10. How do I control what I record and what I listen to?

Windows Vista, 7, and higher operating systems

This is controlled by the Windows Volume Mixer, and the Sound settings in the Windows control panel.

Single left-click on the speaker icon in your task bar to change the overall volume level on your PC or mute/un-mute the sound. Click the Mixer button below the volume fader (or right-click on the speaker icon and select Volume Mixer) to change the volume of specific devices or applications that are running on your computer.

To check additional playback settings or to configure your record settings, use the "Sound" settings - accessed from the Control Panel or by right-clicking on the speaker icon and selecting 'Recording Devices' (this opens the Sound window showing the Recording tab).

In the Recording tab, make sure that the device you want to use is not disabled. If it is, right-click on it and select 'enable'. Set your recording level by right-clicking on the device and selecting Properties - then select the Levels tab.

Windows XP and earlier operating systems

This is controlled by the Windows sound card mixer - the Record Control and Play (or 'Volume') Control panels.

To open the Play Control, double-click on the speaker icon in your taskbar, usually at the bottom of your computer screen in the right-hand corner, or go to Start | Programs | Accessories | Entertainment | Volume Control. The Play Control is for OUTPUT; it allows you to choose what outputs you listen to and how loud they are.

To open the Record Control window, click on Options | Properties to open the Properties window, select the 'Recording' radio button, and press OK. The Record Control window is for INPUT; it allows you to choose what you record. For example, if you were recording audio using the line-in on your sound card, you would select 'line-in' as your recording input.

In the Properties window, you can choose which audio device you wish to control (the "Mixer device"). Normally you don't need to change this. You can also select which volume controls you want displayed in the Record/Play Control panels.

You can also open the Windows sound card mixer directly from RealBand. One way of opening it from RealBand is to click on the speaker button in between the input and output meters in the VU Meters window.

Another way that you control audio recording and playback is by choosing your audio input and output drivers. If you only have one sound card you don't normally need to worry about this. There are two places you can configure your audio drivers - in the RealBand program, and in the Windows control panel (assuming you are using MME; ASIO is only configured within the recording program and ASIO driver control panel):

  • RealBand: Options | Preferences | Audio | [Drivers].

  • In the Windows Control Panel: Multimedia (Win 98/ME), Sounds and Multimedia (Win 2000), Sounds and Audio Devices | Audio (Win XP), or Sound | Playback/Recording devices (Win Vista/7).

In RealBand, if you have "Microsoft Sound Mapper" selected as your audio driver, RealBand will use whatever is configured in the Windows Control Panel. If you have a driver *other* than the Microsoft Sound Mapper selected, RealBand will use that driver specifically.

Windows XP and earlier operating systems: Whenever you launch the Windows sound card mixer, it always opens showing the mixer panel for the currently selected audio driver in the Windows Control Panel.

If you get an error message when you try to open the sound card mixer or nothing happens when you try to open it, this means that the selected audio driver doesn't have an associated Record or Play Control window. In this case, the audio device will usually have a separate control/mixer console that you can access from the Control Panel. You will need to check with your sound card documentation if you are not sure where to find it.


Last edited by Alyssa - PG Music; 09/11/18 07:02 AM.
Alyssa - PG Music