System Audio Recorder

[bayswater]

Finally got around to fussing with this today.

Got nothing from QuickTime (sorry Mike, but I can't get QT to record any system audio).

So I downloaded System Audio Recorder from. the App Store for $7.99.

Likes:
Works great right out of the box. No Soundflower or ACE needed.

Dislikes:
Only records as M4A (not really a problem, but Wave or MP3 would be nice)
Record volume is a bit low and there doesn't seem to be a way to adjust it

Overall, color me happy.

Do you know how it works on a long recording? The problem I’ve had using BlackHold (or Soundfower earlier) and QT is that after about 20 minutes, there seems to be a glitch in timing and the sound becomes distorted.

[Rick Cornish]

Do you know how it works on a long recording? The problem I’ve had using BlackHold (or Soundfower earlier) and QT is that after about 20 minutes, there seems to be a glitch in timing and the sound becomes distorted.

I honestly can’t imagine why I’d use this for a recording of that length. I’m usually just grabbing a song or part of a song to bring it into Anytune for transcription. I suppose it would work, but I have no idea.

[mikehalloran]

Since I last visited this topic, there have been a few changes.

The first is that Soundflower is dead and gone in Sonoma—if I'm reading the tea leaves right, this started with macOS 14.1 and finished in 14.4. In any case, my old app, Live Screen Capture from Roxio can only record through the microphone now which is useless to me so goodbye. It was bundled Toast 20 Pro which still works to burn CDs and DVDs but I suspect that without Soundflower, much of its other functionality is likewise gone.

So, to capture some audio today, I opened my copy of Audio Hijack, thinking that I would struggle through getting it to work if possible. It opened, told me that there was a free update so I installed. Wow, was I surprised!

Audio Hijack has now been redesigned and updated to become quite good. Now it just works without having to use Audio MIDI Setup.app or Aggregate Devices and fooling around with System Audio settings every time I went to use it. Frankly, they fixed everything I disliked and ACE is no longer needed. That I can save as mp3 (never for me) m4a (lossless), mp4, AIFF at different bit depths and sample rates is icing on the cake. Yea, it costs some money but the convenience and ease of use are more than worth it, IMO.

Oh yea, I've emboldened a couple of things that I wish would happen with DP, the Audio and MIDI drivers — if these guys can do it… right?

AUDIO HIJACK 4.4.0Your Installed Version

Released on April 3, 2024
A Powerful New Audio Capture Backend
Audio Hijack now uses a new audio capture backend called Audio Routing Kit, or “ARK” for short. Thanks to ARK, Audio Hijack can be set up on a new Mac in seconds, with no restarts or passwords required.

New “System Audio Access” Permission
The “Permissions” window has been updated, with a new “System Audio Access” permission. This permission enables you to use Audio Hijack to record audio from applications you specify.

Standard User Accounts Welcome
Standard MacOS user accounts can now capture and record audio with Audio Hijack, without needing any help from an Administrator account.

Erroneous Microphone-In-Use Indicators, Begone!
Previously, when Audio Hijack was playing audio to a device that also has input channels, or capturing from any application on MacOS 14.2 and higher, MacOS would erroneously display its orange microphone-in-use indicator. With changes to Audio Hijack’s audio capture backend, that is no longer the case, and we’re very glad about it.

Audio Hijack’s “Application” block now provides a more powerful device-specific capture for complex setups. With the “Limit audio capture” setting in the “Advanced” section, it’s now possible to capture any combination of audio an application is sending, even when it’s playing to multiple devices.

The “System Audio” source, used to capture all audio playing on the Mac, has now been renamed “System-Wide Audio”.

The “Siri” special source has been updated to work as expected on all releases of MacOS 14 (Sonoma).

Audio devices which contain brackets in their name are now displayed correctly throughout Audio Hijack

Accessibility improvements have been made for the “Permissions” window.

When the “Uninstall” button for “Scheduler” is clicked, “Scheduler” is immediately removed from “Login Items”. Now, if that uninstallation is subsequently cancelled, “Scheduler” is restored to “Login Items”.

Using the “Factory Reset” option in the “Debugging” window now correctly visually updates the “Hidden Settings” section.

The “Uninstall ACE…” button in the “Debugging” window will now only appear if ACE is currently installed.

Audio Hijack now includes an automated re-downloader, to ensure you have the proper variant for your MacOS version.

Audio Hijack’s “About” box now shows the details about the audio engine it’s using.

Audio Hijack 4.4.0 Is for MacOS 14.4 and Higher
This variant of Audio Hijack supports MacOS 14.4 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.3.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

[bayswater]

Doesn’t seem to me that capturing system audio is something we should have to pay for.

Have you tried the free Blackhole virtual audio driver? Works OK on Monterey. I have it as a default in DP setup along with my Focusrite interface. Setting system audio output to Blackhole then makes the system audio available as a source in DP.

[HCMarkus]

When I play back stuff from the web, it routes right into DP. I can record directly in DP without an analog connection by simply recording from the main stereo output.

It has been years since I set this up; I'd have to review the 828ES matrix and my DP setup to recall how. Just know: it can be done.

If anyone really needs this, let me know and I'll review when I have a chance.

Sorry to have taken so long to get back to this.

Below is a screenshot of my 828ES AVB Routing Page. Routing Main L and R back to Computer Mix L and Mix R (which are really To Computer 21 and 22) allows recording of any audio the Mac is playing. In DP Bundles, Mix L and R are routed to a stereo Input labeled "Mix" which I can select as input source to a stereo audio track and thus record whatever my Mac is playing at any given time.

[mikehalloran]

Doesn’t seem to me that capturing system audio is something we should have to pay for.

Once upon a time, QuickTime Pro 5/6/7 did exactly that. Then the EU decided to sue Apple citing Copyright concerns. The current versions of QT work only through the microphone unless you enable a Loopback utility in an Aggregate Device (incl. BlackHole if you can get it working).

Have you tried the free Blackhole virtual audio driver? Works OK on Monterey. I have it as a default in DP setup along with my Focusrite interface. Setting system audio output to Blackhole then makes the system audio available as a source in DP.

I used to. Many threads about using BlackHole in Sonoma, none claiming it works. It may be possible that they've been fixed but I've had too many issues with it over the years to consider anything other than as a last resort. I deleted it when Soundflower started working again after I installed Toast 19 Pro. (Big Sur through Sonoma till 14.4)

If Audio Hijack hadn't worked, I was going to try BlackHole again. I do enjoy not having to fiddle with Aggregate Devices to simply record System Audio. I can use it with QT to record screens but I have to sync the audio when I'm done. Live Screen Capture was more elegant that way.

[bayswater]

I used to. Many threads about using BlackHole in Sonoma, none claiming it works. It may be possible that they've been fixed but I've had too many issues with it over the years to consider anything other than as a last resort. I deleted it when Soundflower started working again after I installed Toast 19 Pro. (Big Sur through Sonoma till 14.4)

I didn’t know Soundflower had started working again. Blackhole works for me, but it’s timing drifts sometimes on a long recording that doesn’t originate on Mac system. I liked Soundflower better and will have another look.

There are audio apps for podcasting and these usually have facilities to route any source to any destination, and put a plugin on any of these routes. Many have a free version. I’m using a free version of Caster to insert a plugin into the system audio. It works but it’s nags you constantly to buy the full version.

I assume if you have an interface with SP/DIF you could also run a cable from the output back to the input and use that for loopback without any signal degradation.

[mikehalloran]

I used to. Many threads about using BlackHole in Sonoma, none claiming it works. It may be possible that they've been fixed but I've had too many issues with it over the years to consider anything other than as a last resort. I deleted it when Soundflower started working again after I installed Toast 19 Pro. (Big Sur through Sonoma till 14.4)

I didn’t know Soundflower had started working again. Blackhole works for me, but it’s timing drifts sometimes on a long recording that doesn’t originate on Mac system. I liked Soundflower better and will have another look.

There are audio apps for podcasting and these usually have facilities to route any source to any destination, and put a plugin on any of these routes. Many have a free version. I’m using a free version of Caster to insert a plugin into the system audio. It works but it’s nags you constantly to buy the full version.

I assume if you have an interface with SP/DIF you could also run a cable from the output back to the input and use that for loopback without any signal degradation.

I don't know what is up with Caster. My version may be out of date. I had been using it to sandbox the Slate headphone app and IK's ARC 3. Now that I have ARC 4 Studio with the box, Caster is no longer needed for that but I need to do something about Slate or else remember to engage/disengage it in DP. Perhaps Audio Hijack will do — not an issue for a few more weeks.

Toast 20 installs Soundflower correctly so even if you delete the app, it remains. Sonoma now deletes it. Oh well...

[Phil O]

Routing Main L and R back to Computer Mix L and Mix R (which are really To Computer 21 and 22) allows recording of any audio the Mac is playing.

I'm not understanding it. What exactly is Main L and R and how does system audio get there.

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

[HCMarkus]

Routing Main L and R back to Computer Mix L and Mix R (which are really To Computer 21 and 22) allows recording of any audio the Mac is playing.

I'm not understanding it. What exactly is Main L and R and how does system audio get there.

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

Good question. Its been so long since I set it up, I had to study it for a bit...

Since I have the 828ES selected for Output in Mac's system audio settings, system audio routes out thru From Computer 1 and 2 (horizontal top row, labeled "DAW Out L" and "DAW Out R") to the Main Mix, which is selected as Monitor source in the AVB Mixer.

In the top horizontal row ("Inputs"), "Main L and R" is the Main AVB Mixer Mix Bus sum (Input from the AVB Mixer, which I think of as a Source.)

"Main L" and "Main R" sources "To Computer 21 and 22" which I re-labeled "Mix L" and "Mix R" (Output column).

Hope that helps. I spent considerable time learning then setting up my AVB Matrix. It has been working nicely for me for years now, and I have thus managed to forget most of what I did.

PS: I should add that System Alerts and other such sounds are NOT routed to the 828ES, so any alerts that might be triggered while recording system audio are omitted from the recording.

[Phil O]

Thanks HC.