Hey guys -
 
    I am putting together a few tutorial vids.  The problem is, using either Cam studio or Microsoft Expression, I cannot record audio from my external soundcard, as needed for an audio instruction video.  I see a million videos doing this, so there has to be a simple answer.
 
    If anyone has ideas I would love to hear them, I have tried every combination and option I could think of and find.
Setup
 
M-Audio ProFire 610
Windows 7 64 bit
Sonar X2
 

Hi Mike,

I use Camtasia. It allows me to do everything right from it. However, this may be a bit harder with a pro sound card. It depends which one you have and what it allows. I'll share the two ways I do things here and maybe they will help you.

Camtasia on my stock Dell boxes with Realtek cards: Camtasia allows me to use "stereo mix" which is like "what you hear" as well as web camera mic in and line in. So the Realtek can be used in real time with Sonar. However, I MUST open Camtasia first or Sonar's audio engine will interfere. You may want to try that on your end. Open your cam software first, then Sonar. Make sure the Cam software allows for different driver options. After a recording, I must stop Sonar's engine to hear what Camtasia has recorded.

Cons: You must use ASIO4ALL drivers with the Realtek if it's used in Sonar. I couldn't even make WDM work. I couldn't play 24 bit files in Sonar using ASIO4ALL either with the Realtek. But on my stock Dell netboxes, I don't record anything major and don't need 24/48 or above. So I'm fine leaving it as it is.

On my good boxes: The recording boxes with real soundcards won't work for me. So the fix for me is to run two soundcards at once. I use my Realtek cards on my recording pc's for windows sounds as well as mp3's which play through my Logitech pc monitors. My good cards only play wave files and are set up through Winamp so the sound runs right to my studio monitors. This allows me to sort of use two soundcards at once. I'll explain.

My good soundcard outs run into a mixing console. From the aux out of the mixing console, I run into the 1/8 line in on my Realtek and that is the sound being sent to Camtasia. So I can use Sonar with all my good stuff and anything that goes through my mixing console will be sent to the Realtek via line in.

I use coverter plugs to go 1/8 TRS from one of the aux stereo outs on my console. That's the only thing I can think of if you are using a high end recording card. Instead of the mixing console deal, you could just take 2 outs of your pro card, run converter plugs on them and TRS 1/8 right into your onboard sound line in. I also have Logitech pc monitors running into all my pc's...even the good ones. This way I can listen to things in a more consumer environment which is why I even have my Realtek enabled on them. (if you were wondering lol)

But try routing through to your onboard soundcard just to use your screen cam software. If you do have something like a Realtek though, you should be ok just using that. But I'd not attempt to play back anything more than 16/44 using Sonar and you'd need to use ASIO4ALL drivers for it while in Sonar. So to recap in case I've totally lost you with my madness...lol!

For pro cards: Leave the pro card as it is. Enable the Realtek, and just take two outs from your pro card and feed them into the 1/8 line in using TRS connectors. Make sure you use line in and not mic in. You'll probably need to monitor through headphones or something so you can hear since your main outs will be sent to the Realtek bypassing your good monitors. Unless of course you use a console like me...then you have the other options I mentioned. Hope this helps, good luck! :)

-Danny

Thanks Danny, that definately helped!  I also have the Realtek enabled with a 5.1 surround system for normal listening on the DAW.  The soundcard and powered monitors are for recording projects of course.

I'll try try to find the right cables connecting 1/4' out to the back of my computer.  I'll let you know how it turns out

Thanks again

Danny - do you only have 1 stereo input on your Realtek?  It's looking like I need two mono outs, to 1 stereo input to make this work, is that about what you have?

I use Camstudio (thanks, Karl!) and it works well with my external Focusrite Saffire.
I didn't have to do anything special to get it to work; just had to select the right options in the Camstudio menues. The DAW is XP SP3 32-bit.
It's not on this machine, though, so it will be later tonight before I can check it out.
There is hope.

LpMike75


Danny - do you only have 1 stereo input on your Realtek?  It's looking like I need two mono outs, to 1 stereo input to make this work, is that about what you have?

Mike: I have two XLR's coming out of my soundcard into 2 channels on my console. Then, two 1/4 cables out of the console into a splitter with two female ends that "Y" into a 1/8 TRS (stereo plug) that goes into the line in on the Realtek. The line in on the Realtek IS stereo, so if you split your two signals via TRS you'll be ok.
 
Ah looks like Gregy to the rescue as he may have a fix without using the Realtek at all. I could never make any of my pro cards work with any consumer type software. I've never really went on a mission to do it, but I had problems with the whole soundcard clock reset happening for Windows stuff. At any rate, I hope you find a fix for this. :)
 
-Danny

Greg, thanks for checking in.  With Camstudio, I choose my Maudio interface but it does not record anything from there.  In Sonar I checked to "share drivers", in case that was an issue, but it didnt help.  I did not try anything besides ASIO within Sonar though, did you have to change that option?

Danny - Thanks, I ordered one of the split mono to 1/8 stereo plug to try it out.  Should be here next week.  Thanks again for the suggestion

Sorry I haven't been back, Mike.
I didn't change the driver mode, using ASIO only.
In the Cam Studio options, I selected 'record audio from mic', I think. I still haven't opened the DAW computer to check (another reason I'm a horrible collaborator; it takes me a long time to get anything done).
In the Windows Control Panel I have the Saffire set to record and playback everything, too.
I'll try to open it up soon. Working 2nd shift has really put a damper on my recording. I sometimes don't play with it for days.

I can't say why it works. It just always has.
Opened it up awhile ago to see if there was something specific I had to do to set it up. Nope; other than setting the sample rate, worked from the get-go.
 

 
I have to set the sampling rate every time (it starts at stereo 22.05 8-bit). Maybe it's set to a rate your device can't use?

Greg, are you sure the audio your recording is not being picked up from your external mic?  I literally tried everything I could think of with no luck.  I could also choose my M-Audio in the drop down box but it never recorded from there.

The only thing that ended up working was what Danny suggested, use a duel mono out from M-Audio into a 3.5 mm stereo plug into my computer.

Thanks for the thoughts and help.  I finally have it up and running