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Posts with tag Recording

iPhone video recorder with audio support debuts

Aaron Besson of MyTriniPhone posted this morning about a new iPhone video recorder. Unlike previous entries into this realm, this updated version from DreamCatcher records both sound and video.

I download a copy and gave it a try. The interface is a little on the prototype side but it recorded without a hitch. I was able to copy the resulting mp4 video onto my Mac and play it back. It was grainy (as expected, given the low quality of the iPhone camera) but the audio was clear. Playback on the iPhone itself simply did not work for me.

Apparently this code is based on ffmpeg and there's a lively little discussion about this over at the Hackint0sh forums, if you care to check that out. You must pay to register if you'd like to record more than 30 seconds at a time or if you simply like the program and want to support the developer. Deets are in the program. Just tap Settings > About > Buynow.

Call Recorder 2.3 released

We use Skype for the TUAW Talkcast and recently, our host and podcasting guru (OK, not guru, but he is the host and we like him), Michael Rose, has been looking at possibly using Ecamm's Call Recorder 2 plugin as an option for recording our weekly talkcasts. I actually have used it to record both audio and video chat for the Squadcast and really think that it is a fantastic, fantastic add-on.

For anyone unfamiliar, Call Recorder is a great little tool that adds a recording window to Skype. This makes it easy to record incoming and outgoing calls (audio and video). The files are saved in the QuickTime format and they can be converted to MP3 or split into separate tracks.

With the release of the latest version of Skype for the Mac, Ecamm has updated Call Recorder as well. In addition to the latest Skype compatibility, Call Recorder 2.3 also includes a new two-track video recording option (so that you can have a separate stream from each side of the conversation) and enhanced video recording quality.

Call Recorder 2 is $14.95 (for $7 more, you can also get Conference Recorder, which adds the same functionality to iChat, and unlike the built in iChat recorder, doesn't require both users to have Leopard) and a free demo is available if you want to try out the tool.

If you want a simple, hassle free way to record Skype conversations, give Call Recorder a shot!

Übercaster, all-in-one podcasting tool receives new features, enhancements

It's been a while since we've written about Übercaster, the all-in-one tool for recording, editing and publishing podcasts, but that doesn't mean its developer, Eberhard Rensch, hasn't been hard at work on it. Through updates over the last couple of months, Übercaster v1.1.5 has gained a ton of handy new features and polish, such as:
  • Delete and Close Gap: Instantly re-join two pieces of a track after cutting out a portion of the middle. A big time saver when editing out the false starts and other mistakes.
  • Reset Playhead on Stop: An option to automatically return the playhead to its original starting point. Another huge timesaver when reviewing a specific clip.
  • Split All Tracks: Splits every track at the playhead, regardless of which tracks are selection.
  • New PleasantConnect version: An update to the Mac OS X kernel extension included with Übercaster that allows for pulling off tricks like recording Skype conversations in separate tracks, with you on one and any caller(s) on another.
  • New progress bar in Dock icon: This is great for a real-time yet unobtrusive display of a podcast's upload progress.
  • Sparkle integration for automatic updates: Andy Matuschak's popular Sparkle framework has made to Übercaster, providing wonderful automatic software updates that so many apps are enjoying.
This isn't all though; there are far more new features and bug fixes listed in just the last two updates than I can fit in this post, so check out the Übercaster changelog or grab the latest version yourself. If that updated kernel extension can fix my problems and allow me to record multi-track Skype conversations, Rensch will certainly be seeing a $79.95 purchase from me.

Rogue Amoeba releases details on Airfoil 3, Audio Hijack Pro 3



Rogue Amoeba, purveyors of all sorts of wonderful audio software, have been releasing details on pending updates for two of their most popular products: Airfoil and Audio Hijack Pro. Both upgrades seem like they're coming sometime soon, with Audio Hijack Pro 3 (a tool allowing you to record any audio from your Mac) sounding like it could land sooner rather than later. Details and screenshots (like the one above) of AHP3 are being posted to this forum thread, including thoughts on whether they'll charge an upgrade fee (though prices for new licenses should remain at $32). If Rogue Amoeba wants my two cents (which they admittedly didn't request), I'm all for developers, especially indies, charging upgrade fees for major point releases. It sure is nice when they don't, but I completely understand that underneath all that code and slick features there's a human being that's just trying to survive (and possibly provide) like the rest of us.

Continue reading Rogue Amoeba releases details on Airfoil 3, Audio Hijack Pro 3

Übercaster ships

We last mentioned Übercaster several months ago, and now the German-made all-in-one podcast producing tool is finally shipping. Übercaster is designed to replace a variety of different applications, allowing you to produce, record, and edit your podcast all in one interface. You're able to set up a variety of clips (e.g. intro and exit music), clips, sound effects, etc., which you can invoke with one-click as you're talking. It even allows recording audio directly from iChat, Skype, and Gizmo Project. Once you've laid down your tracks, it allows you to edit them in a multi-track editing environment. I played with the beta while back and was impressed with the Mac-like nature of the program, though I did notice it sometimes does not gracefully handle large audio files dropped into it.

Unfortunately, all of this podcasting goodness does not come cheap. Übercaster is $79.95 and a demo is available.

[Via Macworld UK]

TUAW Tip: Use ambient noise reduction for chats and sound recording



I do a decent amount of audio recording and chatting, but I don't ever remember seeing this option in System Preferences until last night. Turning on the "Use ambient noise reduction" feature under the Input tab of the Sound pane can help cut out the TV or dogs barking in the background, though it obviously isn't an end-all solution. A quiet, sound proofed setup is still ideal, but this setting should help for those times when 'ideal' just isn't possible. The setting should work with your Mac's built-in microphone, as well as any external mics you plug in.

[Update: From the comments, it sounds like this might only be an option on Apple's Intel-based notebooks. Readers are reporting that PowerBooks, iBooks, G5 iMacs and even Core Duo Mac minis (an Intel non-portable) don't have the feature. This is very interesting, and suggests that it could be due to an actual update to the microphone hardware in the MacBook/Pros since, as far as I know, noise cancellation typically involves a dedicated chip for this kind of functionality. Only certain mobile phones, for example, actually have noise cancellation, and I believe that is also due to the presence of a specific chip.]

Call Recorder plugin for Skype

Call Recorder from Ecamm Network is a Skype plugin that allows you to record your calls (interviews, podcasts, etc.) as two-track AAC files for that perfect 'edited for your blackmailing pleasure' effect (calls can also be converted to MP3 for the AAC-haters in the audience). A recent version update also brings the ability to save voicemails as quicktime movies.

Call Recorder is a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9, as well as Skype for Mac v1.4 or higher. A demo is available, while a license costs $14.95. As of this writing, Ecamm Network is offering a sale price of $12.95.

Spy on friends and family with your iSight-enabled Mac

This post could also have been titled: "how to lose family and friends quickly with your iSight-enabled Mac." A poster over at macosxhints discovered that you can start a new video recording session in QuickTime Pro on an iSight-enabled Mac (for that low-profile surveillance look), and invoke Fast User Switching while the QT Pro session keeps on recording. For more stealth surveillance, you can set your display to shut off and, aside from the green light, most people will be none the wiser.

Ethics and exclamations of 'how dare you?!' aside, I wonder if this 'built-in webcam' feature is going to inspire a new niche of unique video recording software.

Logic for Intel Macs at NAMM

logic pro intel nativeIf you haven't made up your mind that Intel chips will "save" the Mac platform, Apple demoed the Intel-native version of Logic Pro 7 at NAMM today. How fast is it? Let's just say I'm going to have to call that PowerBook of yours - yeah, the shiny 17" version - a paperweight. Don't go planning any Grammy's, that's for sure. The Intel version of Logic is doing things that weren't even possible on PPC versions. To quote Bob Hunt, as he wowed the NAMM'ers with a session full of video and high-end effects: "None of these sessions would even run on a PowerBook." It's nice to see Apple calling it like they see it. Here's hoping the music industry hops on board. I know some indie producers jumped ship a few years ago for PC's because the hardware was cheap, and many of the audio tools they were using were getting long in the tooth. Logic Pro for Intel might just be insanely great enough for them to come back home.

[Via AppleInsider]

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