works. I'm pretty sure I've got some bad cables, but can't even remember for sure which programs I used.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 09:14 AM

Total Recorder uses zero added hardware-- it's software that catches whatever goes through the soundcard, and gives you a file you can save as a .wav (for editing or conversion to other file formats). It also can be used to convert LPs if you line into the puder from a any kind of player, but I'm not doing that.

Uncle Dave-- LOL!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 09:27 AM

Susan, what are you capturing as files, then? Are these files that you're playing from the Internet that you're capturing in WAV files and burning to disks?

If you have your computer set to automatically update from Microsoft, then an update with an unfavorable default setting may have been installed in such a subtle fashion that you weren't aware of it. You can visit Windows Update and in the left column you'll see a link to "review your update history." There may be a clue to start with there. I find that if I'm having problems with a program I'm usually not alone, and it has been discussed in techie sites, so running a search on the name of the update should bring you to some of those discussions.

I hope this gives you a starting point!

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 11:47 AM

Susan, if you are running Windows XP, try doing a system restore to a date before the problem started, at least you will know then if its a software prob.

whb

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: IvanB
Date: 18 Jul 05 - 05:23 PM

Susan, what's your recording source set to? Has it accidentally got switched to "Sound Board?" For the type of thing you're doing, setting the source to "Software" is better. Mine still works like a charm with either XP Home or Pro. Of course I'm still using ver. 4.4. Didn't even know they'd got to 5.

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 09:09 AM

I'll take a look. I was hoping you'd cath this, Ivan. I'll report back later today-- appt this AM.

Thanks!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 09:17 AM

HAD to try before appt-- YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, you bailed me out, again!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: IvanB
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 09:31 AM

I D/l'd version 5.2 and find it works pretty much the same for me as my older version. I've been using TR for recording from an external source lately, so I haven't paid much attention to how it acts with "streaming" media.

One thing I have noticed is that, if I set it up to record a playlist of different song files from the internet, using "Software" as the source setting, streaming stops after each file until I stop recording on TR. Thus, I have to treat recording of internet streams as an attended task, somewhat of a headache to my way of thinking. I think, however, it would manage things like the Prairie Home Companion or Smithsonian concert archives, where each program is presented as a continuous stream, it just seems to hiccup when the stream is broken and tries to start up again. I think this is perhaps an attempt to stop copying of copyrighted material and is either a function of Windows updates or of the programs that stream media themselves. I assume they may check for duplexing of the sound card and conclude you're up to nefarious purposes if there is duplexing, which is, after all, TR's method of recording. If so, it's a pity, since there are sources out there that it's perfectly legal to record.

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 10:10 AM

Is this program for fee or for free? What are other programs comparable to it?

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 10:23 AM

Ivan, yes, it does record all of PHC or other full-length broadcasts with no interruption in stream or recording. I mostly use it in an "attended" mode, since I want to review the material song by song looking for good stuff for our gospel band. I really depend on it for that-- I can learn a song myself very, very quickly, but to be able to archive it for the other members of the band is a real treat and reduces the amount of "teaching" I have to do on each song..... they get to hear it done in the original, not filtered by my interpretation, and they can help interpret into our style, with me.

There is one hourlong show I use it for without babysitting it, but it's archived, not a live stream, so I just use the timer when I feel like starting a new batch of material, and clip out the songs I want once I review the .wav, later.

I think after the puder itself, that you helped me spec, TR is the single most useful tool of all the ones you showed me. I use it on almost a daily basis for things I could not do otherwise, and with it we can include TONS of rare material-- shellac-era and wax-cylinder era originals.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: IvanB
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 10:56 AM

SRS, Total Recorder is a shareware program with a fairly low fee for the basic program. I see with version 5 they've added a "developer" version as well as several optional addons, which could make the program add up to a pricey solution. That said, I like TR's interface and capabilities and recommend it highly. Most important to me when I first got it, was the ability to record streamed sound from the internet by duplexing the sound card. Back then, there were a number of us meeting for song and tune sessions on PalTalk and it worked a charm for recording songs I liked and wanted to learn.

BillD, who I'd call Mudcat's "king" of free software, has pointed out free programs that perform the same functions, but once I'd paid for TR and was familiar with the interface, it seemed silly to try to deal with something else. One good thing - once you've paid TR's fee, upgrades are free, even, so far, with "major" releases. And the basic version at $12 or $13 works fine for most purposes.

Subject: RE: Tech: Total Recorder Quit Recording
From: artbrooks
Date: 19 Jul 05 - 06:13 PM

SRS, I'm not familiar with Total Recorder, but I use Magix Audio Cleaning Lab to record vinyl to CD. It has a very effective snap-crackle-pop filter. It isn't free/share ware...it costs something like $25 from Best Buy.