Wanted: Some freeware to record whatever is being played on my computer in real time

Audacity records what you hear in your speakers using the stereomix, also records from various other sources, great tool
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/

That guide is not as good as this one,
http://www.yourmachines.org/tutorials/audacity.html

Merete, I thought it should, but why can't I get it too...i already was working with Audicity, and maybe i'm dumb...I cannot get it to do that...i'm playing something in another window, and Audicity just doesn't seem capable of recording it...maybe you could give me more precise instructions?  i would double the points, if you care.

thanks  glow

Sure,
I need to know what audio card you have, some audio cards if they use 5.1 stereo  Audacity cannot use the stereo mix.
It needs this and the lame.dll installed. Did you install the lame.dll
You'll need to configure your sound card to use stereo mix option.
it maybe disabled.

Soundmax HD Audio.  

one question you didnt answer did you install the lame dll?
Since Audacity uses what you hear in the speakers,
a couple of things you can check,
Take off the HD audio and use generic if possible.
stereo 2 speakers only,
open Master vol properties in recording tick to use stereomix, then again open your Soundmax audio console and check it has stereo mix enabled. close all back to desktop.
take a look here has a bit of a guide since we all use different sound cards I dont always have a manual for everyone handy.
This one is to disable the stereomix not what you want lol. just ignore that and look at the diagram.
http://www.digitalbreed.com/2007/enabling-stereomix-with-soundmax-drivers
Install the lame dll
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq?s=install&item=lame-mp3
Which medai player do you use?
Anyway open audacity make sure stereo mix is now listed in the source box, play a media file, if you can hear it in your speakers ok?
In Audacity click on the small mic below the recording bars you should now see the red bars moving adjust the volume for recording and playback on the left side of Audacity.

Drivers if needed
http://www.techspot.com/drivers/driver/file/information/3312/

Hope that solves it
Cheers

Merete  is lame_enc.dll the same?

stereomix is not an option in the source box...only mic and line in.

i cant use generic, apparently.

i'm useing winamp to play music, but also tried it with last.fm (a website) and other ways.

analogue I meant not generic oops aploogies there.
What's your OS?
lame_enc.dll yes!!
Can you use your actual audio console to record from your supposed to be able to record what you hear.
Wave out is the same as stereo mix try that.
The problem here is with the actual hardware, if it is not a full duplex card  work around buy an external audio card like Creative and use that.

check out this video with the sound effects at youtube
ahaha !! quite funny
SoundMax HD Audio problem
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vrS8L5GVMXA&feature=related
same thing mentioned here including the total recorder not free but only around 18 dollars
TotalRecorder installs a 'virtual soundcard' that can record any audio stream that runs through your machine.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/22516987/Soundmax-and-recording-sound.html
Drivers to fix some bugs only if your interested.
http://www.downloadpipe.com/showpads.html?string=SoundMAX%20Integrated%20Digital%20HD%20Audio&match=Exact&search=All

So you dont see the Stereo Mix from the drop down menue in Audacity?
Stereo-Mix.jpg

XP, and no, only Line IN and Mic.

the point was not to have to install a new card, it's not even my machine.  on my own machine, i have a nice soundcard with a physical wire going from the soundcard to ..to something, i forget, but it gets exact bit-for-bit copies with the digital wire..

Thanks,
Well i hope you have tested all the options in your SoundMax
When you record check the microphone option under recording options in SoundMax HD
When  recording streaming shows from the internet,  unclick the microphone setting and instead select the Wave out mix.
Try running a cable from the line out to line in.
Use a double adapter so you can have both on speakers and cable

So a work around the only solution you wont like since this is not your system and it's not free.
TotalRecorder
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/22516987/Soundmax-and-recording-sound.html
WMP has a recording option but I think they all use the sound card
http://all-streaming-media.com/record-video-stream/record-streaming-video-windows-media.htm
http://www.nch.com.au/soundtap/index.html

Merete, i'd like to have given you the points, and you help me some, but the bottom line is that I still can't do it!

Still cant do it?
Cant close this or give me the points :)
Glow what's your computer
desktop or laptop brand name
Lenova/ thinkpad/ compaq/ Del?/HP/
 there is always a work around for most things, all I know is you have a sound max HD audio card.

dell optiplex 745  (desktop tower)

i'd love to make this work, but i can't spend any money i don't have!

Hello glow, yes I understand, I wanted to take a look at your system specs/mainboard specs and find out as much as I could.
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/op745/en/index.htm

From  the manual you have only two audio sockets, mic and headphones, no  pc speaker socket
 I believe that's why they say half duplex.
 in other words the speakers connect via the head phones jack to your audio chip on the mainboard.
If the headphones line was rewired internally to connect to the mainboard
>> internal speaker connector (INT_SPKR)<< and then  problem should be solved or something like that I would have to look at it.

As I see it there is no other solution we agree on that, but you can tinkle with it>> as illistrated in this guide,
this guy resolved it by doing this.>>
In the extracted archive, theres a file which contains all the information required to install and setup the driver files and I found several entries which explicitly disabled the Stereo Mix for whatever reason.
 I changed all of them and installed the driver, and this is what I got:
http://www.digitalbreed.com/2007/enabling-stereomix-with-soundmax-drivers

use these drivers  V5.10.1.6240 dated 05/18/2007
ftp://ftp.dell.com/
-----------------------------------------------------

well  in the future compare the pros and cons for a virtual device Total recorder price verses a new Sound card PCI or tinkering with it. :)

The best option here and what I recomend if and when you can afford have this soundmax disabled and get a Creative sound blaster audio card..  all your problems solved, these cards will add new sockets at the rear of your tower,
1 for your PC speakers and 2 for recording lines in and lines out.. so you'll have 3, pink green and blue, instead of these two
sells for around 75 dollars Australian and cheaper.

Resolution can't be done as it is
All the best Merete

tell me what "Total recorder" is again?  and you get the points...

i appreciate your efforts, and yeah, this machine is WEAK!

Although the original question could not be answered per se, this is the absolute best solution and s/he really worked me through it and earned these  points, that's for sure.

Thanks so much glow.  :)
You are most welcome.
Best
Merete