I am making podcasts with brief musical examples. Rather than make the podcast and then go back and convert and then insert the mp3s, a colleague recommended playing the mp3s out of the computer audio while Audacity is recording, so you’re editing on the spot, as it were (this works with good equipment). But he’s using Garageband, and the moment I hit ‘record’ on Audacity, the volume of the audio output goes down significantly. There must be a simple way of preventing that from happening.
I wouldn’t recommend doing that unless you’re using a mixer and a separate computer (or phone, etc.) to play the MP3s.
The [u]WASAPI loopback[/u] method will accurately capture (record) the sound playing from your computer speakers/headphones. (If the volume is turned-down the recording will also be turned-down.)
You’ll have to turn-off Software Playthrough in Audacity (so you don’t create an internal feedback loop) and you’ll need to configure the computer so the microphone sounds get played out of the computer’s speakers/headphones without running Audacity.
unless you’re using a mixer and a separate computer
this works with good equipment
Right. That’s how we did it.
You may be able to force this to work once with very limited production tools, but you’ll have to start over the instant you launch Skype, Zoom or any other comm, chat or conference service. They all take control of your system, rearrange the sound pathways, and what you want doesn’t matter.
That’s why their so successful. They work no matter how messed up your machine is.
There are programs such as Voicemeeter which establish custom sound pathways in your machine. That might be worth a look.
Do post back if you get something to work. It’s a popular request.
