Recording voice calls how to eliminate echo

[planetx]

I downloaded the latest version of Realtek sound driver. I need some help regarding the settings. Basically I have two major problems.

i) I'm not able to record speaker and microphone simultaneously.
ii) When I make voice calls people tell me they hear their voice as echo. How to rectify it?

I want to record directly from speaker. But the recording happens only thro microphone, the sound microphone picks from speaker.

If I enable stereo mix as default microphone stops working.

What am I doing wrong?

Here are the screenshots of my settings:

[yoda313]

I just want to be the first to mention that you need to check the legality of recording phone conversations in your area. Every region is different but it might be against the law to do so in your region.

Also ethically speaking you should have the other persons permission to do so.

[planetx]

I just want to record my music classes. Obviously, with my teacher permission.

[jagabo]

You need to use recording software which mutes the local mic input while the remote speaker is speaking -- this is usually called echo canceling. Or use headphones.

[planetx]

I forgot to add I tried cordless headphone(frontech JIL-3411) to eliminate echo. But I couldn't hear any sound when I played the recording.

[jagabo]

Look on the Microphone tab of the Realtek Audio Manager. Enable the Acoustic Echo Cancellation option.

[planetx]

Update:

Jagabo, Thank you. I did try that, but if I enable Acoustic Echo Cancellation, I'm not able to record speaker output using audacity.

If I set stereo mix as default in the recording tab of sound properties I'm able to record speaker output directly with great quality but microphone stops working.

Is there any way to record both microphone input and speaker output simultaneously?

[jagabo]

Record Stereo Mix.

[valer]

Check out the following blog post on High Quality Recording of Streaming Audio
I think it discuss the problem that you are facing.

[jagabo]

I was in a hurry and forgot to finish my last reply. There should be a way to record the stereo mix but still have the microphone input as part of the stereo mix. If you use the little arrows at the right edge of the Realtek mixer you can see more Playback controls -- like Front Pink In, Front Blue In, etc. You should be able to plug the mic into one of those inputs (if it's not already), un-mute that channel and adjust the volume. You'll have to be careful about feedback. It will work best with a head mounted mic.

[planetx]

Thank you for the responses. I tried to update the sound card driver in the laptop. I have this problem in my laptop(Vista home basic 32 bit) also.

I have a couple of doubts.

a) Should I enable both stereo mix and microphone in the recording tab of sound properties? Which one should be set as default?!

I read somewhere stereo mix should be muted to avoid echo? *confused*

b) In speaker properties should the microphone be muted?



c) Should the immediate mode be enabled in the enhancement tab in both speaker and microphone properties?

[jagabo]

Stereo Mix is the same as the speaker output. If you enable the mic for playback the sound it picks up should be routed to the stereo mix. So you would only need to record the Stereo Mix.

I didn't realize the Realtek devices could record multiple inputs but I just verified it can. So you can record both the Stereo Mix (or Wave) and the Mic at the same time without enabling Mic in the Playback section.

[planetx]

Sorry for the delayed reply.

I did the following steps:

1) Muted the microphone in playback devices.
2) Set microphone as the default device in recording devices.
3) disabled the mute in stereo mix.
4) disabled immediate mode and other enhancements in playback and recording properties (except noise suppression and Acoustic Echo Cancellation)
5) Kept the mic quite far away from the speaker.

I was able to carry on conversation without any echo problems.

But when I tried to record with audacity I could either record stereo mix or microphone. I have to manually set the recording device in preferences each time. (It will not let me record both)

So I tried to experiment a bit.

1) disabled the microphone mute in playback devices.
2) disabled the microphone in recording devices.
3) Set stereo mix as default.
4) and 5) no change (kept it as it is)

With the above setting I was able to record both the voices, but the echo was awful. If I reversed the recording device setting and set the microphone as default. The opposite end said there is no voice echo issues but my voice was apparently not very clear to them.

Anymore suggestions that you think might work?