I’m having a nightmare trying to get a workable solution to record calls (both myself and other participants) on Whatsapp Desktop. This is perfectly legitimate use and nothing seems to be working - I’ve tried all different settings (Wasapi, MME, direct sound etc)
My current setup is this
Bluetooth Headset with Mic (connected via USB dongle)
Laptop running windows 11
Whatsapp Desktop.
For some reason introducing the bluetooth headset has made it impossible to record both sides of the conversation, but even before the stability and quality of recording was dreadful.
WhatsApp does not natively support recording calls on either its mobile or desktop versions.
For some reason introducing the bluetooth headset has made it impossible
Bluetooth isn’t a sound service. It’s a radio network communications service. Audacity would have no idea what to do with that.
Describe one of your presentations or shows. Assume you’re not using Bluetooth, how are you doing it now?
If you’re fully hands-free, you can place your phone in sound recording mode half-way between the computer and you. Place it flat on the table, not elevated or propped up. Do it in a quiet, echo-free room.
I can’t find the sound clip I’m looking for, but that’s how I shot this interview in a restaurant.
I would be making calls using Whatsapp Desktop, and then using an earset plugged into the 3.5m jack. This seems to work, but i can’t get this to work when the bluetooth headset is introduced.
That’s how you get What’sapp to work, but how did you get the Audaity recording to work?
Audaity will only record from one thing or device. Somehow you have to reduce your conversations to a single sound channel and record that. Most comunications systems are not at all happy with that because they have to carefully maintain two different sound channels to avoid feedback, network damage, and other distortions.
Many times someone will claim to be recording a conversaton, but really just recording the local microphone and the far-side processing errors and distortions, not the actual voice. Then they post on the forum wanting us to help “clean this up.”
I’m using Windows Direct Sound… Microphone Realek R audio … 2 Stereo Recording … Headphones Realtek AUdio
These are the exact settings on audacity and it’s working.
These are the exact settings on audacity and it’s working.
According to your first post, it’s not.
but even before the stability and quality of recording was dreadful.
If your recordings don’t sound like the original conversations, then you’re either doing it wrong, or you’re making stable recordings of the wrong sound pathways.
Was the move to Blue Tooth an effort to improve the quality of the recordings, or they’re just more comfortable?
If you wanted to persue this, the new headphone setting is not Headphones Realtek AUdio. You’ll have to root around in your system settings and find out what it’s called when BlueTooth is connected. Hint: Look in Network Settings, not just sound.
I was just going back through the parchment pages of past productions. There’s one really out there. Can you do a three-way call on What’sAPP?
Set up a three-way call with two computers on your side. The magic computer has no microphone or a microphone in full Mute. Set up to record the speaker or headphone feed. Start the recording. You two carry on as normal. The magic third computer listens to everything and shovels it all off to Audacity with little or no damage.
Another variation on this is set up the third computer hands-free in a quiet room and set up your phone recording next to the speaker. The better quality the speakers, the better. I have a full-on MacBook Pro and a little MacBook Air. The speakers on the Macbook Pro are classic little round things left and right of the keyboard. They’re terrible. Restricted and pinched sound with no bass.
The smaller MacBook Air has newer compression drivers under the keyboard instead of speakers and I have no trouble watching and listening to a movie on this thing. This, a quiet room, and my iPhone in record mode would make a terrific third computer.
I did something very similar to this where I used to work. Networked production meetings would be held in multiple cities and locations and there was no convenient way to record everything. Not everybody could make the meetings. I set up a “third computer” in Electronic Maintenance connected to the meeting network. I started it up in record at the beginning of each meeting. It didn’t have a microphone.
I know your goal is to roll everything into one computer, press a button, and crank out perfect quality voice work. Post back if you get something to work.
There is one other possibility. People make software packages that add sound channels to a computer. In that case, you could make a custom mix of your voice and the client voice and manufacture a mix which then goes off to Audacity. Audacity has no idea everything else is there. I’ll see if I can find the software name.
Recording in stereo Headphones Actualtek Audio with Actualtek Recording in stereo Headphones Actualtek Audio with Realek R audio condenser microphones.
As far as I can tell, Audacity is working with these precise settings.