Recording problem

[oldsalt]

A few years ago I used to do a lot of recording with my computer. Now nothing seems to work. I am using Windows 7 with a duo core intel cpu. I am now listening to music coming from my computer from a cd that is playing from the dvd rom in the computer. I have gone to the speaker icon, right pressed it, chosen recording devices, checked both the show disabled and show disconnected devices, and selected Stereo Mix as the default recording device. None of the vu meters to the right of the various devices, including Stereo Mix, is showing any activity even though I am listening to music.. I have downloaded Audacity and followed a seemingly excellent tutorial. Under preferences I have chosen Host = Window direct Sound and also have tried MME. Playback device = Primary driver and I've also tried speakers and realtek digital output. Recording device = Stereo Mix and I've also tried Primary Sound Capture Driver and CD driver. Then the tutorial directs me to to go to the Audacity screen and to the downward pointing arrow by the microphone icon and choose "Start monitoring" from the pull down menu. Ok, but it doesn't do anything. No vu meter of any kind or any other sign of activity comes on even though I'm listening to CD music coming out of my computer cd drive and my computer's speakers. The pull down menu by the microphone now gives me the choice to "Stop Monitoring. Any ideas?

[aedipuss]

are you trying to rip the cd to mp3? audicity should do that without "recording analog output" that's going to the speakers. i use dbpoweramp audio converter but if you read the help files for audicity you should be able to figure it out.

[oldsalt]

No, I'm not trying to rip anything. What I really want to do is import some. of my old cassette tapes. I have had no trouble importing the sound through "line in." The music comes out of my computer speakers just fine. I just want to record "what you hear" in real time. I specifically mentioned CD music through my computer cd roms because I haven't even been able to do that much either and I expect that when I solve that problem, I'll solve the other one too. Actually when I want mp3s, I'll just use cdex like always unless microsoft has figured out some way to screw that up too.

[aedipuss]

some audio cards are flakey. you can try using a cable to connect the line-out port to the line-in port and capture that with audacity.

[AudioParadiso]

Don't know much about Windows 7 but the record 'what you hear thingo' or 'stereo mix as in XP was (as you've said) to record what your PC hears but I'm getting confused when you say your are trying to record cassette tapes because that should definately be by selecting the line-in and then doing the Audacity (or whatever) thingo.
If you have more than one soundcard make sure you have the correct soundcard selected and make sure nothing's muted and that all the faders are up.