Hack56.Record and Archive Conversations


Hack 56. Record and Archive Conversations

There are many reasons for recording and archiving Skype calls, from conducting online interviews to regulatory requirements. All you need are a few simple tools.

Works with: all versions of Skype.

There are many reasons why you might want to record phone conversations. Heck, if the FBI does it all the time, why not the average citizen!

However, recording conversations is (unfortunately) not a feature currently built into Skype. Nor is there one simple tool that will work on all platforms. So to do it, you will need to hack around with some additional software and, possibly, some hardware.

Here are some suggestions for ways of recording and archiving conversations, by Skype platform:


Windows

By far, the easiest method is to use the Pamela Professional Skype add-on (17.50about $22http://www.pamela-systems.com/). Recording Skype conversations is just one feature of this veritable Swiss army knife of Skype add-ons. To start recording and archiving your Skype calls, go to Pamela Tools Options Call recording, and select the recording options you want (see Figure 5-16). Then, every time you make and receive a call, Pamela will record the conversation based on the setting you chose, and you can play those recordings back using the Pamela application (open Pamela and navigate to the "Recorded calls tab, then select a call and click on the Play button).


Linux

The method I use to record Skype conversations on Linux uses four software components:

Figure 5-16. Configuring the Pamela add-on for Skype to record conversations


Framework for User-Space Devices (FUSD)

Pronounced "fused," this component enables a user-space (rather than a kernel-space) device to be created for audio streams that can be a JACKed client (discussed next). You can download FUSD at http://www.circlemud.org/%7Ejelson/software/fusd/.


JACK

JACK allows multiple applications to connect to a sound device and share audio with each other. You can download it at http://jackit.sourceforge.net/.


Secret Rabbit Code (a.k.a. libsamplerate)

This is a sample rate converter for audio, which you can use to determine the sound quality of Skype voice recordings. You can download it at http://www.mega-nerd.com/SRC/download.html.


oss2jack

This application allows several applications to use the same sound card simultaneously. To record Skype calls, you want to configure things so that the same sound-in and sound-out audio streams are used by both Skype and a recording application. You can download oss2jack at http://fort.xdas.com/~kor/oss2jack/.

You also can download all of these software components at http://fort.xdas.com/~kor/oss2jack/.


Mac OS X

This method uses two software applications: WireTap Pro ($19, from http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/wiretap/) and Detour ($12, from http://www.rogueamoeba.com/detour/). WireTap takes an audio stream from any application and converts it into a sound file in any one of a variety of common formats, and Detouras its name suggestsallows you to redirect the destination of audio from any application. For this hack, Detour redirects sound from Skype to WireTap so that you can save it as a sound file. Set up Detour to redirect sound in the manner shown in Figure 5-17, and set up WireTap to capture that redirected sound and save it as a file in a specified sound format (see Figure 5-18).

Figure 5-17. Use Detour to redirect sound on the Mac


Pocket PC

See the next section, "Hacking the Hack."

Figure 5-18. Use WireTap to save a redirected sound to a file in an audio format of your choice


5.6.1. Hacking the Hack

This is a low-tech, but utterly reliable, way to record your voice-call conversations. A lot of software solutions for recording Skype conversations can be a pain to configure and a pain to use, and may let you down when you need them most.

This method is very low tech, as it uses a simple $1.50 pickup microphone (available from http://www.alltronics.com/) that has a suction cup on it. Just stick the cup to the handset, plug the 3.5mm jack into your sound card (or an iMic if you have a Mac, http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/index.php), fire up your favorite (or default) sound recorder application for your platform (select Start All Programs Accessories Entertainment Sound Recorder, for example, on Windows), and record your conversation. The advantages of this method are that its simple, cheap, and trouble free; and it works for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Pocket PC (using a PC to do the recording).

This method works with any USB handset used by Skype; and as an added bonus, it works with regular phones too! You can even stick the pickup microphone onto the back of your PDA or mobile phone to record conversations (see Figure 5-19). This might bring back memories of 1960s-era spy-type B-movies, but it does work, and very reliably at that!

Figure 5-19. The low-tech way to record phone conversations: a stick-on pickup microphone





Skype Hacks
Skype Hacks: Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service
ISBN: 0596101899
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 168

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