• The latest Hits free and legal from the Internet!

• Try for free!
  Download now!

• Order with friends and save up to 10 US$!

• Perfect Pause Recognition
  for precise Song splitting!

• Tags Songs with
  Title and Artist
  from AOL radio™ and many other providers!

• Quick Recording
  of current Song!

• Assistent
  for easy start up!

• No Experience required!

• Great to discover new Music!

• MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV!

Frequently asked Questions

Read answers to the questions that are asked repeatedly!

• I do have a question, where do I get an answer?

  If you don't find the answer in these FAQs, please try the Forum first.

• What is so special about AOMrecord?

  There are two important characteristics that distinguish AOMrecord from other similar products:

  • AOMrecord does have a pause recognition and is therefore able to separate songs from each other.
  • AOMrecord stores the data for author and song name in tags if the final format of the sound file supports this.
• Is it legal to record music with AOMrecord?

  Yes, absolutely! It is 100% legal to record music for your own private use with AOMrecord. You may not use software that circumvents copy protection algorithms.

  I explicitly inform you about the following: AOMrecord does not circumvent any copy protection. It only records what is sent to the soundcard. This procedure may be compared with a recorder that records from your radio or stereo unit or with your video recorder. But there is a big difference: AOMrecord's recordings are of much higher quality!

  This information in no case is a legal information that you may depend on. Nor does it replace any legal information that you can get from your lawyer.

  For further legal information or if you live in another country, please contact a lawyer that is familiar with your country's laws according to this situation.

  The basic right of copying is outlined in § 1008 (US law):

  § 1008. Prohibition on certain infringement actions
  No action may be brought under this title alleging infringement of copyright based on the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a digital audio recording device, a digital audio recording medium, an analog recording device, or an analog recording medium, or based on the noncommercial use by a consumer of such a device or medium for making digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings.

  § 1201. Circumvention of copyright protection systems
  prohibits the circumvention of copyright protection systems, which is not what we do. So this does not become effective in any way.

  There's more information about this issue: The Trusted Computing Group and "Trusted Computing" – Frequently Asked Questions.

• Pauses are not or seldom recognized, they are displayed with a delay in the histogram. A song does always at its end contain the beginning of the next song.

  Most probably the value for Max. silence volume (tab Radio@...) is not correct. This value is the amplitude below that AOMrecord assumes silence.

  Solution: On the histogram (Recording level statistics for 10 seconds) on the tab Audio devices observe the highest value that is displayed during a pause. To make things easier you can produce an artificial pause by switching playback off. Enter a value that is 10 to 30% higher than the value that you observed. Sometimes it may be wise to experiment a bit with this value.

• Pauses are not or seldom recognized, even if they are clearly visible in the histogram.

  There are some possible reasons for this:

  • The value for Length of pause between songs (tab Radio@...) is too high. AOMrecord recognizes a pause between songs if it records silence for certain time period.
    
    Solution: On the histogram (Recording level statistics for 10 seconds) on the tab Audio devices observe,  how long a pause really takes. The distance between two graduation marks on the histogram is exactly one second. The value for Length of pause between songs (tab Radio@...) may not be higher than the length of the shortest pause between two songs.
  • The value for Max. silence volume (tab Radio@...) is not correct. This value is the amplitude below that AOMrecord assumes silence.
    
    Solution: On the histogram (Recording level statistics for 10 seconds) on the tab Audio devices observe the highest value that is displayed during a pause. To make things easier you can produce an artificial pause by switching playback off. Enter a value that is 10 to 30% higher than the value that you observed.
  • Sometimes short distortions may AOMrecord cause to recognize the end of a pause. This is displayed as a single peak on the histogram, followed by silence.
    
    Solution: It may be wise to change the pause recognition method to detection by average (disable Silence detection by peak level on the tab Radio@...).
  • In very rare cases on slow computers AOMrecord may not get enough processing time to recognize a pause correctly.
  • Solution: Take care that no other activities use processing power when AOMrecord is recording. Encode the sound files separated from the recording process ( Do not encode while recording on the tab Options (1)).

  Notes:
  It may be wise to combine some of the steps described here. The optimal settings depend on several influences (e.g. type of recorded music, arrangement of pauses by the provider, soundcard, computer configuration, operating system etc.).

  It is very important that all connectors are sitting properly and that you don't use low quality cables to ensure that no external distortions can be inserted into the audio signal.

• After running AOMrecord the system sounds are destroyed.

  This happens if AOMrecord was not terminated properly.

  Solution: Read the help file for the tab Options (1), how to recover your sound scheme.

• Another program's or games' sound is recorded, even if I disabled the system sounds.

  Some programs don't care about disabling the system sounds.

  Solution: If the program has an option to disable the sound, use this. Sorry, but there is no other solution to this as long as all sounds are played back via a single soundcard.

• Artist and Song name are not displayed when I record from AOL radio™ or Radio@Netscape™.

  Solution:
  The checkbox Enable station data update by this provider on the tab Radio@... must be enabled and set corresponding.

• My computer is relatively slow. For this reason I cannot convert the audio data while I record.

  In this case you should enable the setting Do not encode while recording on the tab Options (1) and use AOMencode, to encode the sound files later.

• The recording level stays high, even during the pause between songs.

  There are several possible reasons for this:

  • Sometimes the connection between your computer and your stereo unit may cause this. You may hear a hum in your speakers, too.
    
    Solution: There are filters available to prevent this. Ask your stereo dealer. Sometimes it may help turn the stereo unit's or the computer's plug. Or you try another wall socket.
  • If you additionally record a whistle sound, you probably use the digital optical input of your soundcard and input and output are not or not correctly connected with each other.
    
    Solution: Check the connection. Especially fiber optic cables that are connected with an adapter may cause this problem because the are not (or cannot be) properly inserted.
  • There is a microphone connected to your computer and you are recording from the microphone input. You most probably always record some background noise, too.
    
    Solution: Use the correct input. There is more information about this in AOMrecord's help for Audio devices.
• AOMrecord does not select the correct soundcard input and/or doesn't adjust the settings correct. I do always have to do these settings in the Windows mixer myself.

  There are some cases when AOMrecord is not able to adjust the mixer settings correct.

  Solution: You must adjust the mixer settings yourself in this case. To prevent AOMrecord from re-adjusting them, the checkbox Use saved mixer settings at start of AOMrecord on the Audio devices tab must be disabled. To be on the safe side restart AOMrecord before adjusting the mixer.

• After a while AOL radio™ or Radio@Netscape™ switches off and AOMrecord records only silence.

  This is a known problem.

  Solution:
  1. Use the setting Try to restart radio if silence is detected on the tab Options (1).
  2. In the AOL radio™ or Radio@Netscape™ window click the Stop and Playback button after each other or change the station short-time.
  3. Alternatively it may help to restart AOMrecord and/or the AOL^® client software.

• AOMrecord does not terminate when I click on the × on the title bar.

  This is the case if the setting Delay program termination until end of song on the tab Options (1) is enabled.

  Solution: Disable this setting or click × again.

• Must AOMrecord be loaded, when I use the Windows Taskplaner?

  No, the Windows Taskplaner launches AOMrecord at the corresponding time.

• Can I launch AOMrecord with command line parameters to use it in a batch file e.g.?

  Yes, this can be done and is meaningful in many cases. There is a description of possible parameters here.

• The music I recorded sounds very wrong. Trebles and/or bass seem to be very raised or lowered.

  Solution: Equalizer und tone controls should be disabled or set to their neutral position while you record. If they are not, their settings will changed on the next playback again and accumulate each other. This is probably not what you expect from a high fidelity playback.

• AOMrecord displays the following message in its status line: "Warning: More than xx recoding buffers occupied!".

  Normally this message should never occur. AOMrecord caches the sound data in internal buffers to make sure that no data get lost even if other programs need processing power. If you use programs that occupy the processor very extensive or if your computer's speed is relatively slow, this may happen.

  Solution: Enable the option Do not encode while recording on the tab Options (1)) and don't use programs that need much processing power while you record with AOMrecord. In some cases it may help if you apply the following patch to the file AOMrec.ini that can be found in the program folder of AOMrecord (C:\Program files\AOMrec): Increase the value in the line that begins with RecordingBuffers. If you double click this file it will open in an editor window that lets you apply this change. If this helps in your case, I ask you to inform me to give me a chance to take this into account on future improvements.

• Recordings are interrupted by a beep from time to time.

  AOMrecord is Trialware. This means, you can try it for a while. After this time I ask you to honor my work by registering the program and paying the registration fee. To protect my rights AOMrecord periodically inserts a beep into the recording. All other functions are not limited.

  Solution: Please register AOMrecord and honor my developing efforts by paying the registration fee.

• I cannot play the MP3 files I recorded with WinAmp (before version 2.0.499).

  AOMrecord is Trialware. This means, you can try it for a while. After this time I ask you to honor my work by registering the program and paying the registration fee. To protect my rights, AOMrecords with lower quality after a while. Al other functions are not limited. There are versions of WinAmp that cannot play MP3 coded songs with this quality.

  Solution: Use the Windows Media Player for playback and please register AOMrecord and honor my developing efforts by paying the registration fee.

• I'd like to store my music as MP3 resp. WMA files, but the buttons for WMA resp. MP3 are disabled.

  If you cannot select WMA or MP3, the corresponding encoding software is not installed. There is more information about this in the AOMrecord's assistant.

• After launching AOMrecord playback of AOL radio™ or Radio@Netscape™ switches off.

  This problem occurs sometimes if AOMrecord is launched repeatedly while the AOL^® client software is running.

  Solution:
  1. Use the setting Try to restart radio if silence is detected on the tab Options (1).
  2. In the AOL radio™ or Radio@Netscape™ window click the Stop and Playback button after each other or change the station short-time.
  3. Alternatively it may help to restart AOMrecord and/or the AOL^® client software.

• AOMrecord doesn't accept my registration key.
  (concerns to version1 only)

  There is only one possible reason for this: You have entered data for user and organization that differ from those that you used when you registered the software.

  • To delete these data open and execute this file: Click here.
  • After that you can re-enter these data in AOMrecord's registration dialog. UPPER and lower case characters and spaces do matter.
  • Save the data by clicking on the button Store values.
  • Quit AOMrecord and re-launch it.
  • Now you can re-enter the registration key.
• Are there extensions or updates planned for AOMrecord?

  Like every excellent product AOMrecord will be extended and improved. Currently I have the following improvements on my list:

  • A denoiser  that removes small distortions from the sound stream.
  • The possibility to store settings for different applications in profiles.
  • A feature that lets you easily correct pauses between songs that were not recognized correctly.
  • Another feature for fading in and out a song.
  • A feature to record shoutcast streams.

  If you have comments about AOMrecord you are always welcome to share them with me. If you have any suggestions for the program's improvement, I'd be happy to hear about them. AOMrecord lives by and with the user's suggestions! Only if you send me your feedback, I can find out what you are missing and which functions you would like me to implement. Please publish your suggestions in the forum.