@Desmond, I can definitely use your help here!
Every weekend, I am busy listening to (and recording) syndicated radio shows off of the Internet. For example, "Casey Kasem's American Top-40 - The 80s"
I have been doing so for over a decade with my old Macintosh, and I use Soundflower to allow me to record from a browser into Audacity. Now I need a similar set up using Loopback.
And the goal is that once I set things up, I shouldn't have to touch the settings again.
Here is where the confusion exists...
First, based on feedback issues that I was having when I tried to use Loopback to record a podcast, Rogue Amoeba's tech support told me that I should *never* set the System Preferences > Sound > Input and System Preferences > Sound > Output to point to Loopback.
Instead, they said that I should always leave Sound > Input and Sound > Output "set to my computer's hardware" (e.g. "Internal microphone" or "Internal speakers"). It was implied this could also include external hardware like my "Logitech USB Headset".
Second, when I read the online manual that came with Loopback, it implies that when you launch Loopback, that the default virtual machine called "Loopback Audio" was a "pass-through" device, meaning that out-of-the-box, this virtual machine should capture any applications (e.g. Firefox) on your Macintosh and allow them to be used as the "input" into other applications (e.g. Audacity).
Knowing points #1 and #2 above, I set out to use Loopback to capture a streaming radio station (i.e. "www.98.3cifm.com") playing in Firefox and recording it to Audacity.
Based on the advice in point #1, I set System Preferences > Sound as follows...
Input > Internal Microphone (muted)
Output > Internal Speakers (normal listening volume)
In Audacity, under Preferences > Devices, I chose the following...
Playback Device > Built-In Output
Recording Device > Loopback Audio
Also, in Loopback...
Loopback Audio > checked
Mute audio sources > unchecked
Monitor audio through > unchecked
With these settings, Loopback should serve as a "pass-through" which allows me to capture streaming audio in Firefox, and pass it along to Audacity to record, since Audacity is pointing to this "Loopback Audio" virtual machine.
With the radio stream playing in my Mac's speakers, I pressed "record" in Audacity, but all I get is a flat line... (i.e. nothing is captured)
Now, there are two ways to fix this issue, but both of them seem to contradict Points #1 and #2 above...
Fix #1:
If I return to System Preferences > Sound and set things to...
Output > Loopback Audio
Then I can see Audacity recording the radio stream, however, I have lost audio on my Macintosh's speakers?!
I can, of course, choose "Monitor audio through: Built-In Output" in Loopback, but this approach will create another problem...
If all I did was record radio shows online, then Fix #1 would work. But as I mentioned above, my goal is to set things up so I don't have to fiddle with audio settings as I go about doing different things!!
To create a configuration that should allow me to record radio shows, record phone calls, and record podcasts that might include a phone call and background music, I tried this set up...
In Loopback...
I created a new virtual-device called: "Loopback: Headset+iTunes+Zoiper"
Audio Sources:
- Logitech USB Headset
- iTunes
- Zoiper
Mute audio source > unchecked
Monitor audio through > Logitech USB Headset
In System Preferences, I chose...
Sound > Output > "Loopback: Headset+iTunes+Zoiper
In Audacity...
Playback Device > Built-in Output
Recording Device > Loopback: Headset+iTunes+Zoiper
While this configuration records streaming audio okay, if I also try to record my voice - say in a podcast - then I get lots of feedback?!
In Loopback, if I changes things to...
Mute audio source > unchecked
Monitor audio through > unchecked
...then the feedback goes away when recording my voice, but I can't hear the streaming music or my voice in my headset, and this is necessary to do a proper voice recording - not to mention being able to speak on the phone!!
So with Fix #1, I can record streaming radio shows and listen to them simultaneously on my Mac's internal speakers, but if I try to record a Zoiper phone call or do a podcast, my voice will be distorted.
And this is why Rogue Amoeba tech support told me to "always point your System Preferences to your Mac's hardware".
However, this is not a working solution either!
Fix #2:
In Loopback, I made the following changes to "Loopback: Headset+iTunes+VLC"...
Audio Sources:
- Logitech USB Headset
- iTunes
- Zoiper
- Firefox <=== NEW
Mute audio source > unchecked
Monitor audio through > unchecked
In System Preferences...
Sound > Output > Logitech USB Headset
In Audacity...
Playback Device > Logitech USB Headset
Recording Device > Loopback: Headset+iTunes+Zoiper
Now I can record streaming audio in Audacity, and as I simultaneously speak into my USB headset, I get NO FEEDBACK and yet my voice is successfully recorded on top of the music.
And I suppose this configuration could be used as a "catch-all" allowing me to set up my Macintosh so that I can: 1.) Record radio shows, 2.) Record phone calls, and 3.) Record podcasts (potentially with a caller and background music), but these settings just feel *wrong* because they go against my what Points #1 and #2 above said...
I cannot ever remember something so complicated as this?!
So what do you think about all of this?!

Thanks,
Audio Jungle