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Screen and sound capture

VileReynard
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Screen and sound capture

I'm not sure i want to be asking this question Cheesy
I'd like to capture, ideally as a video file, anything that appears on my screen - including audio.
I seem to have a very limited sound card.
I can easily capture video - using xvidcap - but no sound.
I'd settle for separate audio, though.
My motherboards soundcard is a CK804 (I think).
I think I'm using ALSA - but I don't understand Linux audio. Grin

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

17 REPLIES 17
HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Well first obvious q is what distro and release are you running?
Audcaity will capture the audio in a loopback form if your card allows full duplex, if not then you need to feed the headphone->input manually.
VileReynard
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Thanks for the help...
Well Ubuntu 9.10 - and I have Audacity - but I think I would have to feed the output back into the microphone(?) input.
Since the recording would only be a secondary backup and the double D-A plus A-D conversion by a cheap soundcard will sound very rubbish, I think I will give up!

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Well the first thing to try is to play something in rythmbox (e.g. an mp3) and see if audacity will record it without needing a cable, i.e. full duplex.
Or try, right click on the speaker, and choose preferences. In the combo box does it show "Analog Stero Duplex" ? (mine does on both my systems) if so then audacity will record directly without a-d-d-a conversion.
VileReynard
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Quote from: Hairy
Or try, right click on the speaker, and choose preferences. In the combo box does it show "Analog Stero Duplex" ? (mine does on both my systems) if so then audacity will record directly without a-d-d-a conversion.

I tried an mp3 through "movie player" - sound was fine.
But audacity picked up nothing - even though the volume control shows "Analog Stero Duplex".
I wonder if its an audacity problem - it won't play an imported mp3 Cheesy

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

OK in audacity change where it gets it audio from, RHS of the screen at the top is a drop down that probably says Mic, try changing to Line
VileReynard
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Well - after I had changed one of preview options in preferences(?) from 3 seconds to 30 seconds , and
Quote
RHS of the screen at the top is a drop down that probably says Mic, try changing to Line

audacity now plays tunes - but doesn't capture. Cry
As you can see, the volume control sees audacity trying to record and totem playing.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

I had to play with it to get it to capture but I manged to capture a play from spotify (via wine) so it will do it, keep playing  Cheesy
VileReynard
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Well - I'll keep trying then!
Watch this space. Cheesy

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

How did you get on?
VileReynard
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Re: Screen and sound capture

I gave up! Cry
I was afraid of totally screwing up the sound!
It seems that every man and his dog has a "standard" sound system!
OSS, ALSA, JACK, ESD...
Perhaps I should just connect the output to the microphone via a piece of wire... Smiley

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Ok just tried on my spare machine, fresh install of Audacity:
Open Audacity and press Ctrl-P choose Recording and Pulse. Close and click on the Mic icon and choose Monitor.
Open the Pulse Audio control panel, choose Volume Control.
Choose Recording, and select the Monitor of playback device
Volia ! all done!
Easy wasn't it  Roll_eyes
VileReynard
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Well, Hairy Biker....
You are an absolute star of the first magnitude!!! Smiley Smiley Smiley
I managed to follow your instructions and we (collectively) have succeeded in playing Terry Pratchett's "Guards Guards!" (mp3) via movie player via audacity back onto my hard disk.
So it works. Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy
However, [because I use Gnome(??)] I had to install some pulse audio stuff...
I seem to have pulse audio + alsa now - but everything still works Smiley
Next step is to record sound and video off of a Java based applet, which I will try later tonight.
Many thanks.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

VileReynard
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Posts: 12,616
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Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Screen and sound capture

Thanks once again, Biker Smiley
I have succeeded in doing an almost full screen video grab with xvidcap whilst simultaneously capturing the audio with audacity  Smiley
So all I have to do is merge the video and audio streams.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

HairyMcbiker
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Re: Screen and sound capture

Quote from: A
However, [because I use Gnome(??)] I had to install some pulse audio stuff...
I seem to have pulse audio + alsa now - but everything still works Smiley

Not my fault!  Smiley Ubuntu introduced Pulse as the default in 8.10 (I think) you needed to add the pulse audio applet/manager (I have it added by default so forget about it) I also use Gnome so no difference there.