s/w recommencation - recording training sessions & conference call

[high_revs]

so my counterparts in development don't know squat and are @!#$^! lazy to figure out how to record training and the conference calls. being the good Samaritan i am (and regretting since now i'm trampled and the onus is on me) LOL... i'm trying to figure out a solution.

i've tried two - camstudio (freeware) and adobe captivate (corporate license). camstudio seemed decent but it's geared for single delivery trainer kinda thing. you know, like those youtube instructional videos. there's no mechanism to capture the video (someone desktop sharing) + the audio from the conference line (including me asking questions so it has to pick up my mic too).

then there's adobe captivate. hot damn... probably a lot more powerful but way over complicated for layman type usage - kinda start and then stop recording. i managed to figure out a combination of windows voice/recording settings, the match that to lync 2010.

the issue i have is 1 is a configuration won't let me go on mute so it'll pick up all background noises even if i put my lync 2010 on mute. option 2 is to have captivate record via stereo mix. the only way it'll pick up my voice is i have to call in thru a separate telephone line into the telephone numbers provided by our lync system. Guess captivate can't capture thru stereo/speaker and my mic at the same time.

holeey.. this is all too freaking complex because there is no way in hell someone is going to be willing to go thru this. i'm willing only cuz i'm interested how to do it too since in the past, i used to deliver training over a virtual audience.

any other suggestions? that can do desktop sharing video recording *and* a conference call? i can't find a way with a myriad of settings thru windows 7, lync and captivate. camstudio might be the same but trying th e stereo mix, IDT, it was already giving me wave out error.

[stilly]

What if you had your audio control panel opened and just MUTED your mic when you want to mute it? it would be a winblows thing instead of that software thing.

I am a tad confuised, this is for LIVE traing and no chances for messups or is this for prerecorded whatever and someone will be able to just sit down in front of their pc and watch?

Sorry. I do not have any experience with Adobe Captivate.

[high_revs]

Yes, live training. if it was one-way, pre-recorded stuff. no problems.

for one option where you suggest the mute, it didn't work. even with only 1 communication device, it wasn't quite muting. and i've not clue where the mic is coming from but it has to be my logitech videocam because it's the closest and has a really great/sensitive mic. i can be 2 ft away and it sounds like i'm right next to it.

i'm actually testing right now using google phone to call into a meeting and talk there. i'm also launched on lync and recording it thru the stereo mix. it seems to be ok that i can talk and there's no feedback being caught by my headset mic (thru google phone).

i'm just surprised this s/w is not popular else there are just very specific solutions there (and probably expensive). with more and more virtual delivery and collaboration, i think this capability would be high demand.

[billofrights]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're doing, but why wouldn't it be easier to just do a distance-learning type setup videoconference? Why the need for the conference call?

[ibanezfoo]

Whats your budget? We've used a WiredRed / ePop solution before and it was awesome.

[ExtremeX]

WebEx

[high_revs]

not about budget. but if there is a trial on that, i can certainly try and submit an request to have it evaluated.

Whats your budget? We've used a WiredRed / ePop solution before and it was awesome.

Used to have it. company discontinued usage.

WebEx

because our company standard is microsoft lync first. if need be, we have a virtual room (vr) setup. but the vr isn't linked to audio conference. lync is supposed to have the ability to record but that is not enabled at the server level. not sure why though. we have webcast technology we can certainly use, but you have to have minimum number of participants. won't get more than 20-25 on this one i'm coordinating. so, availability tools for small audience gets very hard.

i managed to make captivate work. either i just keep quiet and be a recorder using lync to call in and captivate to capture (kinda like a scribe only). or in addition, i can also call in thru google talk so my voice is recorded also. audio capture is via stereo mix so whatever is output to my speakers. the situation is so darn sensitive that i can't even use my desk's speaker phone w/o feedback (tested that earlier). i have a headset i'll use that i tested earlier today and that setup works.

but man, what a pita. captivate would work great if it can just capture the stereo mix *and* my mic.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're doing, but why wouldn't it be easier to just do a distance-learning type setup videoconference? Why the need for the conference call?