I Wish Recorder

Music Dreams Can Come True. Now It's Happened To You

Drew's I Wish Recorder Tutorial

New technology gives you the power to capture Internet (or other) audio that's already been played. No more having to say I Wish I could have recorded that. Now you actually have recorded it.
The I Wish Recorder Is An Added Option Of The Advanced Editor Version Only.

This animation shows how the I Wish Recorder works. Your music is playing and only a constantly buffered 5 minutes is not being discarded. When you Click the I Wish Recorder's Keep Button, it saves the last 5 minutes you've ALREADY HEARD. It's unlike any other recorder I've ever seen because it doesn't keep building up big files. Just the last 5 minutes is all that's ever in memory. You'll never have to say I Wish I could have kept song, recipe, idea or phone number that again. Use it 24/7 from now on.

I wish I could hear that song again. I wish I had written down that phone number. I wish I had gotten those lyrics. I wish I could hear that again.

Well, now you can hear it again with DAK's all new I Wish Recorder. Imagine that you are listening to the Internet and a song you haven't heard for years starts playing. Or you hear joke you'd like to share or tell. Or you hear a 'how-to' on something you'd really like to make, be it a recipe, a formula or that secret method of doing. . .

DAK's all-new I Wish Recorder captures the uncaptureable, the music, words or ideas that have already passed. Now when you say I wish I could hear that again, you can.

My new I Wish Recorder is a high-tech low, overhead, easy to use solution that will give you hours of musical recorded joy. Here's how it works.

You simply start the I Wish Recorder whenever you are going to listen to Internet audio. It uses the same source settings of Stereo Mix, Wave Out or What U Hear that our wave editor uses.

But there's a big, big difference. While any other recorder I've ever seen keeps recording and making bigger and bigger files the longer it records, my new I wish recorder records a continuously buffered 5-minute long only recording.

So, in short for each second over 5 minutes that it runs, it discards a second that would be over the 5 minutes. So, the file you are recording never gets bigger than 5 minutes (although you can set it to record for 10 or 15 minutes, rather than 5 if you prefer).

This was a beyond impossible feat to accomplish technologically speaking, but for us the users, it simply means that you have a trailing 5 minute long recording that you can capture any time you like by simply hitting the I Wish Recorder's Keep Button.

So for you it's super easy to use. For your computer, there's no added overhead if you let it run for an hour, a day or a week. And whenever you click the Keep Button, you'll capture a 5-minute historical snapshot of what you've been listening too.

So now you won't miss that song, idea, phone number, recipe or anything you've heard that you'd like to keep or share. Wouldn't you like to share that song, joke, recipe or phone number with your spouse or a friend?

You can set the I Wish Recorder to save MP3 or Wav files. And, check this out. Each time you click the Keep Button, you'll save a sequentially numbered file in the folder of your choice. So save One I Wish file, Ten I Wish Files or Fifty I Wish Files in a day, no problem. Then just start over the next day. You'll never have to say I wish I could have heard that again, well, ever again.

I turn it on in the morning and let it run all day. I see no noticeable effect on my computers except while it's saving. This is an idea I've had for a long time, but finally I've been able to make it a reality. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

OK, let's explore how it works.

Never Miss That Special Song.

Here's the main I Wish Recorder Interface. Once it's recording, (and don't forget it buffers off everything after 5 minutes) all you need to do is click the Keep Button wherever you've heard anything you want to keep. It will then automatically save the last 5 minutes of what you've heard. So you'll never have to say I wish I could have gotten that again. It's just that simple to use.

But there's more. Look at the buttons above. To the right of the Keep Button is the +3 minute button. So check this out. After I had already finished the program, I was showing it to my two sons and they said, "Gee Dad, that's great, but you can't hit the Keep button till the song is over or you won't get all of it. So why don't you add some time after you click the Keep Button so you don't have to wait for the song to end?"

Well I liked their idea so much that I added this upgrade before I ever even released the program. So now, as soon as you hear a song playing, just hit the +3 minute button and not only will you still save the trailing 5 minutes, but you'll keep recording for 3 minutes so you get all of the song. Sure you could have waited till it was finished and hit the keep button, but this make it even easier for us. And we owe this improvement to my boys. Thanks guys.

Here's are the original buttons with only the Keep Button before I upgraded the I Wish Recorder.

Here's the final release with the +3 Minute Button that you get now, thanks to my two sons.

Now the I wish recorder really is nothing short of amazing.

Small, Easy Fast Control.

We've kept it small and unobtrusive (although it looks really sexy in operation) so all you need to have open are a few simple controls. And you can minimize it so you don't see anything at all till you want to Keep what you've heard.

Arrow 1.) Record starts the 5 minute recording buffer. So start it in the morning and let it run. You'll be glad you did when you capture those hard to find recorded moments.

Arrow 2.) Click Keep any time you want to save the last 5 minutes. That's all there is to using the I Wish Recorder.

Arrow 2a.) Click +3 Minutes, TO NOT ONLY KEEP the last 5 minutes, but to also keep recording for 3 more minutes into the future, (a total of 8 minutes) so you don't have to wait till the end of a song to save your recording. This way if you get busy you won't miss saving that song you love. Just hit +3 Min and you'll have the song that hasn't even finished playing.

Arrow 3.) When you're finished for the day, click Stop. It will save the last 5 minutes and stop the recording.

Arrow 4.) Toggle opens the control/setup part of the I Wish Recorder.

Toggle It Open To Make Choices.

Just Click Toggle to access all the controls we've kept hidden so we're not tying up your desktop with the I Wish Recorder.

Total Control - Easy.

Easy to use yes. But, super powerful control too.

Arrow 1.) Set the recorder to capture a 5, 10 or 15 minute audio historical snapshot of what you've been listening to. Why not always 15 minutes? Well mostly because 5 minutes is enough for a song, phone number, joke or recipe and when you open the recoding in an editor to grab just the part you want, why have much more than you need. Also, the longer the amount you save, the longer it takes for your computer to save the file each time you click Keep and start its automatic recording again. So I like 5 minutes best, but you can use whichever is best for you.

Arrow 2.) Choose MP3 or Wav. Use whichever you prefer.

Arrow 3 & 3a.) You choose where you want to save the files you make in the recorder. It's best to use a new folder each day as the files will overwrite the old ones if you close the I Wish Recorder and then save to a full folder. You can stop it and start it, and keep using the same folder. But if you close it, it will start numbering the files with 1 again.

Arrow 4 & 4a.) Like Any recorder, you need to tell the I Wish Recorder what to record. For recording from the Internet, you need to use Stereo Mix, Wave Out or What U Hear. Most computers have one of these choices. There are 2 ways to set the source because W7/Vista has some eccentricities. First try using the pull down menu and record. If that doesn't work on your computer, Click the Set Record Source Button and navigate through the Windows Mixer to choose Stereo Mix, Wave Out or What U Hear. Then hit record and you'll be all set.

Arrow 5.) As you are recording use this control to set your volume. Set it so the meters are around 50-60% of the height of the window and you'll be all set. If you don't get enough height, then see the section on setting volume below.

Recapture 5, 10 Or 15 Minutes.

Arrow 1.) Set the recorder to capture a 5, 10 or 15 minute audio historical snapshot of what you've been listening to. Why not always 15 minutes? Well, mostly because 5 minutes is enough for a song, phone number, joke or recipe and when you open the recoding in an editor to grab just the part you want, why have much more than you need. Also, the longer the amount you save, the longer it takes for your computer to save the file each time you click Keep. So I like 5 minutes best, but you can use whichever is best for you.

MP3 Or Wav?

You can record Wav or MP3 files depending on your ultimate use. If you are going to burn CDs, I like to use Wave files. If you're going to keep the tracks on your computer or put them in your iPod, then use MP3.

Arrow 1.) Choose MP3 or Wav. Use whichever you prefer.

Save It Anywhere.

Arrow 1.) You choose where you want to save the files you make in the I Wish Recorder. You can choose any folder anywhere on your computer. Your files will be saved with the date and time so you'll know just when you recorded them.

Choose Your Path.

Arrow 1.) Click on any folder you want to save your files in. It can be anywhere on your computer.

Arrow 2.) Click OK.

All Your I Wish Saved Files Are Here.

Here's what your files will look like at the end of the day. I've saved over 100 before I closed the recorder and called it a day. Remember that you can save as many as you like.

So that you'll never be lost, each time you click Keep or 3 Min Keep, the file will be named with the date, hour, minute and seconds and Wish, so you'll know when you saved each of your special memories and you can keep saving without ever worrying about overwriting your saved memories. Just open them in an editor, save and name the part you wanted and you'll be all set.

Easy Volume Setting.

Arrow 1.) Setting volume is easy. You just slide the input volume slider till you have 50-60% of the height of the meter filled with dancing elements. But you do need to coordinate the input volume that you use in the I Wish Recorder with your speaker volume, system output volume and the wave volume. It's easy and just set it up once, but you do need to do this. And while you wouldn't normally think it was true, but the output volume of your computer does affect the recording volume of the I Wish Recorder, so, please read the next section.

Important Concept.
For Internet Recording.
Volume Matters - Which Should You Use?

For recording any type of Streaming Audio Internet Recording you have 3 different volume controls that you have to coordinate. This is something most people never think about, but it's important or it won't work.

To record from the Internet, you have to be aware of the coordination between the volume you have set using your Windows Sound Card, and the volume you have set on your Speakers.

You see if you set your sound card volume low and your speakers high, then you won't be generating enough volume for DAK's (or any) Recorders to record successfully. So, it's best to turn up your computer's volume a bit and turn down your speaker volume so that you have enough sound level playing in your computer.

But that's not all.

Then you want to be sure that your wave volume, (that's the power of the actual music being played from the Internet) is also set high enough to record. So, don't worry, it's no big deal, I'm going to show you how to do it right here. Just be aware that you need to do this and you'll be ahead of 99% of all computer users.

OK Let's See How To Do It.

Arrow 1.) Arrow 1 is shown for both XP and W7/Vista, After you click Once on the little speaker Icon below it, gives you control of the output volume of your computer. Set it to about 1/2 or a bit more and then set your speakers so the volume is a bit on the low side, then use the Windows Slider (1) to adjust your volume from then on and you'll be all set. Of course you can experiment and see if with your sound card it should be more or less, but mostly 1/2 or a bit more for fairly soft volume should do it.

Arrow 2.) This is the volume control for your speakers. After you've set the computer volume, just use this so it's low normal and usually control volume form the computer from now on.

This couldn't be easier to do, but it does need to be done.

OK Now onto setting the Wave Level which is the incoming sound from the Internet.

Volume Matters - XP Source Play Setting

Arrow 1.) This is the speaker icon you use to control your volume to your speakers. But if you Double Click the speaker icon you'll get the Windows Mixer Window like I've shown above. Sure yours might have different names, but it will do the same thing. The Window is Windows, the names are from your sound card.

Arrow 2.) Play control is just a duplicate of the output volume control you set when you click the little speaker icon one time. So, you really don't have to do anything with it here.

Arrow 3.) Wave Volume is what you want to adjust. I'd set it AT LEAST HALF WAY UP and maybe even three quarters of the way up if you don't see enough waves or meter segments when you start recording.

That's it, now you know how to set your levels for Internet recording in XP.

Volume Matters - W7/Vista Source Play Setting.

This is your W7/Vista Volume Mixer. This is part of W7/Vista, so you will have it. Yours might look a bit different because your sound card and the Internet source you are playing will determine the actual sliders that you'll see and the names of the sliders themselves. W7/Vista will give you an added slider each time you open a program that produces audio. What it's called is determined by your sound card and what you open.

Arrow 1.) After you click on the speaker icon in your tray you'll get the system output volume as normal. Click on the Mixer Link I've shown hear to open the W7/Vista Volume Mixer.

Arrow 2.) This slider didn't exist till I tuned in an Internet Radio Broadcast. As soon as I did, I got this slider and I set it to about 3/4 on my computer because that's what it took when I started recording to see enough signal.

Now you know all you need to know to set your levels for recording Internet Audio.

What Source Do You Want To Record?

Arrow 1.) Like Any recorder, you need to tell the I Wish Recorder what to record. For recording from the Internet, you need to use Stereo Mix, Wave Out or What U Hear. Most computers have one of these choices.

There are 2 ways to set the source because Vista has some different requirements. First try using the pull down menu and recording. The sources in the pull down boxes are polled and listed from the sound card in your computer. If that doesn't work on your computer, go to Arrow 2.

Arrow 2.) Click the Set Record Source Button and navigate through the Windows Mixer to choose Stereo Mix, Wave Out or What U Hear. Then click record and you'll be all set. Either way, you'll easily choose your source and be recording fast.

You can choose your input in either Vista or XP and here's how.

For W7/Vista Click here.

For XP Click Here.

W7/Vista - Getting To Your Recording Input.

After you click the Record Source Button, you'll see the Main Sounds and Audio Devices screen of your Windows Mixer. All you need to do on this screen is choose the Recording Tab as shown.

W7/Vista - Your Recording Input Choices.

OK, this is the Recoding Tab and for W7/Vista, this is where you change the Input that you want to use for recording. All your input choices are shown here.

YOUR INPUTS ARE DIFFERENT?
READ THIS PLEASE.

There is nothing wrong with your computer. Your sound card, not windows and not the DAK editor determine what choices and names for input choices you'll see here.

What you see above are the recording choices and names that my sound card offers. The Windows Mixer displays all the choices for your sound card. Your sound card may be different than mine, so your choices will have different names, but for the most part, you will be able to record from Line In, From Microphone and for 99% of all sound cards, also from the Internet.

OK here's what to do.

Arrow 1.) See the Checkmark? That means that the Analog Mix is what's currently selected to be your recording input.

YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE INPUT SELECTED AT A TIME IN WINDOWS.

Arrow 2.) Here I have clicked on What You Hear. This is for Internet recording. Yours may be called Stereo Mix, Wave or Wave out. And 99% of all sound cards have this.

So to change what's currently selected, highlight what you want to select by clicking on it so it turns dark to show it's highlighted.

Arrow 3.) Then Just Click the Set Default Button. Now you've changed your selection.

Arrow 4.) Click the OK button.

OR DON'T CLICK OK TIP. If you are going to change inputs often in this session, don't click OK to close this screen. Just move it out of your way so you can keep changing input selections whenever you want without having to reopen this screen. Don't worry about the OK Button. Once you click Set Default, the source has been changed.

XP-98 - Selecting Your Input.

This is the screen you'll see when you click the Recording Source Button. All you need to do here is choose the Audio Tab.

Arrow 1.) Click The Audio Tab.

XP-98 - Selecting Your Input 2.

Now you're on the audio tab. The 1, Play Arrow takes you to the volume controls that determine the play volume of your inputs and outputs. You don't need to go here unless you hear no sound and you can check this out using the LONG version below.

Arrow 1.) Play section ONLY

Arrow 2.) Record Section. This Button gives you the access to the main Windows Mixer recording input selections and input volume controls. Click it to get to the next screen which is the screen that you'll use to choose your inputs and even set recording volume.

XP-98 - Selecting Your Input 3.

Viola, we're here. This is the Windows main recording control screen. Yours might have different names on the sliders, but more or less, every XP, 98, ME and 2000 computer has screens that look just like this. Regardless of which sound card you have, this screen will look the same because it's part of Windows, not your sound card. But the names on the sliders and which sliders you have are determined by your sound card.

For Internet Recording, you should have Stereo Mix, Wave Out, Wave Out Mix or,
What U Hear. Virtually all sound cards support this. A few do not and if yours doesn't you can either download a new set of drivers, you'll have to check the Internet because there are some companies that have made drivers if this part is missing, or use what we call a loop cable. But virtually all PCs do support Internet recording.

For LINE IN, such as using the DAK Mixer Interface, choose LINE IN, Analog Mix or AUX. This will connect to the blue line in jack on the back of your computer.

For Microphone Recording, Use the Mic or Microphone choice.

Arrow ) Check the box beneath the slider you want to use and you will record from that source. Come back here any time to change to another source. Just change the box you have checked.

Volume Control Note: When you adjust the volume in the I Wish Recorder or the DAK editor or in any recoding program, you are actually changing the slider here in the Windows Mixer. No program actually has its own volume control. It just takes control of the Windows Mixer Volume. It's neat if you leave this interface open and move the input volume on the Editor, you'll see this control move as you move the slider in the editor. Not important for you to know, but a fun fact.

One Click Saves That Song.

OK now you know more than you've ever needed to know, but the more you know the more you can do. Using the I Wish Recorder couldn't be easier. Here's what to do.

Arrow 1.) Listen to your music. Whenever you hear a song you like, just wait till it ends and click the Keep Button. That's it, your precious song, recipe, telephone number, how-to guide or you name it, has been saved.

See Below For adding 3 minutes in the future to your recording.

Just open your saved wonder in any editor, trim away what you don't want and it's yours. You've saved what you listened to, after you've heard if you want it or not. And you haven't loaded down your computer with big files or programs.

It's Saving Your Memories.

Whenever you click Keep, or 3 minutes after you click +3Min, the recorder springs to life and saves your 5-minute or other longer file. It's a historical snapshot of what you've been listening to.

Arrow 1.) There's nothing you need to do. When you click Keep, the recorder will save your file and then automatically start recording again. Nothing you have to do at all. And remember you can keep it recording all the time and it will keep buffering the 5 minute file so it never builds up.

No Waiting - Save 5 Minutes From The Past, Plus 3 Minutes Into The Future.

Whenever you click the +3Min Button, not only will you be saving the past 5 minutes (or 10 or 15) but the I Wish Recorder will keep recording for 3 minutes into the future.

Why do you want this? Well if you're as busy as I am, when you hear that song that you want or recipe or important information, maybe you're 1/2 way through hearing it. You know you want it. So either you can wait till the section you want is finished which fine, or just hit the +3 Min Button.

Once you hit the +3 Minute Button, the I Wish Recorder will keep recording for 3 minutes into the future. Then it not only saves that 3 minutes, but the trailing 5 minutes that you could have recorded had you hit the Keep Button. So, if you were trailing 5 minutes, now you'll have an 8 minute recording. That's 5 in the past and 3 from when you click the button. Most songs are only 2-1/2 minutes or so, so by using the +3 Min you'll have what's already played plus what's gong to play. Pretty Neat.

Arrow 1.) There's nothing you need to do. When you click +3 Min, the recorder will record for 3 more minutes into the future, save the 3 minutes plus the 5, 10 or 15 that you had set to record and then automatically start recording again. Nothing you have to do at all. And remember you can keep it recording all the time and it will keep buffering the 5 minute file so it never builds up.

No Waiting - Save 5 Minutes From The Past, Plus 3 Minutes Into The Future 2.

When you click the +3Min Button, both the Keep and the +3Min Buttons will go dim. They will stay that way till the 3 minutes are up and your recording is being saved.

Arrow 1.) There's nothing you need to do. When you click +3Min, the recorder will save your file and then automatically start recording again. Nothing you have to do at all. And remember you can keep it recording all the time 24/7 and it will keep buffering the 5 minute file so it never builds up. And if you hit the +3 Min Button again, it will save the trailing 5 minutes plus the next 3 minutes for you.

Stop Still Saves The Last 5 Minutes.

I agonized over what to do with Stop when I was designing the I Wish Recorder. Originally I had it simply stop. But then I hit it once when I really wanted to Keep the song. So, I made Stop a dual action control.

Arrow 1.) When you click stop, the I Wish Recorder will first save the last 5 minutes just as if you had clicked Keep, then it will stop and wait for your commands. You can restart recording. You can change from Wav to MP3 or you can change the folder you are keeping your recorded memories in. It's all up to you.

If you really do just want to exit without the 5-minute save, use the X button at the top right and you can do that too.

24/7 It Won't Slow Down Your computer.

OK, you'll never do this, but I left the I Wish Reorder running for 3 full days and nights. The timer on the recorder only goes to 9 hours before it resets, but no matter when you click the Keep button, be it 5 minutes into the recording, or 5 hours or 5 days, only 5 minutes is in the buffer.

It never builds up to slow down your computer as every other single recording program I've ever used has done. This is the perfect recorder for capturing those precious songs and information from now on.

Arrow 1.) I took this screen shot after running the I Wish Recorder for 3 full days and nights. The counter only goes to 9 hours, so you won't see how long it's been running, but it never slowed down my computer.

It simply keeps 5 minutes of recording in RAM and that's it. It keeps buffering it off so nothing builds up. And that of course is it's sole reason for being. Because if it built up, you couldn't keep it running without filling up your RAM or your hard disk. Now you can run 24/7 with no problems at all. Just hit the Keep button any time you want to save that great song.

Hour After Hour, Day After Day, No Change.

While I did my 3-day test, I kept the W7/Vista Resource Overview meters open. And I used the computer (at least during the days). During recording I could see that CPU usage, Disk usage (it doesn't write to disc) Network (It doesn't use the network) and Memory all stayed about the same.

Sure they went up and down as I used the computer for other things, but after more than 72 hours, these screens looked about the same at the end as they did at the beginning. So the big deal for us is that we can keep the I Wish Recorder running as long as we like 24/7 and all we have to do is Click Keep to take that historical snapshot of the music we love. So don't worry about RAM filling up. Don't worry about your hard disc filling up. DAK's new I Wish Recorder is the ultimate solution for grabbing music, jokes, recipes, telephone numbers and so much more.

A few last things that I want to mention.

OK I'm in love with what this program can do. If you've been around DAK for long, you know I've always suggested that you use our editors for recording an hour or so from the Internet. Then listen to that recorded file and save off what you want. That did work, but you ended up with big files and saving off a song took time because of the size of the file. And you really had to make a decision to record before the song you wanted comes along. Of course if you were like me, it was after the song was playing that you said oh, I wish I had started a recorder. Well wish no more. Now it's a no brainier to keep the I Wish Recorder running whenever you have Internet audio going.

Enjoy. . . Drew

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