Capturing Skype/Hangout audio on an isolated track for a podcast (Reaper/Focusrite)
Hey folks. I'm working on a podcast where we have 3 mics in a studio (inputs 1, 2, and 3), and we bring one guest in for an interview via Google Hangouts or Skype (input 4). I'm running everything into a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 (which I adore and highly recommend!) using the box's ASIO drivers, and capturing in Reaper.
My pain point is that to bring the guest audio in so we can hear it AND isolate/capture it, I need to dial them in from a laptop, then run a cable from the laptop's headphone jack to the 4th input on the Focusrite. This has served us fine, though I occasionally get weird input issues (Hangouts seems to send audio in mono, so I get "watery" audio using a stereo cable or adapters, for example).
I would LOVE to use the desktop computer (which is hooked up to the Focusrite and running Reaper) to capture the interview as well. When I activate the box, all my desktop's audio runs through the box automatically -- it switches from speakers to ASIO audio. So if I open a YouTube video or launch a Hangout, I can hear it perfectly in the Focusrite monitor out.
So I can HEAR all 3 microphones AND the computer audio in the box, but the ASIO drivers/Reaper only let me assign INPUTS to a track. I'm unable to assign something like "STEREO MIX" to the 4th track. So while I'm able to hear everything, I can only capture the mics with this setup.
I'm thinking of experimenting with capturing "Stereo Mix" in a separate app, like Audacity. Since I'm not monitoring the mics inside Reaper (I'm using hardware monitoring on the Focusrite), theoretically Audacity would not "hear" the mics, and be able to isolate only what's coming through the computer. But this might also get hairy with software and drivers colliding. Haven't tested yet.
But I'd really love to keep everything inside Reaper if possible.
So, fellow podcasters/multi-trackers, what am I missing? There's got to be a way, right?
Thanks for any insights.
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