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RadioRipper v1.0 Help Topics

Copyright (c)1999 Sonetics, Inc.
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General Help Topics

How come I can't hear any audio when RadioRipper starts?

  Besides the obvious things to check (e.g. volume is up, etc),
  there are several other possibilites for why this is occurring.

  The most likely error is that you have not set your sound
  card to take input from line-in.  Bring up Volume Control
  and make sure that the "Line" output volume is set reasonably
  high.  Next, make sure "Line" is selected for recording by
  choosing Options/Properties in Volume Control and changing
  the radio button to "Recording".  This allows you to adjust
  volumes for recording.  Make sure that "Line" is selected
  for input, and that its volume is reasonably high.

  There are many older sound cards that do not support
  full-duplex operation.  This means that while you record, you
  will not be able to hear sound.  There is nothing that can be
  done from RadioRipper's perspective to correct this -- you
  will need a full duplex sound card in order to record and
  playback at the same time.

  There are some sound cards that may not mix line-in
  input automatically with output.  RadioRipper assumes that
  your sound card mixes line-in input (your radio) with its
  output.

The recorded WAV file is silent!

  RadioRipper uses your system's default recording device to
  record music.  If you are getting silent WAV files when
  recording, be sure that line-in is selected for recording,
  and that its volume is reasonably high.  The Volume Optimizer
  will help you to adjust your input volume appropriately.

How do I get the best quality radio rips?

  A large part of radio recording quality is due to the quality
  of your reception.  When possible, make sure your tuner and
  antenna are high quality components, and that they are
  properly adjusted.

  Use "line-in" instead of "mic" to record from your sound card.
  Sound cards usually have better line-in recording than mic
  recording.

  Using the Volume Control, adjust your recording volume (both
  the "Master" and "Line-In") up to about 90%.  Next, adjust
  your radio's volume so that the Volume Optimizer does not
  hit the highest red bar.  This assures you that you are not
  overloading your sound card's analog-to-digital converter.

  Sound cards have different recording qualities.  In general,
  the most popular sound cards (e.g. SoundBlaster AWE64) have
  fairly bad recording components because users normally don't
  mind input quality as much as output quality.  Sound cards
  targeted at musicians instead of gamers (e.g. Turtle Beach
  Tropez+) tend to have better recording components.  This is
  neither a recommendation nor a criticism of the sound cards
  mentioned -- simple economics dictate that some sound cards
  will be bettor at recording than others.


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Specific Help Topics

The help topics listed below explain some of the error messages
that are displayed during RadioRipper operation.

Topic A: "Unable to allocate necessary memory"

  When RadioRipper starts, an attempt is made to allocate enough
  memory to buffer 30 seconds of stereo music at 44.1 kHz.  This
  means that RadioRipper needs to be able to allocate:
    (30 sec) * (44100 kHz) * (16 bits) * (2 channels) = 5.29 MB
  If for any reason your system can't allocate thath memory,
  RadioRipper will not be able to run.

Topic B: "Couldn't start recording!"

  When RadioRipper starts, an attempt is made to open your sound
  card's default recording device and begin buffering music.  You
  may run into this error if you don't have a sound card, or if
  your system's default recording device is currently being used.
  You will also run into this error if your sound card does not
  support 16-bit stereo recording at 44.1 kHz.