How do I search repositories for older versions of gnome-sound-recorder? Where do I find the repositories? How do I install the older version if I find it?

Review the link below which gives an explanation. You should need to just modify your /etc/apt/sources.list. Never tried it myself so...?

http://superuser.com/questions/33953...buntu-versions

Do not mix releases in your /etc/apt/sources.list (i.e. mix 9.04 "Jaunty" with 16.04 "Xenial"). That is a recipe for disaster.

You can search older versions of gnome-sound-recorder here: http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?ke...sound-recorder

To install, simply download the .deb and install it with your favorite package manager. HOWEVER, please use caution---installing a package for the wrong release of Mint may result in broken/unsatisfied dependencies! Carefully read the output to make sure nothing important will be broken or removed, and do not proceed unless you are 100% satisfied with the proposed changes.

May I ask why you feel the need to risk installing an unsupported version of gnome-sound-recorder? Typically, for the vast majority of users, it is recommended to install tested and trusted applications from the supported repositories.

The newest sound recorder is extremely dumbed down. Only records from microphone. Does not save file as .wav. Does not indicate microphone volume very well. Can not record phone conversation when I use google hangouts, except thru microphone which make the playback sound like it is coming out of a tin can. I am running mint 18 cinnamon. It now saves files to "Recordings" the previous version saved to "Audio" so after I made some new recordings I expected them to be saved in Audio. Wasted a lot of time trying to find those files.The previous version of sound recorder worked with 17 cinnamon, but when I installed 17 on another drive, the latest version of sound recorder came up. The new version is very disappointing.

I do not want to use Audacity. Too complex for recording on the fly. All the other recording applications are similar to Audacity, so they do not work for me.

Sounds like a tricky situation. My only other suggestion is that Mint 17 will be fully supported through 2019.

17 does not help regardless of how long it is supported, because unless you do not do the upgrades on an existing install, or do a fresh 17 install you will be running the latest gnome-sound-recorder.

I did a little more research for you (slow day at work!) and discovered that 'gnome-sound-recorder' used to be provided the 'gnome-media' package in older Ubuntu/Mint releases.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/gnome-media

However, I am skeptical that older gnome-media will install in newer releases, as it seems to have dependencies to specific versions of the gnome desktop.