Capturing Audio

How audio capture works

ScribeScoop captures audio from two sources simultaneously:

• Microphone -- Captures your voice through your selected input device (built-in microphone, headset, or external microphone).
• System audio -- Captures all sound playing through your selected output device via loopback recording. This includes audio from meeting applications, media players, and any other software producing sound.

Both audio streams are mixed together into a single stereo recording file. This means your final recording contains everything that was said during the meeting, from both you and remote participants.

Selecting audio devices

Before starting a recording, make sure the correct audio devices are selected on the Capture screen:

1. Microphone dropdown -- Lists all input devices detected on your system. Select the microphone you want to use. If you are using a headset, select the headset microphone.
2. System audio dropdown -- Lists all output devices on your system. Select the device that your meeting application is playing audio through. This is typically your default speakers or headset output.

Your device selections are saved automatically and restored the next time you open the application. Device selectors are disabled during an active recording to prevent audio interruptions.

Choosing the output directory

By default, recordings are saved to a ScribeScoop folder inside your Documents directory. To change the save location:

1. Click the Browse button next to the output directory path.
2. Navigate to your preferred folder in the file browser dialog.
3. Select the folder and confirm.

The new output directory is saved and used for all future recordings until you change it again.

Selecting the output format

ScribeScoop supports two audio output formats:

You can change the format using the format selector on the Capture screen. When using MP3, the application encodes in real-time during recording.

Starting a recording

1. Verify your microphone and system audio devices are selected correctly.
2. Click the Capture Session button. The button changes to red and the label becomes Stop Capture.
3. The recording timer starts counting from 00:00, showing the elapsed time.
4. The audio level meters below the devices show real-time audio activity. The Mic meter reflects your microphone input, and the System meter reflects the system audio being captured.

You can switch to minimal view during a recording to reduce the window size while keeping the timer and stop button visible.

Stopping a recording

Click the Stop Capture button to end the recording. The application finalizes the audio file and saves it to your output directory. A confirmation message appears briefly to indicate the file was saved successfully.

The saved file appears in the Recordings tab and is ready to be processed for transcription and summarization.

Audio level meters

During a recording, two horizontal level meters are displayed:

• Mic -- Shows the current volume level of your microphone input.
• System -- Shows the current volume level of the system audio being captured.

These meters update in real-time and help you confirm that audio is being captured from both sources. If a meter stays empty during a meeting, check that the correct device is selected and that the audio source is not muted.

Tips for better recordings

• Use a dedicated microphone or headset for clearer voice capture.
• Close unnecessary applications that might produce unwanted system audio during the recording.
• Verify both audio level meters show activity before the important part of your meeting begins.
• If you are in a quiet room and only need to capture a meeting application, a headset works well because it captures your voice via the headset mic and the meeting audio via the headset output.
• For longer meetings, MP3 is recommended to keep file sizes manageable.