# howto record direct from the soundcard?



## bigearsbilly (Aug 26, 2009)

like one can do *ls > /dev/dsp* to send stuff to the soundcard
is there a way reversing it and recording what's playing?

e.g. your browser is playing a tune is there a 
way to capture the sound to a file, wav mp3 etc?

Or a _simple_ application. (CLI)

not including  bloated *gnome* or *kde* apps with 300 hundred
library dependencies.

anyone?


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## vivek (Aug 26, 2009)

Try out SoX http://www.freebsdsoftware.org/audio/sox.html - Sound eXchange, the Swiss Army knife of audio manipulation. I use it as follows on by Ubuntu box to get sound from my tv cable connection. It may work for you as well..


```
sox -c 2 -s -w -r 32000 -t ossdsp /dev/dsp1 -t ossdsp -w -r 32000 /dev/dsp
```

It works with other programs too


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## bigearsbilly (Aug 27, 2009)

It appears to record but just a blank file.


```
$ rec 1.wav     

Input File     : '/dev/dsp' (ossdsp)
Channels       : 2
Sample Rate    : 48000
Precision      : 16-bit
Sample Encoding: 16-bit Signed Integer PCM

In:0.00% 00:00:10.07 [00:00:00.00] Out:479k  [  -===|====- ]        Clip:0    ^C
Aborted
```
.

i've been messing about for hours, no luck
tried messing with the mixer too.


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## bigearsbilly (Sep 2, 2009)

I've given up


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## richardpl (Sep 2, 2009)

bigearsbilly said:
			
		

> like one can do *ls > /dev/dsp* to send stuff to the soundcard
> is there a way reversing it and recording what's playing?
> 
> e.g. your browser is playing a tune is there a
> way to capture the sound to a file, wav mp3 etc?



You are complicating things. It is certainly possible with sound servers: like audio/nas


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## adamk (Sep 2, 2009)

Only some cards support recording the pcm channel directly.  If your card and drivers support it, you would be able to run 'mixer =rec pcm'.  You will likely get an error though, saying "unknown recording device: pcm".

You could also try the OSS drivers.  There appear to be more options for what you want with OSS:

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...+device&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=opera

And, finally, of course, you have the option of running a cable from the line-out on your sound card to the line-in and just recording from the normal "mic" recording device.

Adam


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## bigearsbilly (Sep 9, 2009)

yes thanks adam.
I had tried the =rec and got the error.
I tried *=rec vol*

maybe it is the card, as it doesn't work with debian either
but debian does on my laptop. 

thanks chaps, 
i've moved on to ruby on rails now


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