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On Windows Vista and Windows 7 you can select the audio format that is used by recording devices in the so called shared mode.
On this page we explain how you can determine which the right audio format to select is and at the end of this page we show you how to change or check the selected audio recording format in Windows.
Shared mode is used by most audio recording programs, including the Sound Recorder, which means that all those programs can connect to and record from the same device simultaneously.
In shared mode, the audio will always be recorded from the device in the preselected audio format and is sent to the Sound Recorder in the format or sound quality you selected in the Recorder. If the sample rate of the selected quality in the Recorder is different than the sample rate of the selected format for the recording device, the audio will first be converted.
So no matter which sound quality you select to record with in the Recorder, if it is different than the preselected audio format for the recording device in Windows, it will be converted to the quality you selected in the Recorder. This causes audible side-effects!
So on Windows Vista and Windows 7 we have to deal with this single audio format that is used for shared mode and there are several possible reasons to change it, or at least to check what is currently selected on your computer:
- Audio formats with a sample rate higher than 48000 Hz, or with a bit depth higher than 16-bit, are meant for professional use in studios for example.
If you don't have to deliver to, or work in the professional audio industry, then selecting sample rates higher than 48000 Hz makes no sense at all and is a waste of processing power and disk space.
- If you primarily record at Compact Disc quality on your computer, make sure that the selected audio format is 2 channel, 16-bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality).
On many computers, DVD Quality is selected by default and converting DVD Quality audio to CD Quality introduces a slight ringing effect. This is clearly audible during relatively silent fragments.
Selecting a 24- or 32-bit quality is a waste of processing power and memory, because the Recorder works with 16-bit audio only, which is the standard on CD and DVD.
- The Sound Recorder will not offer sound qualities that have a sample rate higher than the selected sample rate for the recording device.
The sound quality can never become higher than the sample rate it was recorded with from the device. Converting FM-radio quality to CD quality for example, is only a waste of processing power and disk space and even introduces audible side-effects.
The same applies to playback devices. When audio is being played back, it will always be converted to the audio format you selected for the playback device. This may effect what you hear while recording if you checked the box at Monitor in the Recorder and it may effect what you hear in the Editor after recording has finished.
For more information on the audio format for playback devices,
see this other page on this site.
Changing the audio format
To change the audio format used by recording devices in Windows Vista or Windows 7, follow these steps:
1) Right-click on the little speaker icon in the taskbar of Windows and select Recording devices from the menu that pops up:
2) Highlight the device you want to change the audio format for (Line In for example) and click on the Properties button:
3) Click on the Advanced tab and select the desired audio format (sample rate and bit depth) from the drop-down box:
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