Recording from PCM

drauk · 09-25-2007, 02:23 PM

Hi all
someone know how to record [if is possible] directly from PCM??
my sound card is NVidia nforce.
i tried to change from mic to pcm in alsamixer and in kmix but PCM doesn't appaer in the "record device"
I read in one page that i can record directly from pcm output if my sound card support it, and i'm sure it does [windows experience]

Thanks.

osor · 09-25-2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drauk

I read in one page that i can record directly from pcm output if my sound card support it, and i'm sure it does

You can record from pcm as long as alsa can play to your soundcard.

To get all PCM devices, use

Code:

arecord -L

Then, just record from them like so:

Code:

arecord -D default -f cd -t wav output.wav

(replace default with your device)

You can also make pseudodevices using the .asoundrc file. For example (taken from the arecord manpage):

Code:

pcm.copy {
	type plug
	slave {
		pcm hw
	}
	route_policy copy
}

Allows you to do

Code:

arecord -f cd -t wav -D copy foobar.wav

Of course .asoundrc is much more powerful than that. It allows all sorts of magic you might never have previously expected (for example, making a virtual four-channel device from two soundcards).

Of course there are other alsa-based recorders (more graphically pleasing than arecord). As an example, audacity uses the same alsa devices.