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Living Culture Contributore Level V

Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 189 Location: Taipei
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject: Skype instead of ISDN |
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I have a client at the moment who wanted to do a recording via ISDN or Skype. Since I do not have ISDN, Skype is the only choice. But I do not see how this will give my client a decent enough recording.
Has anyone used Skype before for remote recording? If so, what was your opinion of the end product. |
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georgethetech The Gates of Troy

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 1878 Location: Topanga, CA
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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Skype will not provide high enough fidelity to match that of ISDN.
Try Source Connect, or if they can't support it, record yourself locally while in the Skype call and send them the file. _________________ If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder |
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Frank F Fat, Old, and Sassy

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 4421 Location: Park City, Utah
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Skype works for a quasi Phone Patch... Live audio in quality good enough to hear the inflections and nuances of the read. However, the "talent" must be recording on his/her PC -- in a good quality format, then send the file via .mp3 or whatever format is desired to the client.
Unless you have software to record the conversation in a half track stereo file (what comes in on one half the stereo track and what goes out recorded on the other half of a stereo track - combined to ONE stereo file) you will not record the clients part of the session.
Skype is NOT broadcast quality - yet. But it is better than a telephone.
Any questions? Feel free to call.
Toodles
F2 _________________ Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com |
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jrodriguez315 A Hundred Dozen

Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: New Jersey
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Frank F Fat, Old, and Sassy

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 4421 Location: Park City, Utah
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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I am a simple sort. Use your normal recording microphone and soundcard. You can listen off speakers or if you route your "audio out" to you mixer - your normal headphones.
Call me via Skype sometime, and you will hear the quality a good microphone can offer via Skype.
Skype Me: "ispeekup"
Toodles
F2 _________________ Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13023 Location: Camp Cooper
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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Being a complicated person, When I use Skype for communicating while recording, I plug earbuds into my computer's audio out line and put my studio headphones over them.
The client hears me thru my built-in mic, and I hear them as well as myself thru my earphones setup. _________________ DBCooperVO.com
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georgethetech The Gates of Troy

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 1878 Location: Topanga, CA
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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Hehe, yeah, that's the only way to do it when you use a Pro Tools system and you don't patch your computer's on-board audio I/O into a console to route it into your headphones. Dierdre, if the 2nd ear phone thing is annoying, try this trick. Send the output of your computer's sound card into the 2nd input of your Mbox. You'll need an 1/8" - 1/4" Y cable and connect one of the two into the Mbox Input 2. Then you can hear the caller in your big cans. Take it to the next level by taking an output of the Mbox and send that into the Line In of your PC to feed your mic's signal to Skype. _________________ If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder |
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Frank F Fat, Old, and Sassy

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 4421 Location: Park City, Utah
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Soundgun, I forgot to mention the caveat: "This may not work with computers using DigiDesign products".
Toodles
F2 _________________ Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13023 Location: Camp Cooper
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, the earbud/earphone setup was undetectable!
I'm glad to read your spiffy fix, though.
Thank you! _________________ DBCooperVO.com
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Living Culture Contributore Level V

Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 189 Location: Taipei
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the replies. But luckily they just want to direct through Skype while I record on my side.
This raises another problem though. Its easy enough to send the skype feed through the mixer to the headphones. But enabling the listeners to hear what is being recorded directly, and not just the room in general is another story. I usually leave Skype using the onboard soundcard, as my firewire interface doesn't play nice with it. Also the interface's panel doesn't have a handy "what you hear is what you get" option.
I'll do some experimenting this weekend and see what I can come up with. |
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georgethetech The Gates of Troy

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 1878 Location: Topanga, CA
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:35 am Post subject: |
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Explain what you mean by "not just the room in general" _________________ If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder |
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Living Culture Contributore Level V

Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 189 Location: Taipei
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:58 am Post subject: |
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I mean the sound that the onboard mic will pick up. As that what skype will be set to if I don't figure out a way to set it up with the interface properly.
So it will pick up the voice, but just as a background sound, not the direct mic input.
I am using a Focusrite Saffire LE firewire interface for the actual recording, through a desk, so should be able to route where I need. But Skype has been a bit inconsistent in the past, sometimes not giving any sound at all when using the interface. (I have to say though, that often in a situation like this, the "technical" problem is usually the user) |
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georgethetech The Gates of Troy

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 1878 Location: Topanga, CA
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:09 am Post subject: |
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What I said a few entries above for Deirdre applies to your system, too.
Just assign the recording source in your Windows Sound mixer to Line Input instead of Mic. Macs will just switch automatically when you plug a source into the input jack. _________________ If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder |
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Frank F Fat, Old, and Sassy

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 4421 Location: Park City, Utah
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:10 am Post subject: |
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Once you have set-up the Saffire properly in Skype (Tools/Options/General Settings/Audio Settings) - MAKE SURE you have not left the "Let Skype adjust my audio settings" box checked - This is a huge No-No.
Left un-checked you should have no interface connection problems in Skype (other than those caused by unrelated items).
Using the on-board microphone is also a huge no-no. At the least, get an additional low-cost computer microphone to plug-in to the on-board sound card which will serve as the primary Skype microphone (usually around $12.00).
Good luck.
Toodles
F2 _________________ Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com |
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Living Culture Contributore Level V

Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 189 Location: Taipei
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:36 am Post subject: |
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Thanks.
Soundgun, my notebook, doesn't have a line in, but your suggestion should work fine with the incoming feed. ALthough right now, looking at it, the "voice recording" selection is not giving me any options. Citing a missing mixer problem. This I would bet is from a new registry cleaner I tried. Will stick to CCleaner ONLY from now.
Frank, good advice, I missed that "Let Skype automatically adjust..." button for a while. I will try set up everything through the Saffire. I am sure I have not fully explored its routing matrix yet. I get confused with the setup using multiple outputs, as the "virtual outs" don't automatically correspond with the physical outputs, so need to be set up as needed (Outs 1/2 go to physical outs 3/4 on the box by default) |
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