How To: Recording game video without YOUR CLAN MATES talking in the video (RENAMED)

[RainMotorsports]

This is dedicated to those people who think for some odd reason you cant run multiple simultaneous sound cards/audio streams in windows 7. I run three actually one is usb.
Photography and editing are the suck today, super hurry and no photoshop (PSPX2 and my raw files = shoddy results).

The Scenario
We want to record gameplay with Fraps, Playclaw, any app and have Team Speak, Skype, other VOIP apps not ruining the recording. The problem is we often can not direct the game sound anywhere but the default device and not since XP has proper access to applications sound existed. This can probably be done in a software solution but with consequences to sound latency.

The Hardware Solution
If you already run a dedicated sound card and either use powered speakers or have something to use as an amp this is going to be pretty cheap. All you will need is the headphone mixer.

Teamspeak allows us to direct audio to a different sound card and Skype respects Windows 7's default communications device setting. This allows us to put the audio on a non default device that is not being recorded. The only problem now is to combine them back to one headset. Thats where a headphone mixer comes in. It even lets us adjust Game/Main volume and VOIP on the fly.

I needed a sound card to do this which doubles the price of the project, many gamers already have one. Picked up the ASUS Xonar DS because of availability issues with the lesser 5.1 model.

I cheaped out and picked up a nice Passive Mixer hoping the signal loss would not be as drastic as it was. If you want to do this with non powered headphones you will need an amplifier or a powered mixer.

Problems with the Xonar
- For the love of god please don't install the driver on the CD if you get this card. My machine was so screwed after rebooting. Most apps would not run, all web browsers and even the installer for the newer drivers. I tested the latest driver on my spare drive that has my benchmarking setup and it worked fine. A rollback in safemode and driver install later all was well.
- You may need to turn off the GX mode for game recording if you end up with no sound at all. Other than that love this card.

Mixer needs an Amplifier!
Alright so I could have spent money on a powered mixer or picked up a cheapo. I took a shot in the dark with a passive mixer and indeed its not gonna work.
Powered speakers work awesomely so if your one of those people who don't use a headset this will work fine. I went ghetto and grabbed a stereo from down stairs!


Setting it up


Alright once the sound card is installed and drivers are in place you may or may not have two mixers in windows. Not needed but to get it right click on the speaker icon and hit volume control options. You can set this in here but since for skype we are setting one device as default communications device you can check that. Same icon hit up playback devices. Set the dedicated sound card (if you wish) as the default device and you can also set the onboard as the default communications device if it didn't do it for you already.

All sounds except maybe skype will be coming out the dedicated card at this point. Go into teamspeak (screenshot above) and set the playback device to the onboard sound. It will now play from there. Hook both sound cards to the mixer. Hook the mixer to the speakers or to the amp for the headphones. Adjust your base volumes. Your amplifier should probably act as your master volume and the individuals can be set from the mixer. Might be a matter of preference.

Done!
Might seem a tiny bit complicated but it really isnt. If you have what you need laying around then its probably worth while. If you have nothing and or dont record game footage then well....

All windows sound game included will be on the main card and recorded by default with fraps, etc. Teamspeak, Skype and any other software that can be directed to the other card wont.

 

[RainMotorsports]

I will update the photos in the future as well as write the content a little better. Im off to sleep very tired, need to get up and get an extension for the microphone plug later.

 

[sixer9682]

I use Playclaw and record without the voip just by selecting the box option not to record voip. I have a sound card with an amplifier on it, so why would I need to do all of this when I can just click the mouse for an option and be done with it?

 

[RainMotorsports]

I use Playclaw and record without the voip just by selecting the box option not to record voip. I have a sound card with an amplifier on it, so why would I need to do all of this when I can just click the mouse for an option and be done with it?

Even on board sound employ's an amplifier. A DAC cant drive a set of headphones on its own. Pretty much a mandatory feature for any sound card thats not going to be fed into an amplifier. A few watts its nothing after a couple of resistors.

Been waiting for u to show me this magical feature playclaws support team denies is possible. Still have the issue of their app not working right for me anyways. If that feature works then they can also have any program on the computer not show up.

My problem with Playclaw as described by several other people and never responded to by support - http://playclaw.com/forum/index.php?/topic/864-gpu-usage-when-using-playclaw/ Its usually bad enough to make the game unplayable and I can garuntee you with you at the helm it wont change. Any settings causes it, the drive you described as using is even slower than my setup so I know its not that.

Similar issue looks like people from the other thread as well - http://playclaw.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2297-framerate-drop-while-recording-playclaw-3-1811/ and then http://playclaw.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2278-playclaw-3-bf3-frame-drop/

Their support even after months on some threads seem like they dont want to touch the issue.

As far as blocking sound from programs its on the top of most peoples wish lists. When you mentioned you being able to I posted on their forums. Only heard back from 2 people no support comment and its not in their FAQ.
We are talking about elminating all incoming TS3 traffic right? Because all of the apps support not recording your own mic. As i said in a PM months ago would have loved for someone to show me this but no one has come forward.

 

[RainMotorsports]

Box is where?

I am being serious. Mixer isn't compatible with 7 thanks to how things work on 7. They don't list the feature either.

If you are a happy user of Window Vista or Windows 7, there are two sources available, namely sound from the game and sound from the microphone.

Playclaw 3 beta doesnt seem to show much either - http://blog.playclaw.com/2011/12/audio-capture-settings/

 

[sixer9682]

Dont know what to tell you on the game being unplayable, I don't experience that problem ever with unplayable fps. I noticed everybody who stated they did used an Nvidia 570 or less. I've got a gtx 580 and recording I run mid 60's to mid 80's. As far as not recording voip, I just disable the microphone as you have pictured there and I do not mix the 2 sources as you have checked. I leave that unchecked since I don't like to record with the sound most of the time.

As some noted in that thread, it probably is a problem with PlayClaw that drops gpu usage to 70% and if they're running a gpu that can't get high frame rates to begin with that would surely fuck things up.

 

[RainMotorsports]

Dont know what to tell you on the game being unplayable, I don't experience that problem ever with unplayable fps. I noticed everybody who stated they did used an Nvidia 570 or less. I've got a gtx 580 and recording I run mid 60's to mid 80's. As far as not recording voip, I just disable the microphone as you have pictured there and I do not mix the 2 sources as you have checked. I leave that unchecked since I don't like to record with the sound most of the time.

As some noted in that thread, it probably is a problem with PlayClaw that drops gpu usage to 70% and if they're running a gpu that can't get high frame rates to begin with that would surely fuck things up.

I like to keep the game sound since I dont do music over my stuff. Its the guy in the background yelling when his kid pukes all over everything while im recording an epic moment that I am trying to avoid. Im getting and recording a solid 60 fps (only way to make fraps behave is to record no less frames than you are producing so vsync it is.... i never minded vsync im weird?). Ultra with AA down to 2X no motion blur and SSAO, does it very well for frame rates except maybe Oman in a helicopter but I haven't tested this recently. The GPU usage should not be touched at all though.

I seriously like playclaw I just cant use it yet. Wasnt trying to fight with you, just we started talking about this before. Anyone notice the TS overlay plugin in TS3, its not great or anything but a friend accidentally turned it on. I can deal with fraps, its the overlays that make it so awesome to me.

Playclaw is a bit of a weird one to me as well. One of you said after adding a second graphics card their playclaw recording got better. They specifically answer ever request for CFX/SLI support that its not gonna happen and that its horrible to record with multi card. I dunno weirder shit has happened people talk about TS recording but not game sound, thats about as backwards as it gets.

 

[sixer9682]

Yeah, I guess I just never thought about the sound at all since I don't usually record gameplay sound at all. For me it's kind of all or nothing but that's just how I am. And yeah, don't look to that forum for support help; I don't think I've seen anyone respond who wasn't a user.

 

[RainMotorsports]

Yeah, I guess I just never thought about the sound at all since I don't usually record gameplay sound at all. For me it's kind of all or nothing but that's just how I am. And yeah, don't look to that forum for support help; I don't think I've seen anyone respond who wasn't a user.

Glad im not the only one that notices that, they do have like 2 people haha. You know whats worse? Last i checked Beepa doesnt even have a fraps forum, there is some unofficial place. But yeah updates are like random and who knows what the fuck is coming next. It actually seems like they tried to fix the issue with stutter, tear, whatever. Pretty sure they made it worse.

 

[DEATH]

your trying to record your game with ingame sound without recording your mic + teamspeak chatter?but still be able to talk on ts?...I swear I had my fraps set up like that....and playclaw to....Ill be home tomorrow so Ill see what I can find out for you.

 

[OfftheRails]

Untick the box to prevent FRAPS recording your mic. You can't select the device here; it's your default Windows device.

 

[RainMotorsports]

your trying to record your game with ingame sound without recording your mic + teamspeak chatter?but still be able to talk on ts?...I swear I had my fraps set up like that....and playclaw to....Ill be home tomorrow so Ill see what I can find out for you.

Exactly almost. The talk in ts part is as usual not the problem. Listening in the same headset is. The way it works is your recording the default device which is where game sound is and if TS is on that its already permanently mixed before fraps or playclaw can get to copy it. They have not commented on it in a couple years but they have all said this is a windows problem.

According to every developer Ive seen this is not possible using only a single sound card in windows 7. What can be done off the top of my head is create a virtual sound device for TS and copy that out onto the playback device and then have the default sound device also copied onto the playback device. So you would be recording the default sound device which doesnt have headset plugged into it, the headset is plugged into the sound card all the sound is being mirrored into. Pretty sure the sound would not sync with the screen perfectly.

Yeah if you figure something out that works otherwise plenty of people dont know how its a pretty big wish. Kinda sucks we cant seperate the TS into another channel of the recording (You can put the mic into a second channel with playclaw). That way if some chatter has todo with the epic moment you can mix it back in.

Untick the box to prevent FRAPS recording your mic.

Thats nothing todo with the thread at all. Im trying to not record YOU, which is what the mixer allows. That box has never been checked on my end i dont have my mic in my recordings. I have you guys blabbing about butt sex.
Lets uh clarify this. VOIP = YOU AND ME, WITH ME NOT IN THAT EQUATION, JUST YOU! Headset = All sounds, Recording = All sounds except YOU talking.

You can't select the device here; it's your default Windows device.

We know this, I covered that in the first post. This is why we moved TS playback off the default sound device and then mix it back into the headset later.