Using VOIP Phones to record interviews?

[sparemaker]

Hello!

I am new to podcasting, but have some experience in Radio. I have built my home studio and I have the following equipment:
- Mobile Pre USB Pre-Amp
- Behringer C-1 Mic

I use Audacity to record and mix my Podcasts and it is really helpful. The one thing I cannot figure out how to do is to use Audacity to record an interview on my VOIP phone system. I do have a small digital recorder that I use when I am out and about. (This is not the easiest solution sometimes though)

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

SpareMaker

[steve]

Some voip applications have the ability to save the audio. This is the best solution as trying to "record" it with another application is not usually very successful.

[John-voip]

I am now looking for voip solutions. And found information about Voip sdk.
According to their website http://www.voipsipsdk.com
Voip sdk is based on IETF standards (SIP, STUN, etc.), so it should be compatible with other standard based products such as Asterisk, OpenSER other.

They have all features I need:
# Dynamically loadable codecs
# Registrar support
# Play wav files into conversation
# Record conversation into file
# Hold/Retrieve call
# Forward Call (Blind Call Transfer)
# Transfer Call (Attended Transfer)
# Mute Sound
# VPN support
# Noise reduction
# Auto gain
# Jitter buffer parameters
# Samples on Delphi, C#, VB, VB.NET, C++ 2005, C++ 6.0, HTML (SIP ActiveX)
# Windowless samples on C++ and .NET
# DTMF
# Adaptive silence detection
# Adaptive jitter buffer
# STUN support
# Comes as ActiveX control

But before I will download the evaluation version I would like to hear other people experience.

[julyinin]

Some voip applications have the ability to save the audio but some other can't... but their are some software that you could use to record interviews...

[kozikowski]

VOIP communications recordings need to made with purpose-built software. In order for VOIP to work at all, the program has to completely take over the sound channels, both directions. The capture software packages have to be aware of each other. I know of no general purpose audio program that can do this.

Koz

[steve]

In the case of Skype (and probably other voip software), Skype needs the sound systems record input to be the microphone, but to record the voice coming back Audacity needs the recording input to be Stereo Mix and not Microphone. You can't have it both ways, so it doesn't work.
Voip recorders can hack into Skype, usually by routing all audio through a virtual device before it goes to the real sound card, then recording from the virtual device.

[DarrellBray]

Any good recommendations on what to use for a virtual device like that?

[steve]

It depends what operating system you have.

[kozikowski]

The two upper licenses for Pamela, Professional and Business, will record both sides of a Skype connection to individual tracks for processing, level setting, and production. The other licenses and other capture software in general smashes the two conversations together onto one track. That works perfectly if both sides speak clearly and with good volume. If one of them mumbles, you're dead because there's no way to split out the mumbler and fix him.

Koz

[SRCandelore]

VOIP communications recordings need to made with purpose-built software. In order for VOIP to work at all, the program has to completely take over the sound channels, both directions. The capture software packages have to be aware of each other. I know of no general purpose audio program that can do this.

We've been looking for a way to record too and no luck with our voip phone vendor.