Play Sounds through Skype - Multiple Skype Inputs

[Highway of Life]

So how did I play sounds through that phpBB Weekly podcast episode on Skype?
I thought I would share it with all of you and hope that it helps some future Skype lurker.

This post basically demonstrates how to merge multiple inputs and outputs into Skype and your headset, however, you do not need to use Skype and GarageBand, they are only used for demonstration purposes, you can use any application that allows you to change the input and/or output Audio settings.

Also note that the your recording quality will likely be much better than what we ended up with provided you are not recording an 8-way Skype call through a DSL line AND have ?Stereo? set in your Recording Application settings. (as is the case with Douglas? setup). Stereo will always give you better quality than a mono recording.

The recording that I ended up with was much better quality wise, but I have a tendency to mute Skype instead of my headset mic, in which case it picked up all the background chatter that was going on. You?ll want to note this when recording an application like Skype, your microphone is still recorded unless you mute it.

Things you need

1. First of all, you need a Mac, I?m not sure how you would do this with a PC, I?m sure it?s possible, but I?ve never seen it done. (not free)
2. Skype (free)
3. LineIn (free)
4. Soundflower (free)
5. /Applications/Utilities/Audio MIDI Setup.app (built-in)
6. /Applications/GarageBand.app (Comes with OS X, it?s not *required*, but we use it to play the sounds)
7. Audio Hijack Pro.app (not free, and not required unless you want to record the podcast, there are other recording applications as well. You can use GarageBand to record Skype by using a similar method that was used to get Multiple inputs working)

Installation Steps

1. First install Soundflower.
2. Install GarageBand from the OS X Applications DVD if you?ve not already.
3. Install Skype and setup a Skype account if you have not already
4. Drag the LineIn application to your Applications directory and duplicate LineIn twice (giving you three LineIn applications).

Setup Steps

1. Open /Applications/GarageBand.app, open Preferences, and set the Output to Soundflower (2ch). This allows you to direct your sounds, jingles and other music to a specific channel, which we can then use to listen and send to Skype at the same time. Note that if you are not going to be using GarageBand, you will need to process step #2
   
   
2. If you are using GarageBand to play sounds, skip this step.
   Open /Applications/Utilities/Audio MIDI Setup.app and set the Default Output to Soundflower (2ch)
   
   
3. Open LineIn 1 and set input: Soundflower (2ch); output: Soundflower (16ch); Pass Thru.
4. Open LineIn 2 and set input: Headset; output: Soundflower (16ch); Pass Thru
5. Open LineIn 3 and set input: Soundflower (2ch); output: Headset; Pass Thru
   The above changes allow you to direct your output from GarageBand (or system) to your headset, and also to Skype so that you can transmit it at the same time you are listening to it.
   
   
6. Open Skype -> Preferences and set the Input to Soundflower (16ch)
   
   
7. Open Audio Hijack Pro (or other recording application) and record Skype.

You?re done!

[webmacster87]

Just editing in the sounds later is 10x easier for me.

[Highway of Life]

What's so hard about this? ... it takes like 30 seconds to setup and get going. -- I just explain it in painful detail --
Much nicer for live audiences too.

[webmacster87]

I just explain it in painful detail

And you complain about the rules of my contest being long and detailed?

[Highway of Life]

I didn?t realise your rules were a Tutorial.

[webmacster87]

Touché.

[Semi_Deus]

Ehm, guys, I may have a better solution for this, though I am not sure if you have already tried this:

Pamela for Skype (free)
Install it, add songs/sounds, press play, done

[webmacster87]

Ehm, guys, I may have a better solution for this, though I am not sure if you have already tried this:

Pamela for Skype (free)
Install it, add songs/sounds, press play, done

Yeah, I've seen Pamela used before. It's a great piece of software. Now if only there was a Mac version...

David's directions are what us Mac users need to follow to make this work.

[Semi_Deus]

Ehm, guys, I may have a better solution for this, though I am not sure if you have already tried this:

Pamela for Skype (free)
Install it, add songs/sounds, press play, done

Yeah, I've seen Pamela used before. It's a great piece of software. Now if only there was a Mac version...

David's directions are what us Mac users need to follow to make this work.

OH darn, yea..thats a good point

[trek78]

If you want some neat free sounds i've used some from Free-Loops.com this gunshot sound is one of my favs.

Download any wav files from anyware and its as simple as tools, options, sounds import