Blank spots recording Skype

[Enver]

I'm having this same problem and I don't understand the problem. I use Audacity to record Skype calls, and when I record a call, it will drop silence in between a lot of talking and then I am left with blank spots. Particularly this happens when there is someone taking for more than a few seconds and going on and on. I updated Audacity to 2.0 and I am still having this problem. I'm running on Windows Vista.

[Gale Andrews]

I'm having this same problem and I don't understand the problem. I use Audacity to record Skype calls, and when I record a call, it will drop silence in between a lot of talking and then I am left with blank spots. Particularly this happens when there is someone taking for more than a few seconds and going on and on. I updated Audacity to 2.0 and I am still having this problem. I'm running on Windows Vista.

The user whose post you attached to was not using Skype, so I started a new topic for you.

Audacity 2.0 is obsolete. I suggest you get the latest 2.0.5 from here: http://audacityteam.org/download/windows .

The easy answer is not to use Audacity to record Skype. Audacity is not intended to record Skype. At best you will get yourself and the other party mixed together and one party may be louder than the other.

Try:
http://www.ifree-recorder.com/
http://atdot.ch/scr/
http://www.pamela-systems.com/products/ .

When you do record with Audacity, turn Skype off, and you will probably want to turn off sound "enhancements":
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... hancements .

If you still get dropouts, shut down more programs before recording. See:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Manag ... nd_Drivers .


Gale

[kozikowski]

There was a recent post from someone who just plugged his computer together and started recording bi-directional Skype calls and podcasts with music and effects sharing. He posted to us about some trivial sound problem and I suggested to him that most people would kill to be able to do what he's doing. He was a podcast celebrity.

Here it is. Chase and Ben in different cities.

http://reellife.podomatic.com/entry/201 ... 2_08-07_00

I think he's down to podcast stingers and samplers now instead of 90 minute shows, but still. He thinks we're all crazy. I suspect if he ever got a new computer, the show would go straight into the mud.

And yes, I believe we solved his original problem.

Koz

[kozikowski]

And yes, the skipping problem is very probably a computer resource issue. When you record like that, the computer has to deal with Skype, Computer Record, Computer Playback (all in real time) plus Audacity and all of its services. Skype tends to be vicious when it's running, so it's not shocking that Audacity gets the table scraps.

Koz

[Enver]

I've used a free skype recorder before and while it records fine, I have trouble cause they record within one speaker. Normally everything ends up on the right speaker when I do that.

I notice this only happens when there is a lot of talking going on, and then a bit of loudness. Once it starts getting loud and for longer than a few seconds, I get these big blank spots and lose huge chunks of audio. It drives me nuts, I have no idea what the problem is. I really like Audacity and would love to record my calls with it, I have to record my phone calls cause I have trouble with my memory, so it's nice to go over them a few times to catch up if I forgot something.

[Gale Andrews]

I've used a free skype recorder before and while it records fine, I have trouble cause they record within one speaker. Normally everything ends up on the right speaker when I do that.

Please try the Skype recording programs we suggested. Or try http://voipcallrecording.com/ which I know records each party to separate channels.

I notice this only happens when there is a lot of talking going on, and then a bit of loudness. Once it starts getting loud and for longer than a few seconds, I get these big blank spots and lose huge chunks of audio. It drives me nuts, I have no idea what the problem is. I really like Audacity and would love to record my calls with it, I have to record my phone calls cause I have trouble with my memory, so it's nice to go over them a few times to catch up if I forgot something.

Please consider the advice you were given. If you must use Audacity to record Skype you will get both parties in one channel, even if you record stereo. To avoid the dropouts you will have to turn off more applications and services in your computer, or go through http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Manag ... nd_Drivers to identify other things you can try to stop the dropouts.

And in case the problem is caused by fluctuating volume levels as you describe, you will have to try turning off sound enhancements ( http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... hancements ) and possibly Windows playback adjustments ( http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/fa ... html#muted ) .

If you record with an application meant for Skype, you should be able to avoid most or all of these issues.



Gale

[Enver]

I've already turned off the sound enhancements. I've done all of that and I still have this problem.

I actually like everything to come into one channel cause I have no idea how I am supposed to edit two channels into one. I edit everything in Audacity for playback.

[Enver]

I have tried the iFree Skype Recorder and the quality is not near as good as Audacity can be (when it's not cutting out).

If I can get this program to record Skype, i would be very happy.

[steve]

As previously said, Audacity is not designed for recording Skype. Recording Skype with Audacity may work sometimes, but there may be problems due to the way that Skype manages the audio system, and Audacity has no control over that, so if it doesn't work reliably you would do better to find an alternative way to record.
I've had good results using Skype Call Recorder http://atdot.ch/scr/ (free and open source).

[Gale Andrews]

I actually like everything to come into one channel cause I have no idea how I am supposed to edit two channels into one.

If you want a finished recording in mono and you already have a stereo recording with empty left channel, click the Track Drop-Down Menu , choose "Split Stereo to Mono", then click the [X] to close the upper (empty) track.

If you have a stereo recording with different left and right channels, use Tracks > Stereo Track to Mono in the menu at the top of Audacity to make the recording mono (containing the content of the former left and right).

You may have to try everything in http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Manag ... nd_Drivers to try and prevent the dropouts when using Audacity to record Skype, and you may not succeed then.


Gale