Please read at your own leisure, as I've listed a fair amount, to try to get to the bottom of the lack of sound dilemma:
In "Sounds" -
Playback - Speakers - Properties -
Levels - Realtek HD Audio output and PC Beep are 100, while CD Audio, Microphone and Front Pink In are 0; There is option to Balance them but I've not changed any settings
Enhancements - Nothing is ticked and "Setting" is None
Advanced - Set to 24 bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality);
"Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority" are ticked;
I clicked on the "Test" button and the sound is working, just not for the record player
Playback - Realtek Digital Output - Properties -
Supported Formats - Encoded formats - "Dolby Digital" is already ticked, but I haven't ticked any others;
Sample Rates - 48.0 kHz is ticked
I'd rather leave options as they're ticked or unticked, unless you know for sure that any are set incorrectly
Levels - Realtek Digital Output - 100 - There is the option to Balance this too, but again, I've left the settings unchanged
Enhancements - Nothing is ticked and "Setting" is None
Advanced - 2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality)
I clicked on "Test" and nothing happened
"Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority" are ticked
Recording - Microphone - Realtek High Definition Audio - Not plugged in - Properties -
Levels - Microphone - 6
Microphone Boost - 0.0 dB
Enhancements - "DC Offset Cancellation" is the only box ticked
Advanced - 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)
"Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" is not ticked and "Give exclusive mode applications priority" is greyed out
Line In - Properties - Realtek High Definition Audio - Not plugged in - Properties -
Levels - Line In - 22; There is an option to Balance but I've not changed it
Enhancements - "DC Offset Cancellation" is the only option that's ticked
Advanced - 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)
"Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority" are ticked
CD Audio - Realtek High Definition Audio - Disabled -
General - Device usage (unlike in other cases) says "Don't use this device (disable)"
Levels - CD Audio - 22 - There is the option to Balance this but I've not changed anything
Enhancements - "DC Offset Cancellation" is the only ticked option
Advanced - 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)
"Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority" are ticked
Stereo Mix - Realtek High Definition Audio - Disabled - Properties -
General - "Don't use this device (disable)"
Levels - Stereo Mix - 22 - Balance option left unchanged
Enhancements - "DC Offset Cancellation" is the only option ticked
Advanced - 2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)
"Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" and "Give exclusive mode applications priority" are ticked
Volume Mixer -
Device - Speakers and
Applications - Windows Sounds
Both are at full level
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=USB_turntables
In addition to and in conjunction with the above observations and Wiki instructions, I've loaded up Audacity and found the "Audio I/O" preference -
I have Windows Vista and the options are set as follows to:
Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
* Speakers (Realtek High Definition) and Realtek Digital Output (Realtek) are the other options available
Recording - Device has no options available
Recording - Channels is set to "1 (Mono)"
("2 (Stereo)" and numbers 3 to 16, without a Mono or Stereo reference are also available)
"Play other tracks while recording new one" and "Software Playthrough (Play new track while recording it)" are unticked
Unfortunately, the link in Audacity's software is now broken
which gives full instructions on how to use it - I have version 1.2.6, as I prefer to use fully fledged versions, rather than Beta versions
As far as I know, there must be a listing somewhere of the full instructions for using Audacity, as otherwise anyone who hasn't yet installed Audacity or has, but hasn't yet used it, won't be able to use it to its optimum
It's a comprehensive program, so full instructions are essential, especially for less technically minded people like myself
As to "Audacity", the above are Default mode settings, and most likely, "2 (Stereo)" would be best, unless recording specifically Mono tracks and "Software Playthrough" might be worth ticking
Like with the Recordplayer and other computer functions, I always prefer to leave options unchanged though, unless you or I know that certain options need to be changed for things to work or work more efficiently, as if I change anything without knowing how to restore it, some options are simpler to restore than others, I'd be stuck with the options in the wrong mode
I haven't yet established how to Record any records on the ION in conjunction with Audacity, which appears to be the only way to allow sound, according to the Wiki link, unless I've misread it:
"Note you cannot automatically play records through the computer speakers unless you are recording, because the turntable has been designed primarily as a recording turntable. To play records in Audacity without recording, make sure software playthrough is enabled on the Audio I/O tab of Preferences, then click in the right-hand recording VU meter with the microphone symbol, which turns on "monitoring". Click in the meter again if you want to turn monitoring off."
Once the sound is established, which might be to do with one of the above settings, but I'll await your advice first before changing anything, it could take some months for me to perfect how to operate and fully utilize the record player and Audacity in order to Record the records then Filter scratches, but I want to persevere with this, as I'm sure I'll find it very enjoyable transferring my records to CD, once everything's up and running in the ION and Audacity.