Audacity--Interrupts During Recording

[solarblast]

I tried using Audacity to record some music I was playing from a CD. It did not produce a smooth recording. It seemed like every 5-6 seconds it got interrupted, which caused problems in the output. Maybe my PC or software load is too big to be doing this. Comments? I'll probably run it later today or tomorrow with almost every window closed but winamp and audacity. XP pro. 1.67GHz machine.

[jagabo]

Something is wrong with your PC. But why don't you just rip the CD?

[solarblast]

I wanted exactly one track. I own the CD.

[jagabo]

rip = digitally copy from the CD to your hard drive. Most media players support this. MPCHC, VLC, WMP, etc.

In WMP go to the Rip tab, select the track(s), press Start RIP. (Note in WMP you select the file type and bitrate via Tools -> Options -> Rip Music.

It's pretty easy in MPCHC too: Select File -> Open Disc -> (cd drive). Navigate to the track you want then select File -> Save as. You'll get a WAV file that you can then convert to MP3 or whatever.

[solarblast]

Thanks. That's all very nice, but I still find it strange the Audacity burps along in the record mode. To solve the problem immediately, I grabbed my Pogo (radio Tivo-like device), and recorded it via line. It worked fine. I'll revisit Audacity w/o lots of windows open w/i 24-36 hours.

[jagabo]

I still find it strange the Audacity burps along in the record mode.

Like I said, there is something wrong with your computer. Some kind of software issue or an IRQ conflict. Try updating your audio drivers. Check your hard disk drivers. Make sure they are running in DMA mode.

[AlanHK]

I tried using Audacity to record some music I was playing from a CD. It did not produce a smooth recording. It seemed like every 5-6 seconds it got interrupted, which caused problems in the output. Maybe my PC or software load is too big to be doing this. Comments? I'll probably run it later today or tomorrow with almost every window closed but winamp and audacity. XP pro. 1.67GHz machine.

I've recorded hours using Audacity on a much lower spec laptop than you have, no problems.
Do ctrl-alt-delete to see what processes are running, how much memory is being used, etc.

But the best way to record from a CD is direct digitally, then any slow downs will not affect the result.
CDEx is an excellent free tool that can rip to MP3 (or other formats) at any quality.
If the CD is scratched up or has any glitches, try EAC.