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CAMSTUDIO RECORDING ISSUES
Posts
Xenomic
1752
Xenomic
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CloseSo I recently had to use a new computer since my old one died, and this one is a Vista (I don't know if I need to put all of the details for the computer here or not). So recently I decided to try testing out recording on it, and well...I can hear the game volume in-game, and whenever I finish recording I can hear myself talking, but it doesn't pick up any audio from the game (that, and the recorder records at like...15 FPS...). I do not know what the problem could be, and I've no idea how to actually set this up on this computer correctly. Any help would be appreciated on this matter if anyone could help me out. It'll suck if I can't record anything because of this problem. >_<
You might want to double-check your audio options and mess around with them a little.
Or grab Camtasia which is 1000 times more awesome~
Or grab Camtasia which is 1000 times more awesome~
Xenomic
1752
So I found out my Stereo Mix was disabled on this thing, so there's that. And I also found out that Vista can control which program's volume is affected (though I can't really do much with that since it doesn't seem to help if I lower the volume of the program...). Though both my Microphone and Stereo Mix are in the Recording option, and I can't set both as the default...could this be the problem? And if so, how does one fix it?
So far, I've tried the following:
1) Have volume at 100, put the volume for NESTopia (which I'm using as my test) to 20, audio is barely audible for game now, but my voice in the mic is ridiculously loud. No, there's no option for the microphone in the volume settings for whatever reason. This is doing this with Mic as default.
2) Have volume at 100 and volume for NESTOPIA at 100. Can hear the volume in the video at normal sound, but it's blaringly loud in the headphones...this is with Stereo Mix set as default, and by doing this, I can't use my mic...
I tried Camtasia on my last computer and didn't particularly like it per say.
So far, I've tried the following:
1) Have volume at 100, put the volume for NESTopia (which I'm using as my test) to 20, audio is barely audible for game now, but my voice in the mic is ridiculously loud. No, there's no option for the microphone in the volume settings for whatever reason. This is doing this with Mic as default.
2) Have volume at 100 and volume for NESTOPIA at 100. Can hear the volume in the video at normal sound, but it's blaringly loud in the headphones...this is with Stereo Mix set as default, and by doing this, I can't use my mic...
I tried Camtasia on my last computer and didn't particularly like it per say.
Travio
149
With Camstudio, I'm pretty sure you have to do any "voice over" separately and mix it in - from what I can remember of when I had it, it was only ever able to record one track at a time, which is part of what drove me to Fraps (that, and Fraps has always run better when I've demo'd it, as it was designed to run on top of games).
Xenomic
1752
The thing is, on the last computer I had, it recorded both mic and audio from speakers (it also didn't desync when I chose Record from Speakers even though it gave me the WaveOutControl error thingie, but still recorded fine).
The issue with FRAPs that I have is it takes so long to convert them into a more reasonable filesize (that, and by doing so it compressed the quality of it a bit...).
It seems from what I can tell that both Stereo Mix (which I reenabled because it was disabled) and the Mic are on Recording devices, and I can't do one without the other (if I use mic, then audio is non-existent, and vice-versa). So there's no way around that at all from what I can see. I'll be uploading a video here shortly to explain things and show things a bit better...
The issue with FRAPs that I have is it takes so long to convert them into a more reasonable filesize (that, and by doing so it compressed the quality of it a bit...).
It seems from what I can tell that both Stereo Mix (which I reenabled because it was disabled) and the Mic are on Recording devices, and I can't do one without the other (if I use mic, then audio is non-existent, and vice-versa). So there's no way around that at all from what I can see. I'll be uploading a video here shortly to explain things and show things a bit better...
Travio
149
The correct video codecs on your computer will solve a lot of the loss of quality, but you will always experience a loss of quality in a reduction of file size. It's impossible not to (which is why WAV and FLAC files are about 10 megabytes per minute of audio, and MP3s can clock in at around 500 kilobytes or smaller per minute of audio). But, with the correct codecs, you can minimize your quality loss to a reasonable amount.
Also, if you're trying to change your mic volume separately, right click on your volume control panel icon in the system tray, and click 'Recording Devices' - from Vista onwards, they're split into different control panels. If Windows recognizes your mic, where it's plugged in will be highlighted, you can select it and alter it's input volume (I forget for sure on Vista, but on 7, it's on a separate tab in Properties called "Levels").
Also, if you're trying to change your mic volume separately, right click on your volume control panel icon in the system tray, and click 'Recording Devices' - from Vista onwards, they're split into different control panels. If Windows recognizes your mic, where it's plugged in will be highlighted, you can select it and alter it's input volume (I forget for sure on Vista, but on 7, it's on a separate tab in Properties called "Levels").
Xenomic
1752
Oh, that's where the mic volume is. Weird that it's there and not in with everything else...
Now the issue is getting to record both mic and audio at the same time I suppose...although NOW I'm having issues with Windows Movie Maker (yes, that's what I used to use on XP too). What's the issue here? Well...I recorded my video at fullscreen, and whenever I save it in WMM, I do my normal routine of saving (as close to 320x240 as I can get while keeping it 640x480 to save on filesize). However, unlike in XP where it kept all videos at the size that I chose, it seems to want to make this video half the size of the screen it's supposed to be on...
Like so...I don't know WHY it's doing this, and quite frankly, I'm getting pretty irritated (first find out that Camstudio doesn't work right anymore, now this? C'mon...).
Now the issue is getting to record both mic and audio at the same time I suppose...although NOW I'm having issues with Windows Movie Maker (yes, that's what I used to use on XP too). What's the issue here? Well...I recorded my video at fullscreen, and whenever I save it in WMM, I do my normal routine of saving (as close to 320x240 as I can get while keeping it 640x480 to save on filesize). However, unlike in XP where it kept all videos at the size that I chose, it seems to want to make this video half the size of the screen it's supposed to be on...
Like so...I don't know WHY it's doing this, and quite frankly, I'm getting pretty irritated (first find out that Camstudio doesn't work right anymore, now this? C'mon...).
Xenomic
1752
Video if you guys need more clarification. If you need me to post specs and whatnot, let me know and I'll do just that...
eplipswich
2728
Have you downloaded the Camstudio Lossless Codec? Use that codec. You shouldn't go wrong with that codec. The reason why it appears that way is most likely due to the codec you choose in the Camstudio program. Of course, don't forget to change the codec in the Camstudio program (under Tools, Video Options) after you downloaded and installed the lossless codec.
As for audio and mic, there is a way to get around it. You can use Stereo Mix to record the in-game sounds and music, and a program known as Audacity to record your voice. You can record both concurrently, meaning you can record using Audacity and record using Camstudio at the same time. Oh, and settings in Audacity are independent from settings in Camstudio.
Audacity is free, btw.
As for audio and mic, there is a way to get around it. You can use Stereo Mix to record the in-game sounds and music, and a program known as Audacity to record your voice. You can record both concurrently, meaning you can record using Audacity and record using Camstudio at the same time. Oh, and settings in Audacity are independent from settings in Camstudio.
Audacity is free, btw.
Xenomic
1752
I stopped using that originally because it screwed up badly on my other comp (which...I don't know how when it was perfectly fine originally but...), and went with XVid since it went with everything just fine. I may have to try that though....
Shinan
4314
author=Xenomic
So I found out my Stereo Mix was disabled on this thing, so there's that. And I also found out that Vista can control which program's volume is affected (though I can't really do much with that since it doesn't seem to help if I lower the volume of the program...). Though both my Microphone and Stereo Mix are in the Recording option, and I can't set both as the default...could this be the problem? And if so, how does one fix it?
Stereo Mix is supposed to record what you hear in your headphones. So you have to have mic playback in order to record it properly.
In the Recording Tab for the Microphone there's the Listen tab and there's a checkbox where you can check "Listen to this device". This should mean that you are hearing yourself speak in your headphones. (don't enable this with speakers because it's likely the feedback will kill you and your pets) Then with stereo mix you should be able to record regularily using stereo mix and also record your voice.
Another option that is maybe more advanced but makes it easier to edit the audio is to record the game sound (stereo mixin' it) and then record the mic separately in, for example Audacity, and put them together in a video editing program. That way you have the game sound and the mic sound in different channels so you can edit out coughs and scratches and other such things, to make for a smoother listening experience. (and you can independently edit the levels in postproduction so when you are not saying anything you can turn up the video game volume... If you are really ambitious and all that that is)
Xenomic
1752
Well, I got a new recorder (Dxtory) which records both mic and speakers, so that's all resolved. I can even commentate on PS1 games which is new to me! The only thing I need to figure out now is the codec to use. Dxtory's is crystal clear, but a 2 second clip was like 50 MB, while XVid's wasn't nearly as clear, but 7.16 MB...
With most video codecs, size per unit time is inversely proportional to the total amount of time up to that point. A 2 second clip may be 50 mb, but a 10 second clip might be 100 mb, for example.
Xenomic
1752
Aye, I know that. I was just comparing how large each codec saved the file at at around the same time, so I chose 2 seconds for each one. XVid so happens to compress it while recording, giving it a lesser colorful look than Dxtory's codec which doesn't compress it at all (though I think it makes the filesizes bigger than what FRAPs does...)
The industry standard for video encoding right now is h.264/AVC. x264 is the most popular h.264/AVC encoder library currently available to my knowledge.
EDIT: Typo fix.
EDIT: Typo fix.
My Windows 7 laptop seems completely unable to record Stereo Mix - it simply isn't listed as an option. I updated the drivers of my soundcard, too - just like a hundred websites told me to. I have Audacity and CamStudio, and neither can record sound as it comes out of my headphones/played by my laptop. Camstudio says that no line is detected, and audacity only sees Mic listed as an option.
I read somewhere this is because Sony or somesuch didn't want people to record things off the internet. But this is bullshit because I need to be able to record sound on my machine so that I can make instructional videos for work sometimes.
Help?
I read somewhere this is because Sony or somesuch didn't want people to record things off the internet. But this is bullshit because I need to be able to record sound on my machine so that I can make instructional videos for work sometimes.
Help?
Shinan
4314
Sometimes you can make Stereo Mix appear (and maybe work) by showing "Disabled stuff/whateveritiscalled". On my laptop, which also had the stereo mix disabled I got it to show up but it didn't work so that didn't help. The people who make my soundcard apparently but a block on using stereo mix (something not uncommon on win7 apparently).
There's a kind of workaround in that there exists "Win7 sound recorders" or something, since Win7 uses some new system that do allow for recording "what you hear" but it involves extra coding. (FRAPS has it for example, a checkbox called something like "win7 recording thingamajig")
But on some laptops (like the one I have) you might also be shit out of luck.
See also: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=Windows_7_OS#Recording_and_playback
There's a kind of workaround in that there exists "Win7 sound recorders" or something, since Win7 uses some new system that do allow for recording "what you hear" but it involves extra coding. (FRAPS has it for example, a checkbox called something like "win7 recording thingamajig")
But on some laptops (like the one I have) you might also be shit out of luck.
See also: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=Windows_7_OS#Recording_and_playback
If your laptop doesn't have a real line-in (mine doesn't, and my last one didn't, or the one before that), you can use a cheap USB sound card and a patch cable to plug the headphone out back into the line it. It sometimes works with the headphone output into the mic input, but not on all machines.
