Recording computer audio back onto computer

[MFGC]

This is probably a bit out of the scope of what any of you ever need to do, but does anyone have a suggestion for how to record 2 mics and the audio from a computer presentation back onto the computer? Currently I can't find any way for the computer audio to be recorded back into the computer. We are using Camtasia to create videos to train people on how to use a particular piece of software, but it doesn't capture the sound output of the computer software we are training on. The student listening to the video needs to be able to hear both trainers talk AND the sounds from the software. Is there any way to do this without using an external mixer? Can it be done in Audacity, for example?

Thank you
Sue

[Natepelzel]

Are you on a Mac or PC? I think an app called soundflower would do the trick for you, but it's Mac only. How do you get the other microphones into your computer? you could always take a 3.5 mm cable and run it from your headphone jack to your microphone/line in jack.

Hope this helps,

Nate

[MFGC]

Yes, running a cable from the headphone jack to the line in would record the computer sounds, but how do I also capture the two mics? I have only 1 mic/input jack. I can't use it for computer input, and mic input all at once. I have a PC, by the way. If I input the mics via a usb connection, for some reason that supercedes the line-in jack and I can only record the usb mic, not the line-in from the headphone output.

[jpallman]

It depends on OS and the sound card are you running. Many Windows 7 computers will allow you to do that, windows XP did with creative soundcards if you were using their software.

Basically there are two steps:

1. Locate a setting in the "recording control panel" called "what u hear" or "Stereo mix" that basically does what the cable going from the speaker to the mic jack does in software. This link: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ng-enable.html will show you how to enable the setting assuming your sound card supports it.
   
2. set the "line in" mic and your USB mic to be played back over the speakers, as the setting in step 1 will record anything that is going to your line out on the sound card. This will be annoying for the folks making the recording, so you may need to turn the speakers OFF while recording.

What you are running into with the USB overriding the Line in is a restriction of windows only supporting one recording device at a time, so as long as you get the default recording device set to "stereo mix" or "what u hear" it should work.

Also just my two cents: I find it easier to make software training videos using camtasia in several steps - record the screen and program sound first (I actually talk to my self while doing the recording so the timing is close) and then add the "narration" sound track later (I record the narration in audacity or some other program) so I can repeat until I get a good clean take of the audio. Then I can generate closed captions for ADA compliance in camtasia once the narration and screen grab recordings are synced on the timeline.

You never realize how many "umhs", "ahhs" and other weird sounds people make until you hear it during editing. This is especially true of people trying to multitask on running a program and teaching unless they are really good and do it all the time.

Good luck!

[wogster]

Originally Posted by MFGC

This is probably a bit out of the scope of what any of you ever need to do, but does anyone have a suggestion for how to record 2 mics and the audio from a computer presentation back onto the computer? Currently I can't find any way for the computer audio to be recorded back into the computer. We are using Camtasia to create videos to train people on how to use a particular piece of software, but it doesn't capture the sound output of the computer software we are training on. The student listening to the video needs to be able to hear both trainers talk AND the sounds from the software. Is there any way to do this without using an external mixer? Can it be done in Audacity, for example?

Thank you
Sue

Personally the way I would do this, is with a mixer, you can probably find an old 6 channel analog mixer with tape in/outs for a song, then use Audacity to record.

Another way to do this is to do it in two steps. If your producing the original computer presentation, it's even easier. You just need a Hollywood style clapper. You record the original video with the clapper. Now you use the same clapper on each microphone channel, when you record the audio, you just need to get it in the same position when watching the video.

Now Strip the audio off the computer video, you now have 3 audio files, you position them so the claps are in the same place and mix the channels using software, like Audacity. You now have a 4th audio file, you line up the audio clap with the video clap. Cut the clapper off the video, and you now have it done, Hollywood style. This gives the benefit in that you can record the trainers separately, they watch the video while speaking, in a nice comfortable room where the microphone is properly positioned on a stand. You also have the benefit of, if one trainer is soft spoken and the other loud of mixing them so they match sound wise.

[[Director] Joseph B]

small mini-mixer - all mics and computer output into that and then mixer into PC.

[daver2]

I use an ADAT interface card in the PC and "light-pipe" to external Analogue Input and Analogue Output modules providing phantom power and head amp capabilities. This gives me up to 16 channels of analogue inputs and 8 channels of analogue outputs (with my current configuration). Each ADAT light pipe can carry up to 8 channels of analogue data in one direction. All of the channels appear as separate audio input and output channels in the PC - so multiple software products can utilise different channels if required.

We have just updated our audio PC to a MAC and have added an external unit which has ADAT light pipe interfaces (for hooking up our Yamaha LS9-32 mixer desk) and a fire-wire interface for the MAC. The only slight annoyance is that when the MAC connects to the unit via fire-wire - the unit causes ADAT synchronisation to be lost for a second or so.

Audacity can only record mono or stereo as standard - but I do believe that you can download the source code for Audacity and re-compile it with additional libraries to support more than two channel recording. We looked into this before changing from a PC to a MAC so I have never actually done it myself. You will need access to someone who understands about computers and computer programming to help you with this task. All the software required is "free" but (due to restrictions) no one can provide audacity pre-built with the requisite libraries. You should then be able to add some "USB microphone inputs" to your PC (assuming that's what you are using) and be good to go...

Dave