17th July 2001

Listening to a streaming live show over the Internet is great and all, but if you don't have access to archives, then you could miss something important -- like the latest in driveway repair techniques. You can record these audio missives using any application that permits you to tap into your System Mixer (or Wave Out). MusicMatch Jukebox (a free MP3 player and more) is one such application; with it, you can record any audio that comes streaming through your sound card. This includes any system sounds, such as error sounds, confirmation dialog dings, and even the microphone (if you leave it turned on by mistake). The first step involves the Volume / Recording Control, which is easily accessed by double-clicking on the yellow speaker sitting in the system tray. Once that's open, click Options | Properties, then choose "Recording" from the "Adjust volume for" dialog and be sure that the Mixer (if you have it) has a checkmark sitting beside it. Click "OK" to continue and you'll then see the various volume controls. Put a checkmark in the select box for the Mixer and adjust the volume to an appropriate level for the recording. In Jukebox, click Options | Recorder | Source | System Mixer. Next, start the stream or any other sound you wish to capture before hitting the record button. Also, be mindful of the file format you're saving to in the Jukebox by clicking Options | Recorder | Quality and selecting the appropriate type of file for the situation. Experiment a little to be sure that you find the right volume settings, and off you go! This may not work for everybody; if your sound card doesn't support full duplex mode, you may have to sit this one out. Know, too, that just about any audio software can do the same thing. We just found Jukebox to be the easiest.