Recording a Skype Call into Reaper 5

[MSVO]

So I am doing a podcast and some radio work from home and I was curious as to how I could record calls from Skype into Reaper on a separate track from my actual mic. I have a Surface Book 2 running Windows 10 and a Scarlett 2i2 interface. I'd like to run everything through the interface if I could. Any ideas?

[TheMaartian]

Yes.

VoiceMeeter Banana.

https://www.vb-audio.com/Voicemeeter/banana.htm

The download is a fully functional version. If you use it, it's donationware (I gave them $20).

A simpler, less flexible solution is to use the VB-CABLE virtual audio device.

https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/index.htm

I use this occasionally. Free. For a donation, you get two more, giving you 3 virtual audio cables. I gave them $5 for it.

With either, what you wind up doing is setting Skype's audio output port to a virtual audio cable instead of your sound card. In Reaper, you take your audio input from the other end of the virtual cable (they show up in Sounds | Playback and Sounds | Recording (right-click on the speaker icon in the lower-right corner and select Sounds)).

[pipelineaudio]

So lame that this is still even an issue on windows after 20 years. Lots of workarounds, but its still ridiculous

[vitalker]

Here is what you need: https://dlz.reaper.fm/userguide/Reap...m=auto,-39,539 (WASAPI Loopback)

[azslow3]

Originally Posted by pipelineaudio

So lame that this is still even an issue on windows after 20 years. Lots of workarounds, but its still ridiculous

If after 20 years people still do not understand why that in an issue... the problem is on another side of the keyboard
Sorry, it is like asking "why after 50 years of modern recording it is still impossible to record a voice without a mic"

To record something there must be:
* proper connecting cables and correct connecting sockets
* proper "mixer", capable to do required routing
* proper syncing, in case there are several clock sources

All the is not required for 99.9% of Windows users, so it is not there. "Workarounds" are just tools which add that functionality.

And for those who need that seriously (so with working ASIO in parallel, flexible mixing, etc.), some interfaces have that "build-in" (f.e. RME).

[airon]

The best one was that ASIO tool for up to 128 connections iirc, but the gentleman who developed it died.


It sure is one of the easier aspects of OSX.



I use the loopback function of my RME interface if I need to process my voice via Reaper.

[Mordi]

I'm not sure how the Scarlett works, but my Clarett interface has an optical audio input. If your computer has an optical audio output, you can use that to record whatever sound your PC outputs.

Optical is also called "S/PDIF". It uses a special optical cable, which is also called a TOSLINK cable, iirc: image

There is a setting the Focusrite Control software to set optical input on my Clarett interface: image

Note that this would include any notification sounds as well, so make sure to mute all other programs while recording the skype call. Maybe even turn down Skype notifications, if possible.

[azslow3]

Originally Posted by Mordi

I'm not sure how the Scarlett works, but my Clarett interface has an optical audio input. If your computer has an optical audio output, you can use that to record whatever sound your PC outputs.

Optical is also called "S/PDIF". It uses a special optical cable, which is also called a TOSLINK cable, iirc: image

There is a setting the Focusrite Control software to set optical input on my Clarett interface: image

Note that this would include any notification sounds as well, so make sure to mute all other programs while recording the skype call. Maybe even turn down Skype notifications, if possible.

Clarett with toslink cable is one of the most expensive solutions for the problem, solving it far from perfect way
Op mention 2i2 (one of the cheapest interfaces, with 2 analog inputs and 2 analog outputs only, without DSP).

Just to clarify why I (and Airon) use RME for the job (I use Babyface Pro, but that should work also with used old interfaces).
RME has multi-application capable driver and connects all inputs and outputs to the hardware/software mixer. And so:
* Skype output can be routed to a dedicated channel (f.e. BF Pro has 6 stereo pairs).
* There can be other sound sources (mic, Windows)
* all that (separately, so f.e. skype output on one track, mic on another, windows sounds on the third) can be the input to REAPER, in ASIO mode.
* all software outputs (ASIO REAPER, Skype output, Windows sounds) can be arbitrary mixed to dedicated hardware outputs. F.e. REAPER own output + Skype output + Windows to monitors, that + mic to headphones.
* separate mix can be on Skype input as well (f.e. mic + REAPER)
* everything has minimal possible latency and stay in sync, no extra cables

[karbomusic]

Just to clarify why I (and Airon) use RME for the job (I use Babyface Pro, but that should work also with used old interfaces).
RME has multi-application capable driver and connects all inputs and outputs to the hardware/software mixer.

And it has a loopback button right there on the master. Since 1998 I've refused to purchase a sound card that doesn't natively supply loopback, never had this issue because of it - I understand most don't know this until it's too late though.

That said, WASAPI shared can possibly be made to work so it is "in Windows" for a while now, though I still think SCs of all products should be including this as part of their product because it is such a farking no brainer.

[pipelineaudio]

Ive been using voxengo recorder, or sending to another soundcard. Not all of my setups have RME's in them, but damn that does work good!

Why is WASAPI so far behind coreaudio?

I hate that mac users have anything over us

[huaying]

The latest Skype version 8 allows users to record Skype calls with the Skype app directly.

[Jeffsounds]

Originally Posted by huaying

The latest Skype version 8 allows users to record Skype calls with the Skype app directly.

But will it record the voices to separate tracks?

[cyrano]

Originally Posted by pipelineaudio

Why is WASAPI so far behind coreaudio?

I hate that mac users have anything over us

Simply because MS has a few sound systems to cater for. So with every added feature the question arises "Where shall we put ti?".

Besides, You can't directly record Skype on a Mac either. It smells like a legal issue. Apple and MS simply avoid the problem by not providing the feature.

On a Mac, you could use Jack OSX, SoundFlower and a couple of other 3rd party solutions. But these have either been abandoned by their developers, or are lagging behind in system support.

However, there's a new kid on the block. Studio Link. Available for Windows, Linux and Mac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDuCgK41kE8

This works with other sip clients too. And there's even a hardware box too. Sound Link software is free and the hardware box is affordable.

You can either use Studio Link standalone, or with the podcast setup for Reaper called "Ultraschall". That integrates everything with Reaper in the easiest way possible. See:

https://ultraschall.fm/

Works with Windows too, but not entirely. It will need some fiddling.

And once you start using other VOIP networks, you'll discover sound quality can be vastly better than Skype.

[MSVO]

Thanks for the reply guys. So here is where I am now. I purchased a Mackie Profx8V2 that has the USB input and output. Now supposedly you can record your computer through Mixer because of the USB dedicated channel and you can...HOWEVER...

1. When I set the audio device on Skype to the Mixer and the audio device on Reaper to the Mixer it crashes Skype.

2. When using Cleanfeed.net which is far superior to Skype it seems my guest is hearing themselves which means I have to press a switch by the USB channel that cuts them from the main mix.

3. So my work around as been to use Skype but route the audio to my old interface via Line In for Skype and record like that.

I'd love to figure this out to where I can use Cleanfeed but it's a head scratcher.

[cyrano]

You could check studiolink.de. It's a VST that allows you to record any VOIP source in Reaper.

[cyrano]

Skype's got something new: Skype for content creators:

https://www.skype.com/en/content-creators/

It's Newtek's NDI, a protocol to stream video over the net. Works with OBS (Open Broadcast Studio), but not yet with Reaper. Allows to record audio and video with multiple participants to separate channels.

[mschnell]

There is a series of videos on the great Reaper extension for podcasters available (AFAIK free) and discussed here in the forum.

-Michael

[cyrano]

Do you mean Ultraschall?

The solution from Microsoft is a bit different. It's comparable to the Sudiolink VST's that are also a part of Ultrachall. But this one is video + audio. Studiolink is audio only.

And, of course, this one comes from the horses mouth.

[UncleEti]

A little up on the very first subject : one good thing and one bad thing !
Good : In WIn10, I just set up this :
- create an empty track in Reaper ;
- set up my audio device input and output on :
-----Wasapi as a audio system in Audio Device, and as input/output device my internal soundcards I/O (realtek high definition audio and Loud-speakers the same...).
Started to record before my Skype talk , always mentionned it to the person I was talking with (a language teacher, so later I could ask him to read this or that, he would get why..)
Not a symphonic sound but enough for my need.I did it for years.
A bad thing :
The damned thing stopped to work recently, I have not figured out why so far. I can record only myself, a punishment when I hear my accent...:
[Edit] Ok, solved. I confirm Wasapi works ok in share mode, using your internal sound card. I created a problem in setting up in skype parameters the microphone on automatic set up (I am French : I get : regler automatiquement les paramètres du micro°. So, all is fine. [/Edit]

[gvdv]

Originally Posted by MSVO

Thanks for the reply guys. So here is where I am now. I purchased a Mackie Profx8V2 that has the USB input and output. Now supposedly you can record your computer through Mixer because of the USB dedicated channel and you can...HOWEVER...

1. When I set the audio device on Skype to the Mixer and the audio device on Reaper to the Mixer it crashes Skype.

2. When using Cleanfeed.net which is far superior to Skype it seems my guest is hearing themselves which means I have to press a switch by the USB channel that cuts them from the main mix.

3. So my work around as been to use Skype but route the audio to my old interface via Line In for Skype and record like that.

I'd love to figure this out to where I can use Cleanfeed but it's a head scratcher.

MSVO,
What did you end up doing in the end? Did you get both Skype and Reaper to work with the mixer? How about getting Cleanfeed.net working?

[pipelineaudio]

I have it going thru NDI in OBS anyway