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Old 09-20-2019, 12:34 AM   #1
AtrainV
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Default Recording Skype interviews directly into a Reaper track

Hello!

I'm sure that my problem has been talked about quite a bit already in various threads (as I've been trying to solve this problem it seems like it's one that many people have), but I think that my setup might be a bit more unique.

I'm in the beginning stages of putting together a podcast and I've had good success using Reaper to record locally using XLR mics that feed into a USB mixer (Xenyx 802usb). Software-wise, I'm using Windows 10 and ASIO4all.

With this podcast, I will regularly need to interview people about a topic, but they will likely be new people each time. This means that some of the more common solutions to this problem that require the remote host to also install specialized software are less desirable. Furthermore, many of the remote hosts will likely not be too tech-savvy, so a tech-lite solution is necessary. These people may not be familiar with VOIP programs like Discord, so a more common program like Skype is required.

So, what I'd like to do is to be able to record my side of the interview through my external mic -> mixer -> Reaper while at the same time, in a separate track, recording the remote host directly into Reaper.

I've tried a variety of solutions posted online and have had no luck so far, so I'm hoping that you guys can help me out with this situation!

I've attached a picture of my mixer (please excuse the dust!), but the attachment requirements forced it into pretty low resolution, so you can also follow the link I included above for more info.
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File Type: jpg 20190920_152651.jpg (40.9 KB, 103 views)

Last edited by AtrainV; 09-20-2019 at 12:40 AM.
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Old 09-20-2019, 04:15 AM   #2
Kenten
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I think Virtual Audio Cable would do what you need. In your Skype settings you would set the audio output to Cable Input, then in REAPER you would set a track to record Cable Output. The only thing is I'm not sure if you could record the virtual cable signal and your mixer at the same time.

https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/
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Old 09-20-2019, 05:16 AM   #3
AtrainV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenten View Post
I think Virtual Audio Cable would do what you need. In your Skype settings you would set the audio output to Cable Input, then in REAPER you would set a track to record Cable Output. The only thing is I'm not sure if you could record the virtual cable signal and your mixer at the same time.

https://www.vb-audio.com/Cable/
Thanks for your quick reply! I'm pretty sure I've tried the virtual cable trick already but ran into problems when setting up the I/O in reaper (I could either select the virtual cable as an input or the mixer as an input, but not both). Do you know if there are any ways to select two different kinds of inputs (one through ASIO4all and one non-ASIO4all)?
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Old 09-20-2019, 06:05 AM   #4
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Here's the input screen for when I try to use both the virtual cable and the mixer inputs:

https://imgur.com/a/ljqH0J4

USB Audio Codec is the name for the mixer inputs.
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Old 09-20-2019, 09:39 AM   #5
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The virtual audio device app to route audio between apps is the way to go.
I like Soundflower. It's always just worked. Virtual Audio Cable and Jack are a couple others.

Assign System audio to Soundflower in your OS audio control panel.
(Now Skype, browsers, etc. are outputting on the Soundflower bus.)
Make an aggregate device of Soundflower + your combo interface/analog mixer.
Select the aggregate device in Reaper instead of the combo interface/mixer by itself.
Assign the incoming Soundflower channels to a track.
Assign your monitor outputs as normal.

Gorilla workaround if your OS gives you trouble with that:

Assign your System audio to your built-in interface line output.
(Now Skype, browsers, etc. should be outputting from the computer headphone jack.)
Open Reaper and select the combo interface/mixer as normal.
Reaper should be working with the connected combo interface/mixer.
Skype should be coming out the computer headphone jack.
Patch the headphone output into channel 2 of your combo interface/mixer.
Not pretty but it will get the job done if Windows isn't letting you work a virtual audio device which I'm told is a thing.
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Old 09-20-2019, 09:45 AM   #6
AtrainV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serr View Post
Make an aggregate device of Soundflower + your combo interface/analog mixer.
Select the aggregate device in Reaper instead of the combo interface/mixer by itself.
Assign the incoming Soundflower channels to a track.
Do you mind explaining this in a bit more detail?
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Old 09-20-2019, 10:11 AM   #7
serr
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The step by step will differ depending on the virtual device app and your OS. I'm familiar with OSX and Soundflower. Soundflower mimics an audio interface virtually. That lets you select it as part of an aggregate device just as though it were a connected hardware interface. (Some of the other apps might work differently. Jack does this differently, for example. More like a system service.)

When you want to connect more than one audio interface to a host computer, you make what's called an aggregate device with your OS audio control app (not the DAW app). Audio MIDI Setup in OSX or ASIO in Windows. Then select the aggregate device in Reaper Preferences/Audio/Device page instead of one of your individual interfaces.
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Old 09-20-2019, 10:20 AM   #8
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Windows doesn't do aggregate devices but the concept is the same. This is where I go into my rant that any sound card that doesn't offer loopback natively shouldn't be on the market - because most who need it end up with a sound card that can't do it. Native loopback means all these issues don't exist, you just turn it on and then you can record whatever is coming out of your monitors.

That said, when using software to do it, it should be similar where your input in reaper is really the output of the various sound cards flowing through the virtual software - so input/output can be misleading terms when hooking this up.
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Old 09-20-2019, 11:02 PM   #9
AtrainV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serr View Post
The step by step will differ depending on the virtual device app and your OS. I'm familiar with OSX and Soundflower. Soundflower mimics an audio interface virtually. That lets you select it as part of an aggregate device just as though it were a connected hardware interface. (Some of the other apps might work differently. Jack does this differently, for example. More like a system service.)

When you want to connect more than one audio interface to a host computer, you make what's called an aggregate device with your OS audio control app (not the DAW app). Audio MIDI Setup in OSX or ASIO in Windows. Then select the aggregate device in Reaper Preferences/Audio/Device page instead of one of your individual interfaces.
It looks like Soundflower is OSX only and I'm on PC. I've looked a few other applications but am having trouble getting them to show up as inputs in Reaper alongside my analog mixer. What I want is to be able to record one track from my mixer while at the same time sending the audio from Skype to another track. However, in order for Reaper to recognize my mixer, it won't recognize the other input (I linked a screenshot of the audio devices screen above that shows that even though I've selected a virtual cable and the mixer as inputs, it will only allow me to choose the mixer input).

Is there another program that I can use on PC that works more reliably? Am I doing something wrong?
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Old 09-20-2019, 11:47 PM   #10
AtrainV
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Ok, update! I've gotten the virtual cable to show up as an input in Reaper and I've been able to select it at the same time as my mixer input. I don't know what I did... who knows, maybe it was restarting my computer :P

However, now I have a new problem. I can't seem to get my microphone (which is plugged into the mixer) to be accessed by Reaper and Skype at the same time. Either I can have Skype recognize the mic (if I open it up without Reaper) or I can have Reaper recognize the mic (if I open it up without Skype), but once I open one of those applications the mic stops being recognized by the other application.

Is there a way to get around this?

Edit: Here is a screenshot of the ASIO4all configuration options: https://imgur.com/a/QruZ2TK

Edit 2: I've unchecked the option in Windows settings to allow devices to take exclusive control over the microphone, but it doesn't seem to have fixed the issue.

Last edited by AtrainV; 09-21-2019 at 12:14 AM.
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Old 09-21-2019, 01:43 AM   #11
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For me it's just easier to record Skype into VM Banana, then sync up my mic later in reaper.
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Old 09-24-2019, 02:16 PM   #12
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Here's more Routing spotify through Reaper and only hearing it through Reapers output?
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Old 11-06-2019, 10:30 PM   #13
basslines57
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Default USB Microphone not working

I have just purchased a USB Mic for recording voiceovers and cannot get its signal into Reaper. I have set up the OSX Audio setup with an aggregate I/O using the USB mic for input and the iMac headphone jack as the output. The OSX sees the mic and is getting a signal. I selected the aggregate I/O as the device in Reaper, but I cannot see any mic signal. Anyone help?
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