[PodcastMN] iChat vs. Skype

Wed Aug 29 16:10:17 GMT 2007

Damn...I just re-read your question and realized that I went off on this
recording thing without really answering the first part of your question!

Yes, you can just use the AIM network and don't need .Mac. I've had three
other people in an iChat conference for video and it worked great....but
it's because all four of us were on fast networks. Same thing with Skype
recording *especially* if you're the host since you're managing the
bandwidth for everyone on the call. I have 768kbps upstream (download speed
doesn't really matter) and Comcast has that PowerBoost which sees me getting
more than 2mbps upload sometimes so I never have a problem (knock on wood).

In that last Doug Kaye explanation he tells how to do port-forwarding for
Skype so you can essentially turn off "SuperNode" capability (this is how
Skype works peer-to-peer...it essentially uses open, running Skype accounts
to relay packets from place-to-place). SuperNode capability interferes with
the packets and can, not always, cause those digital hiccups and dropped
calls.

If you're each directly connected to your cable or DSL modem, it shouldn't
be an issue. If you're using a Wifi router or one that hands out internal IP
addressses (Network Address Translation or NAT) then port forwarding can
point packets directly at your machine without any network translation
occurring.

I'd test each with a group to see what works in your respective environments
so you don't have to build some sort of big-assed plan to get decent
recordings!

~Steve

On 8/29/07, Steve Borsch <steve at iconnectdots.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Graeme,
>
> I've used both Skype and iChat extensively and have recorded them both
> (even with video...but I digress). Two ways to do it for audio:
>
> 1) The easy way is with Audio Hijack Pro (http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/)
> or Wiretap (http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/wiretap/). I've had the
> best success with AHP so that is my recommendation. They have set up a
> no-brainer quick Skype or iChat recording function and have detailed a
> how-to on their web site:
> http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/manual/English.lproj/help_ATrecordingchat.htmland you can also download a demo so you can try it out first.
>
> There are other software solutions (like CallRecorder:
> http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/) but they're limited and you won't
> be able to grow with them as you get better. The kicker with AHP is that as
> you grow and become more sophisticated in what you want to accomplish, AHP
> has deep and highly functional capabilities that you can spend hours playing
> with to get a more perfect sound and geek-out with routing audio signals!
>
> 2) Setting up a "mix minus" from your mixer or Firewire/USB box so that
> you can record the iChatters or Skypers on one channel and you on the other
> channel so you can fix any problems or normalize audio levels in post. My
> preference is to record *both* an internal recording on my Mac with AHP
> *and* a backup recording out to my M-Audio Microtrack to make certain I've
> captured it and there are no hiccups. Saved my bacon twice when doing
> sessions for one of my clients earlier this year.
>
> (By the way, I've set up a new user account on my Mac called "clean user"
> just for audio recording. The only thing that runs is AHP and either iChat
> or Skype so NOTHING else is running and interfering with the recording
> process. I also open Activity Monitor (in your Utilities folder...hit
> Command-1 to open the current running processes) to make sure that some
> system-wide process isn't running that's eating up CPU time or causing disk
> activity like Apple's Backup program. Once you've done this stuff to setup
> recordings a couple of times, it literally takes just a few minutes to get
> completely setup and running for recording. There have been times that I've
> started a recording session on-the-fly since someone has asked me to do so
> in a conference session and, since I've done it several times, I don't even
> think much about it anymore since the workflow is ingrained in my brain).
>
> The audio guru Doug Kaye has three excellent posts on Skype recording --
> with the first two telling you how to setup a mix-minus for (either iChat
> or) Skype recording -- with his latest post being fabulous if you want to
> get REALLY great Skype recording without those annoying digital "hiccups" --
> since the two of you will have an incentive to tweak your own networks and
> connections to get better-n-better results:
>
> a) Interviews via Skype:
>
> http://www.blogarithms.com/index.php/archives/2005/07/14/interviews-via-skype/
>
> b) Interviews via Skype revisited:
>
> http://www.blogarithms.com/index.php/archives/2005/07/22/interviews-via-skype-revisited/
>
> c) Recording Skype interviews:
> http://www.blogarithms.com/index.php/archives/2007/07/09/skype2/
>
>
> NOTE: for those of you wanting to explore Skype recording software
> solutions, here's a great page:
> http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/06/how-to-record-skype-conversations.html
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> --
> Steve Borsch
> Direct/Mobile: 952.486.7678 <callto:+19524867678>
> Email: Steve at iConnectDots.com
> Blog: http://www.iConnectDots.com
> Podcast: http://www.iConnectDots.com/podcasts/
>
> On 8/29/07, Graeme Fehr <weirdcookie at turkeyvan.com> wrote:
>
> >  If someone has some info or can point me to a disscussion forum, that'd
> > be cool.
> >
> > Has anyone used iChat as a means of a conference call vs. a skype call?
> > Frosty and I are doing the show cross-country now and Skype has it's
> > upsides, but also has it's downsides...
> >
> > Can you use iChat using AIM, or do you have to have a .mac account to
> > make this work?
> >
> > And if iChat is a means of doing it, with it being based on the AIM
> > server rather than skype, would it run smoother at times or does it matter
> > how many people on a port?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
> > -----
> > Graeme Fehr
> > ----
> > http://itradio.turkeyvan.com - ITRadio's Website
> > http://www.tpxradio.com - TPXRadio Website
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> > Page.
> > ITRadio is live every Thursday from 7-9CST.
> >
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