Recording Skype interviews on OSX

[Christopher Gee]

Hello all, 

Previously I had recorded each of my "The Prepared Mind" podcasts interviews using Skype to initiate the call (mostly SkypeOut to a land line) and used AudioHijack Pro/SoundFlower to hijack the call and output it as a sound file.  

This worked very well for the first dozen or so podcast interviews I recorded until I started using the upgraded version of Skype for OSX. Apparently the new version of Skype no longer includes the "Echo Cancellation" option in the preferences but rather has echo cancellation built-in. The only problem is that apparently -- and I've read that others have had the same problem -- the built-in echo cancellation doesn't work very well on OSX, resulting in unacceptable levels of echo on the "other end" of Skype interviews. 

Clearly this is unworkable for me. Are there any other setups that anyone else employs to record a podcast interview with a subject that is not in the same city? I suppose iChat would work if I'm interviewing someone who also has iChat, but that's rare. 

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks! 

Chris

christopher gee

thePreparedMind

ch...@thepreparedmind.com

http://www.thepreparedmind.com

[Heather Vale]

I use landline all the way.  Hate the echo!  And I do several phone interviews a week.

 

I've since upgraded to a JK Audio Innkeeper so it doesn't sound like a phone, but before that a standard radio shack phone recording device plugged into my computer worked fine.

 

Or -- you can grab a free conference service like LiveOffice.com and use the built-in free recording but it sounds like a phone and is compressed.

 

cheers

Heather

 

http://InternetMarketingUnwrapped.com
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[Dawn Rivers Baker]

At 05:23 PM 11/29/06, you wrote:

I use landline all the way.  Hate the echo!  And I do several phone interviews a week.

I do pretty much the same thing. Just a not-at-all-fancy line into my computer and All Recorder to pick up the interview. It does still sound like a phone, though, so I'm going to have to check out that JK Audio Innkeeper -- thanks, Heather!

Cheers!
Dawn

 
I've since upgraded to a JK Audio Innkeeper so it doesn't sound like a phone, but before that a standard radio shack phone recording device plugged into my computer worked fine.
 
Or -- you can grab a free conference service like LiveOffice.com and use the built-in free recording but it sounds like a phone and is compressed.
 
cheers
Heather

Dawn Rivers Baker


The MicroEnterprise Journal
http://www.microenterprisejournal.com

http://www.microbusinessnewsbriefs.com
http://www.microenterprisejournal.com/podcast/
http://www.microenterprisejournal.com/JournalBlog/

[Albert Maruggi]

Bad news – I too was a big Skype user for interviews on the Marketing Edge.  Ever since eBay purchased Skype I have not had the same reliability.  That may be a coincidence and nothing technical.  As the show became more popular, bigger name guests along with doing more and more client work I simply had to change.  We now use a digital hybrid to record phone along with M-Audio.  Yes an investment, but I just could not keep messing around with Skype. 

 

I still use it for regular calls and in a pinch if my other equipment is booked and I’m doing a reall short interview like just recording listener comments for 15 – 30 seconds.  Otherwise it is off my recommended product list for quality phone rcordings

 

Albert Maruggi

President

Provident Partners

790 Cleveland Avenue South

Suite 221

St. Paul, MN 55116

651-695-0174 (Office)

612-325-8126 (Cell)

amar...@providentpartners.net

www.providentpartners.net

Marketing Edge Blog and Podcast

 

 

---

From: iPodder...@googlegroups.com [mailto:iPodder...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Christopher Gee
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 4:11 PM
To: iPodder...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Recording Skype interviews on OSX

 

Hello all, 

 

Previously I had recorded each of my "The Prepared Mind" podcasts interviews using Skype to initiate the call (mostly SkypeOut to a land line) and used AudioHijack Pro/SoundFlower to hijack the call and output it as a sound file.  

 

This worked ve! ry well for the first dozen or so podcast interviews I recorded until I started using the upgraded version of Skype for OSX. Apparently the new version of Skype no longer includes the "Echo Cancellation" option in the preferences but rather has echo cancellation built-in. The only problem is that apparently -- and I've read that others have had the same problem -- the built-in echo cancellation doesn't work very well on OSX, resulting in unacceptable levels of echo on the "other end" of Skype interviews. 

 

Clearly this is unworkable for me. Are there any other setups that anyone else employs to record a podcast interview with a subject that is not in the same city? I suppose iChat would work if I'm interviewing som! eone who also has iChat, but that's rare. 

 

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

 

 

Thanks! 

 

Chr! is

[Albert Maruggi]

JK Audio is that I use too, Innkeeper – if you want the next level up there is something called Telos but Innkeeper is quality stuff

 

Albert Maruggi

President

Provident Partners

790 Cleveland Avenue South

Suite 221

St. Paul, MN 55116

651-695-0174 (Office)

612-325-8126 (Cell)

amar...@providentpartners.net

www.providentpartners.net

Marketing Edge Blog and Podcast

 

 

[aldo.ca...@gmail.com]

I'm using an InnKeeper +1 as well. I have it hooked up to a Motu
Ultralite "audio interface" (basically a fancy DSP). The "end of the
chain" for me is GarageBand where I can record the call on two
independent tracks.

All in a a very nice (reliable!) setup. And I've tried quite a few
before arriving at this "work flow".

I do have one question for the other InnKeeper users out there though.
After having recording a phone interview, my voice tends to "bleed"
into the "Caller's" track such that I have to go in an edit out the
segments where I'm speaking and the caller is silent (because my voice
appears on their track as well as mine). If I understand the
InnKeeper's functions correctly, shouldn't it prevent this "bleed" from
occurring?

Thanks for any input!

Best,

-Aldo

P.S. As the originator of this list, I have to say I was pleasantly
surprised to see this thread pop-up. Thanks Mr. Gee for breathing some
life back into the list!

[Heather Vale]

Hi Aldo,

 

I'm pulling it into a single channel recording right now, with Audacity, so I can't answer your question -- although I would like to start putting it on two channels as the next step... I think I need new software and a stereo input to my computer, which it doesn't seem to have.

 

cheers

Heather

 

--
Heather Vale
"The Internet Interviewer"
Talk Show Host, Author and Speaker