Recording a Call from Pamela to Audacity

BAcres · Post by **BAcres** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:38 pm

I'm in a bit of a panic here. Earlier today I interviewed someone for my website using Pamela for Skype, as I've done dozens of times. When I hung up from the call, Pamela gave me the following error:

Call delivery failed undisclosed_pstn:560

I opened my Call Recordings folder to rename the file, like I usually do, but the "undisclosed_pstn:560" file is 0 bytes. I can listen to it from the Pamela control panel (which I'm afraid to close for fear I'll lose it), so the audio file is present somewhere, but a search of my hard drive is coming up empty. Is there a way to record the file in Audacity while it plays in Pamela so I can edit and upload to my website? This is time sensitive - I need to have the interview edited and uploaded by noon tomorrow. Help!

Post by **kozikowski** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Recursive problems. My favorite. Are you on a laptop?

The system dug you something of a hole. To record Pamela, you might need to change system settings and that may disturb Pamela to the point of failing.

If you're on a Deskside computer, you could put an audio cable between the sound card Line-In and Line-Out and tell audacity to record that way. PC Laptops generally don't work that way.

Do you know anybody with a Mac? You can run a cable between your PC Line/Headphone-Out and their Mac Line-In and record the show on their Mac Audacity.

The reason I'm saying that with a straight face is something caused your PC to become unstable. It's probably still unstable. If the show plays at all, you should probably not mess with it until after delivery. All newer Macs have a terrific Line-In and will record the show very well.

Koz

BAcres · Post by **BAcres** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:45 am

Thank you for answering. I'm on a desk PC and the nearest Mac owner I could call on is 2 hours away. By "sound card Line-In and Line-Out", you're not referring to the mic/headset jacks, right? Do I need to pull out the tower and look for the line-in/line-out? Forgive my ignorance, I've been happily working with USB ports and my headset for the past 2 years.

I have my digital voice recorder ready to record from the speakers if I have to.

Post by **kozikowski** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:53 am

<<<I have my digital voice recorder ready to record from the speakers if I have to>>>

Do that first. That's your protection copy.

<<<you're not referring to the mic/headset jacks, right?>>>

Well....yes. If you have a reasonable sound card, it should have (from memory now), Pink low-level Microphone-In, Green Headphone/Line-Out, and Blue High Level Line-In. We have one manufacturer of sound card that scrambled the colors. We're considering shooting them.

How are your speakers connected?

Koz

BAcres · Post by **BAcres** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:59 am

<<How are your speakers connected?>>

You're gonna want to shoot me now...they're integrated into my monitor.

Post by **kozikowski** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:30 am

No, I mean how do they plug into the computer?

Koz

BAcres · Post by **BAcres** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:45 am

There's one cord and it plugs into the back in the green Line-in slot.

Post by **kozikowski** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:04 am

The green one is probably Line-Out. Take a powerful flashlight back there with you. Tiny fan icon with an arrow pointing out?

Did you make the protection copy of the show on your digital recorder?

We're getting into seriously deep water here.

Koz

BAcres · Post by **BAcres** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:11 am

Digital recorder copy is done, and it sounds pretty good. I'm still going to try the audio cord option in the morning (have to go get one from my brother), but at the very least I have a workable copy. It won't be super high quality, but it's better than nothing.

Post by **kozikowski** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:36 am

<<<have to go get one from my brother>>>

Now you sound like my sister.

Something on these lines should work nicely. Radio Shack makes a 12" version in white which would be perfect.

<<<http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2102949>>>

You might also consider a "Y" cable so you can plug into your speakers and the Line-In at the same time. If you don't, you won't be able to hear what you're doing.

Then, it's struggling with the Windows Control Panels to figure out how to get Audacity pointed at the Line-In at the same time Pamela is pointed at the Line-Out.

Windows Control Panel
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... trol_Panel

The reason I'm going great guns for the cable option (which still may not work) is that Pamela is part of the Skype family. Skype completely mucks up the sound pathways while it's running, and Pamela knows how to negotiate the devastation. Audacity doesn't. Pamela is the solution to not being to use Audacity to record the phone call in the first place.

So don't lose that digital speaker recording.

Koz

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