Is Windows Sound Recorder restricted to 60 seconds (XP SP1)

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I think I must be going mad. I want to record from my microphone, using Windows Sound Recorder, and I just can’t find how to record for more than 60 seconds.

When I press the red Record button the window shows that the recording length is 60 seconds. When the time is up the recording stops.

I can open a .wav file that is 48 minutes long and edit it in the sound recorder, it is just that I cannot find out how to record using the microphone for an unspecified duration. What am I doing wrong?

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John–

I have no practical experience with WSR–so I’m just a search guy here–kind of analagous to a dumb terminal trying to see if my team can win in the NFL. But take a look at these l inks, particularly the MSKB on increasing recording time, and let me know if they help:

82215: How to Increase the Maximum Recording Time in the Sound Recorder Utility

Using Sound Recorder

Common Windows Sound Recorder Tasks: Sounds and Audio Devices

Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland Ohio) How To Use the Windows Sound Recorder

Go for the “task pane” links on the left.

hth,

SMBP

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Thanks SMBP. The pointer to the university article is particularly instructive.

Unfortunately the MS workaround is so cumbersome that I can’t believe that they have the nerve to offer it to the public. This workaround is so bad that I can’t find anything to compare it to. It will have to be an exemplar in cumbersomeness itself! My mind reels.

Here’s a rhetorical question. How much time would it have taken to add code asking for the expected recording time instead of defaulting this value to 60 seconds? Compared to all the other stuff in Windows XP this extra task would be merely a single millisecond in a whole century.

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Thanks SMBP. The pointer to the university article is particularly instructive.

Unfortunately the MS workaround is so cumbersome that I can’t believe that they have the nerve to offer it to the public. This workaround is so bad that I can’t find anything to compare it to. It will have to be an exemplar in cumbersomeness itself! My mind reels.

Here’s a rhetorical question. How much time would it have taken to add code asking for the expected recording time instead of defaulting this value to 60 seconds? Compared to all the other stuff in Windows XP this extra task would be merely a single millisecond in a whole century.

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John–

I have no practical experience with WSR–so I’m just a search guy here–kind of analagous to a dumb terminal trying to see if my team can win in the NFL. But take a look at these l inks, particularly the MSKB on increasing recording time, and let me know if they help:

82215: How to Increase the Maximum Recording Time in the Sound Recorder Utility

Using Sound Recorder

Common Windows Sound Recorder Tasks: Sounds and Audio Devices

Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland Ohio) How To Use the Windows Sound Recorder

Go for the “task pane” links on the left.

hth,

SMBP

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Hi, I read an article on recording your own sounds using Windows Sound Recorder which stated that it had a 60 second limit. I think it is only meant for simple voice work. This 60 seconds takes up 1.2 megabytes of disk space.
Elaine

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Hi Elaine–

The 60 second limit is a default like the Windows XP registry out of the box. It can be increased just as the registry can be tweaked to make a much better, more versatile operating system. Here’s how Microsoft says to do it; this was in the post immediately above yours.

How to Increase Recording Time of Windows Sound Recorder Beyond Default of 60 Seconds in Windows XP:[/u]

1) Click Record, and then let Sound Recorder run for 60 seconds.
2) After Sound Recorder stops recording, click Save As on the File menu, and name the file Blank.wav.
3) To increase the maximum recording time in Sound Recorder, click Insert File on the Edit menu, and then insert the Blank.wav file that you saved in step 3. When you do this, the maximum recording time is increased by 60 seconds. You can repeat this step once for each additional minute of recording time that you want to add. For example, for a 5-minute recording time, insert the Blank.wav file five times.[/i]

The KB below also tells you how to make the time of recording increase automatically over that 60 second default.

82215: How to Increase the Maximum Recording Time in the Sound Recorder Utility

Cheers,

SMBP

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SMBP, Thanks. Your post wasn`t there when I started to write mine. You sure can come up with links and answers for everyone. I gave up on this Recorder ages ago as I believed what I read in that article. Now I can try to use it again thank you. I should have learned by now not to trust anything I read unless it is on this Forum. You have kept me up late tonight as I have just spent hours reading links you provided in another post. It`s really amazing what can be learned here. You must spend all your spare time tracking down answers for all of us! Keep up the good work, and thanks again.
Elaine

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SMBP, Thanks. Your post wasn`t there when I started to write mine. You sure can come up with links and answers for everyone. I gave up on this Recorder ages ago as I believed what I read in that article. Now I can try to use it again thank you. I should have learned by now not to trust anything I read unless it is on this Forum. You have kept me up late tonight as I have just spent hours reading links you provided in another post. It`s really amazing what can be learned here. You must spend all your spare time tracking down answers for all of us! Keep up the good work, and thanks again.
Elaine

Reply | Quote

Hi Elaine–

The 60 second limit is a default like the Windows XP registry out of the box. It can be increased just as the registry can be tweaked to make a much better, more versatile operating system. Here’s how Microsoft says to do it; this was in the post immediately above yours.

How to Increase Recording Time of Windows Sound Recorder Beyond Default of 60 Seconds in Windows XP:[/u]

1) Click Record, and then let Sound Recorder run for 60 seconds.
2) After Sound Recorder stops recording, click Save As on the File menu, and name the file Blank.wav.
3) To increase the maximum recording time in Sound Recorder, click Insert File on the Edit menu, and then insert the Blank.wav file that you saved in step 3. When you do this, the maximum recording time is increased by 60 seconds. You can repeat this step once for each additional minute of recording time that you want to add. For example, for a 5-minute recording time, insert the Blank.wav file five times.[/i]

The KB below also tells you how to make the time of recording increase automatically over that 60 second default.

82215: How to Increase the Maximum Recording Time in the Sound Recorder Utility

Cheers,

SMBP

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Hi, I read an article on recording your own sounds using Windows Sound Recorder which stated that it had a 60 second limit. I think it is only meant for simple voice work. This 60 seconds takes up 1.2 megabytes of disk space.
Elaine

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John ~

Sound recorder does not have a 60 second limit – sound recorder can record without limit at 60 second increments. All you need to do is when you get to the end of the 60 seconds and it stops, simply hit the record button again and continue, etc. – you do not need to save until you are completely done.

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Thanks, Bruce. Sadly my need is to record a performance that will last well over 30 minutes and might go on for over 45 minutes. Your solution, although admirable if I was recording my own recitation, will leave tiny gaps every minute in the recording I’m due to be making of someone else’s performance.

Can you believe the awkwardness of the Microsoft workaround? I already tried to open a 48 minute .wav file in the Sound Recorder and it must have taken five minutes to open the file! That workaround is so incredibly awkward that I won’t bother with it and I’ll just use another app instead. I’ve got Dart CD Recorder, I just didn’t want to have to install it merely for this one task.

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John ~

Sound recorder does not have a 60 second limit – sound recorder can record without limit at 60 second increments. All you need to do is when you get to the end of the 60 seconds and it stops, simply hit the record button again and continue, etc. – you do not need to save until you are completely done.

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Per the KB posted X2 above, You need not sit there and wait until the end of each 60 seconds hitting the record button again and again. You could even fall asleep and get it done. The KB on this shows you how to avoid having to do that, and how to force Sound Recorder to use the length of time automatically. The KB speaks to the problem that started the thread completely. Here’s how:

Use the blank wave file to avoid having to repeatedly hit any buttons or keep attending settings:[/u]

Click Record, and then let Sound Recorder run for 60 seconds.
After Sound Recorder stops recording, click Save As on the File menu, and name the file Blank.wav.
To increase the maximum recording time in Sound Recorder, click Insert File on the Edit menu, and then insert the Blank.wav file that you saved. When you do this, the maximum recording time is increased by 60 seconds. You can repeat this step once for each additional minute of recording time that you want to add. For example, for a 5-minute recording time, insert the Blank.wav file five times.

To make Sound Recorder use the extended length of recording time automatically:[/u]

1) Right-click Start, and then click Open.
2) Double-click the Programs folder.
3) Double-click the Accessories folder.
4) Double-click the Multimedia folder or the Entertainment folder.
5) Right-click Sound Recorder, and then click Properties.
6) Click the Shortcut tab.
7) In the Target box, press the END key, press the SPACEBAR, and then type the location of the Blank.wav file.

8) For example, if the target is “C:Windowssndrec32.exe”, and the location of the Blank.wav file is C:Blank.wav, the new line in the Target box is “C:Windowssndrec32.exe C:Blank.wav”
The next time you start Sound Recorder, the Blank.wav file opens automatically. After you record your new .wav file, you can click Delete After Current Position on the Edit menu to remove the extra blank space in the file.

NOTE: When you finish recording and editing your new .wav file, save the file with a new file name.

SMBP

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I think, SMBP, that the point I was trying to make is that I would need a blank .wav file at least 50 minutes long. I have timed the opening of a 48 minute .wav file by Sound Recorder: it took 4 1/2 minutes. Then it took several minutes to close the Sound Recorder and I haven’t measured saving the over-written version.

No way is this a reasonable workaround for general use. I would be embarrassed to have to recommend it for anything over ten minutes recording time.

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I guess we’ll all have to keep looking to save us all heaps of embarrasment because I know there is a solution. I also don’t use Sound Recorder and never will have the need to so I guess I will be a degree less embarassed but I’ll keep my eyes out when I get some time.

Good luck,

SMBP

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I guess we’ll all have to keep looking to save us all heaps of embarrasment because I know there is a solution. I also don’t use Sound Recorder and never will have the need to so I guess I will be a degree less embarassed but I’ll keep my eyes out when I get some time.

Good luck,

SMBP

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Have you considered a third party sound recorder with a quantum leap more functionality than Windows Sound Recorder John?–Thhey’re just a google away, and I haven’t looked hard, but there are probably some free ones. I will look and see what I can find, but if I were you I’d put the question on Software Finds and Wants where there are a lot of people who hang who work with this kind of equipment and may be able to remedy your problem quickly.

SMBP

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Thanks SMBP. In fact I did mention in an earlier post answering Bruce Krymow that I actually had a copy of Dart CD recorder and I was merely too lazy to instal it just for this one recording session.

Thanks again for your interest and iput.

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Really sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Should have left it alone since I don’t use Windows Sound Recorder but I was curious about what it was. Now I’m going to make it a point to use it somewhere.

SMBP

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Really sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Should have left it alone since I don’t use Windows Sound Recorder but I was curious about what it was. Now I’m going to make it a point to use it somewhere.

SMBP

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Thanks SMBP. In fact I did mention in an earlier post answering Bruce Krymow that I actually had a copy of Dart CD recorder and I was merely too lazy to instal it just for this one recording session.

Thanks again for your interest and iput.

Reply | Quote

Have you considered a third party sound recorder with a quantum leap more functionality than Windows Sound Recorder John?–Thhey’re just a google away, and I haven’t looked hard, but there are probably some free ones. I will look and see what I can find, but if I were you I’d put the question on Software Finds and Wants where there are a lot of people who hang who work with this kind of equipment and may be able to remedy your problem quickly.

SMBP

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I think, SMBP, that the point I was trying to make is that I would need a blank .wav file at least 50 minutes long. I have timed the opening of a 48 minute .wav file by Sound Recorder: it took 4 1/2 minutes. Then it took several minutes to close the Sound Recorder and I haven’t measured saving the over-written version.

No way is this a reasonable workaround for general use. I would be embarrassed to have to recommend it for anything over ten minutes recording time.

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