Can record Skype call OR myself-not both w QjackCtl Audacity

[elaterite]

Hi!

Problem:
Using QjackCtl, Audacity, and Skype, I can record the caller OR myself, but not both. (And I apologize for cross postings, but I've been trying to solve this for over a month and am getting desperate.)

Options:
No, I do not want to use a third party specific Skype call recorder.

Equipment / Hardware / Software:
Dynamic microphone
Firewire mixer
ASUS P5QC motherboard with onboard Realtek ALC 1200, 8-Channel High-Def Audio
Ubuntu Studio 13.04
Skype 4.1
Audacity 2.0.3 (repository)
QjackCtl 0.3.9
PulseAudio Volume Control

Please see the PDF (if not posted below) at this link:
http://electricnevada.org/pics/record.pdf

Referring to the photos on the PDF, from l-r, top to bottom:
Each photo shows Audacity, PulseAudio Volume Control (each tab, indicated by the small red circle: Playback, Recording, Output Devices, and Input Devices), and QjackCtl "Connections" during an active Skype test call when the women is speaking.

The first four photos are the default open for all of the software and I can immediately record the Skype side of the call with Audacity.

The fifth photo, at the bottom of the PDF, shows the only change I need to make to record myself--but then I loose the ability to record the Skype side of the call.

As you can see it is solely dependent on the "Recording" tab option of "Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo" (large red circle) where I can record the caller (as in photo #2), or, as in the fifth photo at the bottom of the page, "Jack Source (PulseAudio JACK Source)" option where I can record myself but not the caller.

Question:
How do I get “ALSA plug-in [audacity]: ALSA Capture from” to capture from both "Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo" AND "Jack Source (PulseAudio JACK Source)"? It seems I need to added these devices to the QjackCtl "Connections" panel so I can connect them together, yes/no? If so, I've not a clue how to do that.

The command line doesn't scare me, but I'm only a cookbook recipe follower, so I need precise instructions.

Also, I'd like to know how to identify, at the command line, the various output streams from my onboard sound card.

Any help would be greatly appreciated—thanks!

[kozikowski]

This is notoriously difficult because you not only have to establish the pathways for the recording, you have to also not mess up the Skype pathways -- and some pathways are common. The only poster who claimed to get it to work perfectly keeps claiming he's going to post back with his first interview. We're still in contact with him and he's going to get that to us any minute now....

[waiting for linux elf]

Koz

[steve]

Options:
No, I do not want to use a third party specific Skype call recorder.

because?

[elaterite]

Options:
No, I do not want to use a third party specific Skype call recorder.

because?

I've not seen one that works very well under Linux. Do you know of one?

[steve]

"Skype Call Recorder" works well for me: http://atdot.ch/scr/

It is also possible to record both sides using Jack, but it's a bit awkward because Skype does not appear to support Jack so I'd recommend that you try "Skype Call Recorder" first.

[elaterite]

"Skype Call Recorder" works well for me: http://atdot.ch/scr/

It is also possible to record both sides using Jack, but it's a bit awkward because Skype does not appear to support Jack so I'd recommend that you try "Skype Call Recorder" first.

I'm using Jack. I can record one side of the conversation, or the other, but not both. Hence, my question, how do I do that Steve? You say it's possible with Jack, but how? Thanks!

Re: Skype call recorder. I've never gotten it to work. But then I've not tried very hard either. Also, development on it died at version number 0.8 in 2008. I'm not very interested in relying on such old software that's no longer being developed for my podcast. Besides, it seems that this is what Jack is for, although, admittedly, Jack is not exactly the most intuitive piece of software one can use and it requires a user level above my knowledge. That said, I can follow instructions, if I can find them.

Thanks.

[steve]

Short version - Set the "host" in the Device Toolbar to "Jack".
I'm sure that I wrote the "long version" somewhere - give a shout if you need it.

[elaterite]

Short version - Set the "host" in the Device Toolbar to "Jack".
I'm sure that I wrote the "long version" somewhere - give a shout if you need it.

Thanks Steve! That did the trick. I don't know why I didn't consider the Audacity settings? (Doh!)

[SOLVED]

(Solution subject to revision as I've not got it working exactly the way I want, but I'm getting close. The biggest problem has been solved however, and that's recording both sides of a Skype conversation with Audacity.)

Hardware:
Dynamic microphone (Heil PR40)
Firewire mixer (Mackie Onyx 820i)
ASUS P5QC motherboard with onboard Realtek ALC 1200, 8-Channel High-Def Audio

Software:
Ubuntu Studio 13.04
Audacity 2.0.3 (repository)
QjackCtl 0.3.9
PulseAudio Volume Control
Skype 4.1

Settings:

Audacity
Either in "Device Toolbar" (View > Toolbars > [check] Device Toolbar) or Edit > Preferances > Devices, set:
Audio Host = JACK Audio Connection Kit
Output Device = PulseAudio JACK Source
Input Dievice = PulseAudio Jack Sink
Input Channels = 1 (Mono) Input Channels

QjackClt
Start the Jack server and open the Connections tab

Readable Clients / Output Ports
firewire_pcm
[long string of #s & letters]_CH1_in
[long string of #s & letters]_CH2_in
[Many other CHs listed as well, but not connected to anything.]

Connected to

Writable Clients / Input Ports
PortAudio
in_[#s. ex., "3"]
in_[#+1. ex., "4"]

&

Writable Clients / Input Ports
PulseAudio JACK Source
front-left
front-right


Readable Clients / Output Ports
PulseAudio JACK Sink
front-let
front-right

Connected to

Writable Clients / Input Ports
firewire_pcm
[long string of #s & letters]_OUTPUT1_out
[long string of #s & letters]_OUTPUT2_out

&

Writable Clients / Input Ports
PortAudio
in_[#s. ex., "3"]
in_[#+1. ex., "4"]


PulseAudio Volume Control
Playback tab
Skype: Output on Jack sink (PulseAudio Jack Sink)

Recording tab
Skype: Input from Jack source (PulseAudio JACK Source)

Output Devices
No adjustments

Input Devices
no adjustments

Configuration
Analog Stereo Output

[steve]

as I've not got it working exactly the way I want, but I'm getting close.

How would you ideally want it? Perhaps I can give some tips/suggestions.

[kozikowski]

What does it sound like at the other end of the Skype call? Most times when you do this you're sending the caller back to himself and it creates echo problems. If the caller isn't on headphones, you can get some very entertaining feedback problems.

You are on headphones, right?

Koz