[Harp-L] Soundflower utility for harp players

[KEITH MITCHELL <keithm@xxxxxxx>]

The following will necessarily sound complex, but once you have done it successfully once, it takes only 30 seconds to set it up.  

Mac users will find the free Soundflower sound extension a valuable friend when attending online harp instruction.  This extension allows you to map the sound from any application to the sound input of your Mac, in effect replacing the built in microphone input.   I find myself using it to help record live content such as Skype instruction to GarageBand where I can later loop the audio for practice or export it to the Amazingslowdowner for analysis.  

An example setup after installation:  

Option click the speaker in at the top of your screen and select Output Device =  Soundflower (2ch)
Launch Garageband and create a New Project: type Voice
>From Garageband Preferences choose audio/midi and select the input as SoundFlower (2ch) leaving audio output as Built in Output
In GB, select a track to record to, Type Command I to show the track info if not already showing (its a toggle)
Select input for the track to be SoundFlower(2ch), output to  speakers.  Now choose Monitor on, no feedback.  (wear earphones)

What you have done is to send any audio playing from other apps to your Garageband for monitoring and recording.  Recording will only take place when you hit the record button. You will want to play with NO effects on the track to make sure it is flat to make it easy to understand normal voice.  You can add effects later to the harp playing if you desire. So during a Skype instruction you can just click record when an example lick is about to be played by your instructor.   It will a little trial and error to set the recording levels so that no distortion is occurring from over driving the input.

This can actually work in reverse for the instructor.   Tell the Garageband track the output is SoundFlower and the input is your built in mike or what ever sound input system you use.  Tell skype or other webcasting tool, the audio input is Soundflower and audio output is your speakers.  Create 2 tracks in GarageBand, one for normal voice and one with the reverb or other effects that will make your harp examples sound great.   Now during your instruction switch between a no effect track and your playing track by just clicking on the header of the track.   Note you will not hear the effect on your playing but anyone watching your webcast will. This implies you need to find the best settings before an event using the feedback of a friend. 

for both of these setups, don't forget to return your input and output to the correct settings. Not sure if there are similar utilities for Windows, but would think so.

Keith