N@Record

Author: Nuno Costa, nrfcosta21@gmail.com

What is it?

N@Record is a portable program created to assist visually impaired individuals in recording tutorials, podcasts, and other activities. It is an enhanced version of the well-known Virtual Recorder.

History of N@Record

The idea of creating N@Record originated from the need of my girlfriend at the time, who was recording a podcast. She couldn't find any program that allowed her to record microphone audio and computer audio separately. Sometimes, the screen reader's audio was lower than her voice, or it was necessary to equalize only her voice audio and not the computer audio. That's when the idea of developing N@Record as a gift for her came up, believing that this functionality would be useful for other users as well.

Operation Mode

Once the program is opened, it will request access to the user account control. This is necessary to perform certain operations, such as recording system audio. Allowing this access is required for the program to function correctly.

N@Record controls are simple and intuitive. They allow users to set the audio format, bitrate, volume, and recording folder. Additionally, there is an option to disable system sounds during recording and to play a beep sound when recording starts or ends, if desired.

N@Record also has a status bar, which displays the recording status (Paused, Stopped), as well as the elapsed time.

Recording Modes

N@Record offers different recording modes, providing flexibility to the user. In the current version, the following options are available:

1. Microphone Only: In this mode, the program will record only the audio captured by the microphone connected to the system.
2. Microphone and System Audio: With this option selected, N@Record will simultaneously record audio from the microphone and system audio, combining them into a single recording file.
3. Microphone and System Audio in Separate Files: This option allows the program to record microphone audio and system audio in separate files, facilitating later editing. This is especially useful when it's necessary to independently adjust the equalization of the microphone or system audio.
4. Microphone and System Audio in Each Channel: In this mode, the program combines the microphone audio and system audio into a single file but separates them into distinct channels. This allows the microphone audio to be played on one side of the headphones (or speakers) and the system audio on the other side. This configuration is useful when it's necessary to clearly distinguish between the microphone audio and system audio during playback.

How to Use

1. Download the executable file (n@Record.exe) of N@Record.
2. Open the executable file to start the program.
3. When prompted, grant access to the user control to allow all program functionalities to be used correctly.
4. In the program's main interface, you will find the recording controls.
5. Customize audio settings such as format, bitrate, and volume according to your preferences.
6. If desired, enable the option to disable system sounds during recording.
7. Choose the destination folder to save the recordings. If you leave the field blank, the recordings will be saved in the "Recordings" folder located in the same directory as the executable file.
8. Select the desired recording mode (Microphone Only, Microphone and System Audio, Microphone and System Audio in Separate Files, or Microphone and System Audio in Each Channel).
9. When ready to record, click the start recording button.
10. If the option is selected, a beep sound will be played, indicating the start of recording.
11. Carry out the recording as needed.
12. Click the stop recording button when finished.
13. If the option is selected, a new beep sound will be played, indicating the end of recording.
14. The recorded audio will be available in the chosen destination folder.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

1. ALT+D: Input device;
2. ALT+F: Format;
3. ALT+S: Sample Rate;
4. ALT+B: Bitrate;
5. ALT+M: Recording mode;
6. ALT+I: Language;
7. ALT+V: Recording volume;
8. ALT+T: Output folder;
9. ALT+E: Choose output folder;
10. ALT+Q:: File name;
11. ALT+N: Disable system sounds during recording;
12. ALT+O: Play beep when starting/pausing recording;
13. ALT+G: Start Recording;
14. ALT+P: Pause Recording;
15. ALT+R: Stop Recording;
16. ALT+F4: Close;
17. ALT+A: Help;
18. ALT+U: Status bar.