Total Recorder has three types of audio drivers:

• User-mode virtual device driver. This is the same type of driver that has been supplied since the first version of Total Recorder.
• Kernel-mode virtual device driver, which was added in version 7.0.
• Kernel-mode filter driver, which was added in version 8.0.

When installing Total Recorder, you can select any combination of Total Recorder drivers to be installed, or you can select not to install a driver. It is recommended you choose one of the following configurations during installation:

1. Simple configuration.
   • Install Total Recorder with the kernel-mode filter driver only.
     This configuration is suitable in most cases because of its ease-of-use, an absence of undesirable effects due to additional drivers, and the main features of software recording, except for accelerated and silent recording, can be used.
2. Advanced configuration.

   • For Windows XP:
     Install Total Recorder with the user-mode driver and the kernel-mode filter driver.
• For Windows Vista and later:
  Install Total Recorder with both the kernel-mode drivers (virtual device driver and filter driver).
  
  This configuration provides the ability to use almost all of the features of software recording. More complex Total Recorder settings may be required especially if several sound devices are used.
3. Restricted configuration
   • Install Total Recorder without a driver.

If you install Total Recorder without a driver, you will not be able to record in Software mode. An alternative to Software mode recording is to record in Soundboard mode from a line such as "Stereo Mix", "Wave", "What U hear", or similar. Most sound boards have such a line. Installing Total Recorder without a driver may be necessary if you encounter compatibility problems between the Total Recorder drivers and other software.

If you install Total Recorder with more than one driver, you can select which driver Total Recorder uses.

To install or uninstall a driver, you must reinstall Total Recorder over the installed instance and select the appropriate driver options during installation. All of Total Recorder's settings and registration information are preserved except for any settings that are incompatible with the new driver's configuration.

Comparing Different Types of Total Recorder Drivers

User-mode virtual device driver

• Advantages
  • Sound is captured exactly in the same format that is used by an audio player to pass audio data to a sound board.
  • Sound can be captured from specific applications.
  • Accelerated recording is faster and more reliable.
• Disadvantages
  • This type of driver is not fully supported by modern operating systems. For Windows XP, you may find incompatibilities with some applications. For Windows Vista and later operating systems, most applications cannot be recorded with this driver. See information below.

Kernel-mode drivers (virtual device driver and filter driver)

• Advantages
  • These drivers are fully compatible with modern operating systems.
  • The kernel-mode filter driver does not require any change to your system audio settings.
• Disadvantages
  • Sound is captured after it has been processed (mixed, resampled) by the operating system. This results in the following:
    - You cannot restrict recording to a particular application.
    - Additional conversions of the format may be performed.
    - Volume regulators can affect the sound being captured.

  • Accelerated recording through the kernel-mode virtual device driver is slower and less reliable. Accelerated recording through the kernel-mode filter driver cannot be done at all.
  • You may experience other problems. For more information, see below.

Advantages of the kernel-mode filter driver over the kernel-mode virtual device driver

• The kernel-mode filter driver does not add a sound device in your system whereas the kernel-mode virtual device driver does. When using the kernel-mode filter driver, no special configuration of system audio devices or devices used by a program to be recorded is required.
• The kernel-mode filter driver does not result in problems with USB microphones on Windows XP.

Advantages of kernel-mode virtual device driver over the kernel-mode filter driver

• The kernel-mode virtual device driver can record in accelerated mode and in silent mode.
• If the kernel-mode virtual device driver is used, usually you can configure your system and sound applications so that only the application’s sounds will be recorded. If the kernel-mode filter driver is used, recording a particular application can be achieved only if there is more than one real sound playback device on your system.
• After installing the kernel-mode filter driver, a reboot is always required. After installing the kernel-mode virtual device driver, a reboot is not usually required.

Possible Problems with Total Recorder Drivers

Possible problems with Total Recorder's user-mode driver

- Incompatibility with DirectSound

Problems can occur with an application that uses Direct Sound. If such an application passes a sound stream through the driver, the sound may be garbled. For example, distortions often appear when using most versions of Skype 3.x.

 

- Incompatibility with a small number of applications

A small number of applications may not start at all, or they may function incorrectly, if the driver is set as a system default device. Examples of such applications include CyberLink software (e.g. PowerDVD, PowerProducer) and Adobe software (e.g. Adobe Premiere, Adobe Encore, etc.).

- Partial compatibility with Windows Vista

Using the Total Recorder user-mode audio driver will restrict your ability to record in Software recording mode. This issue is related to the significant changes in how the sound subsystem functions in Windows Vista. Total Recorder's user-mode audio driver cannot be set as a system default playback or recording device. Under Windows Vista, the Total Recorder user-mode audio driver can record output only for those programs that do not use (or can work without using) Direct Sound and they let you select an audio device independently of the system settings (e.g. Winamp).

Unfortunately, most audio playback programs do not satisfy this criterion (e.g. Windows Media Player, Real Player) and they cannot be recorded in Software mode. To record output from these programs, use one of the Total Recorder kernel-mode audio drivers. Alternatively, you can record without a driver, in "Sound board" mode, by taking the following steps:

1. Make sure your sound card has a loop-back line. Such a line allows you to record whatever is being played by a sound card. Most sound cards have a loop-back line. A typical name for this line is "Stereo Mix". Other names are "What you hear", "Wave out", "Loop back", and possibly others. The lack of a loop-back line means that recording output from other software cannot be done.
   
   Although your sound card has a loop-back line, it may not be enabled. Follow this link for information on making a line enabled.

2. Open the Recording source and parameters dialog.

3. Switch your recording source to SoundBoard and select a loop-back line from the list at the right.

4. Click OK. Try to make a recording.

Possible problems with Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver (virtual device driver or filter driver)

- Unable to record a particular application

The system mixes audio streams being played before it arrives in the kernel-mode driver. Audio streams being played can only be recorded in mixed form. This is similar to recording from a line such as "Stereo Mix". It is not possible to single out a stream belonging to a particular application as it could be made using a user-mode driver. All appropriate recording parameters (i.e. Record only streams opened after the recording has started and Record only this application) are disabled.

- Volume regulator affects the level of recording

The volume level of the Wave line affects the level of sound received by the kernel-mode driver. For quality recordings, it is recommended you set the volume level of the Wave line to the maximum position and do not change this level during the recording. You should use the level of the Master line to regulate the sound volume when recording.

Notes:

• Most players' volume regulators are connected to the Wave line. You should set the regulator to the maximum position and do not change it during a recording.
• The system volume regulator, which is the regulator that appears when you click on the system tray icon, is associated with the Master line. You can adjust it freely while recording.
• Under Windows XP, you can also use the volume regulator in Total Recorder's main window to adjust volume. Beginning with version 7.0, this regulator is associated with the Master line rather than the Wave line. Under Windows Vista, you should use only the system volume regulator.

- Accelerated recording through the kernel-mode filter driver cannot be performed

If Total Recorder is set to use the kernel-mode filter driver then Total Recorder cannot record in accelerated recording mode.

- Additional format conversion is sometimes performed

When a playback program passes a sound stream to the sound board, Windows can transform this sound stream to a format supported by your sound board. Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver receives this transformed stream rather than the original stream. The driver does not know the format of the original stream and Total Recorder can display only the format of the transformed stream.

In very rare cases, this conversion can result in a minor loss of quality, although this loss is normally not audible. Since the majority of recordings are performed in a compressed format, the compression results in more loss in quality (even if it is usually not audible) than the conversion.

Possible problems specific to Total Recorder's kernel-mode virtual device driver

- For some sound boards, a sound stream cannot be played through the board while another stream is played through the kernel-mode driver if the driver is set to use the sound board

This restriction can cause some problems:

Note that this problem does not occur with most sound boards.

- Incompatibility with USB-microphones under Windows XP

Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver does not work with USB microphones under Windows XP. This can result in problems when recording an Internet telephony program, such as Skype. Such programs can be recorded, however this requires some additional setup. For more information, see Total Recorder Help: Troubleshooting -> After installing Total Recorder with the kernel-mode driver, problems occur using a USB microphone.

 

Note that this problem does not occur on Windows Vista.

- Problems with accelerated recording

The speed of an accelerated recording can be lower when using the kernel-mode driver compared with the user-mode driver. The recorded sound may be garbled even though no problems appeared when the recording was being made. For more information, see Total Recorder Help: Using Total -> Recorder Recording -> Accelerated Recording.

- Driver's recording-level regulator may function improperly

It is possible that the recording level regulator or the volume for specific playback lines of the driver does not work. This depends on the particular sound board. If you encounter this problem, follow these recommendations:

• For Windows 2000/XP: Launch the system mixer, and use the controls of the real sound board rather than the controls of Total Recorder's driver.
• For Windows Vista: From the Control Panel, click Sounds (or select Options - System settings in Total Recorder's main menu), select the playback or recording device to be used, click the Properties button, and then go to the Levels tab.

- Under Windows 2000/XP, if you record from Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver device, you should manually select the recording line

Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver has only one recording line, called "Microphone". Recording actually occurs through the active recording line of a real sound board. If you find that a recording uses an incorrect line, you should manually select the proper recording line by using the system mixer.

This problem occurs mostly when recording Internet telephony programs, such as Skype. If you only want to record from a sound board, you should record directly from a real sound device rather than from Total Recorder's driver.

- Under Windows Vista, if you record from Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver device, the recording can use an incorrect line

If you use Total Recorder's kernel-mode driver to record from a recording device, sometimes the recording uses an incorrect line. This problem depends on the real soundboard driver.

This problem occurs mostly when recording Internet telephony programs, such as Skype. If you only want to record from a sound board, you should record directly from a real sound device rather than from Total Recorder's driver.

If this problem occurs, take the following steps:

• Stop using the recording device, and terminate the Internet-telephony conversation.
• From the Control Panel, click Sounds (or select Options - System settings in Total Recorder's main menu), and then go to the Recording tab.
• Select a real device (normally a microphone) that should be used for capturing sound, and click the Set Default button
• Select Microphone. Total Recorder kernel mode (WDM) audio driver, and click the Set Default button.
• Close the Sounds window.