Help! How do I record audio only thru a video capture card.

The setup I have is External DVD player > composite video and audio > AIW card in my PC. Of course the AIW outputs video to the monitor and sound thru the soundcard to speakers.

I want to record the audiotrack ONLY off the DVD to mp3.

I can use something like VirtualDub to capture the combined audio and video and then strip the mp3 audio from the AVI using TMPGEnc. But this is slow and inefficient since it uses a lot of drive space.

I know I can also just hook the audio output from the DVD player directly into the soundcard and use something like Audiograbber to capture audio and save as mp3. But I don't want to do that because I want to keep my composite wiring as is (into AIW card)

So what I am looking for is a simple program that will go against AIW card and just let me capture the audio stream. Or a program that decodes the video and audio but lets me save just the audio stream.

Can anyone point me in the right direction (preferably public domain software). Thanks.

Head over to Digital Digest, they have some listed apps there for audio ripping from DVDs.

http://www.digital-digest.com/

Thanks for the link chatbox. But I probably didn't explain myself fully. I basically want to be able to take ANY audio stream (composite, not digital) - eg from my stereo unit, audio output from the satellite receiver, from a DVD or a CD etc .... and feed it into the RCA connector IN to my AIW capture card. So I want some really simple audio-only software, but that will activate the AIW card audio portion. So I don't need a ripper as much as a simplified capture program.

While I am sure that some of the programs at Digital Digest might be able to disable some functions and do what I am looking for, I really don't want to install them all without some recommendation if you have one.

isn't your AIW already hooked up to your Soundcard? and then you just use volume control and select the certain recording output you want? and mute the rest?

Originally posted by rp_guy@Apr 25 2004, 06:41 PM
isn't your AIW already hooked up to your Soundcard? and then you just use volume control and select the certain recording output you want? and mute the rest?

Yes the AIW is connected to the sound card. So I can "activate" the AIW using Virtiual Dub. And then I can "record" off the sound card using the monitor function in Audiograbber. But the volume control record function is dead unless I "activate" the AIW card. So what I need is a program that gives me the "activation" feature of Vdub and then the "recording" feature of audiograbber. I want a single-step program rather then having to do the two-steps.

I am sure it must be possible, because Virtual Dub is a simple small program and what I am looking for would have even less functionality...

I probably haven't explained myself well, but I hope you get the question.... :wacko:

Why not just bypass the video card and hook the dvd up to the soundcard directly. You can still watch the video and listen to whatever if the line in is unmuted. Then just use any audio recording program to record line in.

If I bypass the videocard with the audio stuff, then you're right - I can record and hear the audio. But then I cant record AVI?

Originally posted by Cough@Apr 25 2004, 09:13 PM
If I bypass the videocard with the audio stuff, then you're right - I can record and hear the audio. But then I cant record AVI?

Double check that you can't record AVI. Because I have a ATI TV wonder PCI and I have to specify the audio input in the initalization wizard. I know virtualdub will record using the input from the soundcard and the video from the capture card and merge them into one file.

Originally posted by KoolFire+Apr 26 2004, 03:49 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (KoolFire @ Apr 26 2004, 03:49 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Cough@Apr 25 2004, 09:13 PM
If I bypass the videocard with the audio stuff, then you're right - I can record and hear the audio.&nbsp; But then I cant record AVI?

Double check that you can't record AVI. Because I have a ATI TV wonder PCI and I have to specify the audio input in the initalization wizard. I know virtualdub will record using the input from the soundcard and the video from the capture card and merge them into one file. [/b][/quote]
I see what you are saying (sorry I misunderstood you the first time). Put the video input to the AIW card, put the audio input directly to the audio card. That might work, but I was trying to avoid that since I wanted to leave my wiring as is (all inputs to the AIW card) because of how it is installed thru the house :wacko:

I still think there must be some program that lets me activate the AIW (ie select composite input) and record the audio - still looking.........

And thanks for all the inputs.... lots of ideas coming forward!

I am not sure why you don't want to rip the audio directly from the DVD.

But, whatever your reason, here's what to do. Launch ATI TV and select composite input. Now that this is active, you should be getting signal to your line in of the sound card. Lauch a program that will capture audio from the sound card. Depending on the speed of your comp, I will suggest to capture in WAV format and just reencode to MP3 later.

BTW you can minimize ATI TV during this process.

Originally posted by flipside@Apr 26 2004, 09:53 AM
I am not sure why you don't want to rip the audio directly from the DVD.

But, whatever your reason, here's what to do. Launch ATI TV and select composite input. Now that this is active, you should be getting signal to your line in of the sound card. Lauch a program that will capture audio from the sound card. Depending on the speed of your comp, I will suggest to capture in WAV format and just reencode to MP3 later.

BTW you can minimize ATI TV during this process.

As previously stated:

I can rip directly. But I want something to record various audio feeds, including satellite, stereo etc.

I realize I can do it by launching two programs (Video card program and sound card program) But I am looking for the integrated package.

Originally posted by Cough@Apr 26 2004, 10:54 AM
As previously stated:

I can rip directly. But I want something to record various audio feeds, including satellite, stereo etc.

I realize I can do it by launching two programs (Video card program and sound card program) But I am looking for the integrated package.

The thing you have to consider is hardware. UR line in is hardwired to your video card and you do not want to mess up ur connections.

You have to create a new audio feed. Create a 3.5 audio plug and connect it to an auxiliary in or TAD In, or CD In or whatever audio in you have available on your sound card. Then just feed the audio to this input and capture it.

Other than that, I would try setting up a user defined capture parameters in ATI and see if I could set up one that captures the audio only.

good luck

Thanks. That was a good thought to parallel the input to the audio card.

I've looked for user parameters in ATI MMC, Virtual Dub, WinDVR and some others ....... but they all seem to want to record video for some reason!

Have you tried adobe audition?

under the volume control, go into the recording volume control, then select the AIW audio input as the recording source. then use your audio recorder of your choice to record it.