Our Verdict
I ’m often ask for an easy way to record audio frequency playacting on your Mac . While there are a good number of programs ( such as previous Mac Gem TapeDeck ) for recording audio recording sourcesconnected toyour Mac , there are n’t many simple way to record audio from other programs , such as a Web web browser , a streaming - audio client , an audio - chat app , or DVD Player . You could use a combination of the freeSoundflowerand either QuickTime Player or Garageband , as described by my colleague Christopher Breen , but that ’s a bit of a kludge . Ambrosia’sWireTap Studioand Rogue Amoeba’sAudio Hijack Proare designed specifically to show sound recording from other applications , but at $ 69 and $ 32 , respectively , and with lots of advanced features , they may be overkill if this is n’t a task you execute frequently — or if you require something that ’s one - snap easy .
Rogue Amoebarecently releaseda simpler and less - expensive sibling to Audio Hijack Pro calledPiezo(Mac App Store link ) . Designed for hoi polloi who do n’t need all the capability of Audio Hijack Pro , Piezo is a great little program for recording virtually anything you may pick up on , or connect to , your Mac .
The society trace Piezo as “ charmingly bare , ” and it ’s tough to fence with that . The programme ’s compendious , retro - purpose windowpane shows only a few component : left- and correct - channel level meters , a bulge - up menu for choose the audio reference , a snotty-nosed - clock - like recording timer , the name of the current transcription , and a large , metal - and - crimson Record button .
To apply Piezo , first you dawn the Source pop - up card to choose your audio source . The first meter you escape Piezo , the menu lean five apps installed on your Mac that the developer think you might want to read from , as well as any affiliated audio devices ( your Mac ’s built - in mike or line - in jack , a USB - audio gimmick , and the like ) . If the app you want to record is n’t listed , either choose Other covering and use the result dialog to pilot to the programme , or drag the want applications programme ’s ikon into the Piezo windowpane . I wish the Source menu included a list of all running programs , as I find that I often need to read an app I ’m already using , but this is a minor inconvenience .
Here ’s where you ’ll incline into Piezo ’s one hang-up : If you choose an app that ’s not running , Piezo automatically launch that app . But if you prefer an app that ’s already running , you ’ll see a dialog explain that you need to relaunch that program to capture its audio . This effect is a result ofthe Mac App Store ’s restrictions — in society to sell Piezo through the store , Rogue Amoeba can not set up the organisation - level hooks that would tolerate Piezo to record app audio on the fly . ( Audio Hijack Pro can perform this magic precisely because it instal such a component . ) Click Quit And Relaunch and the select program will quit and then relaunch , quick for Piezo to record .
Next , tick the recording - name study or the power train ( transcription - options ) button to enroll a name for the recording . you could also insert a comment about the recording , and you could choose the recording tone . Piezo offers five recording - quality level : 64 kbps , 128 kbps , or 256 kbps stereo AAC , and 128 kbps or 256 kbps varying - bit - pace ( VBR ) stereo system MP3 . If those number and formats mean nothing to you , the program helpfully names each with a homely - English description : Spoken Word , Music ( Low Quality ) , and Music ( High Quality ) , with AAC file categorize under For Personal Use ( since they ’ll play on any Mac ) and MP3 files list as For Internet Distribution ( since some non - Mac users wo n’t be able-bodied to play AAC filing cabinet , but will be able to use MP3 file ) . If you want to read uncompressed or lossless audio frequency , you ’ll take to pony up for Audio Hijack Pro .
Then , just get through the openhanded Record button ( or choose Record - > Start Recording ) . While recording , the timer displays the full transcription sentence and — my favorite niggling touch — Piezo ’s degree meters , Dock icon , and Record clitoris light up . When you ’re done transcription , click the Record button again ( or choose Record - > Stop Recording ) ; your audio file is immediately expose in the Finder .
If you start a new recording but draw a blank to change the recording name , Piezo helpfully adds the act 2 to the name ; it automatically increments that identification number for subsequent recording , displaying a cute flip - clock - style animation as the number increases .
Piezo was just released a couple week ago , but the developer has already add a major new feature film : While the programme could always register audio from vocalism - over - cyberspace ( VoIP ) apps such as iChat , FaceTime , and Skype , Piezo 1.1 branch local and remote audio for easier post - recording processing . Specifically , when using one of these VoIP apps , local audio recording ( your audio frequency ) is recorded to the left channel , with remote audio ( the voices of other people on the call ) recorded to the good channel . you could launch the resulting audio file in an audio - editing app and bring with the local and remote audio severally . This feature worked well in my testing with Skype and iChat recording .
Unlike TapeDeck , Piezo does n’t have any recording - management features — you exploit with your recordings in the Finder . And if you take more recording options , Audio Hijack Pro , for $ 22 more , propose the said instant - recording feature of speech , as well as more audio - data formatting and -quality options , tagging feature , real - fourth dimension audio processing , audio effect , schedule and timed recording , and the capacity to captureallaudio on your system ( include system sound ) simultaneously . But for simple , “ seize this app ’s audio ” transcription , Piezo is rugged to circumvent .
A free trailer version of Piezo , downloadablefrom the Piezo webpage , lets you record ten minutes of audio per launch .
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