SimpleRecorder

Super simple and fast to use audio recorder, developed for my practice space for my band Naked Soldier Runs on Mac (Linux in the future too, happy for every contribution!) using FFmpeg. The goal of this app is to have a super-fast way to start and stop recordings in my practice space, since setting up a full DAW, entering file names, and target path is annoying and I want to focus on practicing and writing songs. Maybe this app will help you out, too.

Installation

Prerequisites

Before using SimpleRecorder, ensure you have the following installed on your Mac:

1. Python
   Install Python via Homebrew:

   brew install python

2. Tkinter
   Tkinter is required for the graphical interface. Install it with Homebrew:

   brew install python-tk

3. FFmpeg
   FFmpeg is used for audio processing. Install it with Homebrew:

   brew install ffmpeg

Clone the Repository

Clone the SimpleRecorder repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/SimpleRecorder.git
cd SimpleRecorder

Usage

1. Run the application:

   python simple_recorder.py

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to start recording audio.

Storing Default Settings Using defaultsettings.json File (Optional)

You can store default settings for SimpleRecorder in a file named defaultsettings.json. This file allows you to predefine certain parameters, so you don't have to input them every time you use the application. Below is an example of how the file might look:

{
    "device_index": "1",
    "file_name": "My awesome snake jazz band",
    "destination_folder": "/Users/oliver/Desktop",
    "record_mode": "stereo",
    "mono_channel": 1,
    "stereo_pair": "3-4"
}

Explanation of Keys

• device_index: Specifies the audio input device to use.
• file_name: The default name for the recorded file.
• destination_folder: The folder where recordings will be saved.
• record_mode: Defines the recording mode (mono or stereo).
• mono_channel: If record_mode is mono, this specifies the channel to record.
• stereo_pair: If record_mode is stereo, this specifies the stereo pair to use.

Optional Keys

Not all keys need to be populated. For example, if you only want to set the destination_folder and leave other settings to be configured manually, your defaultsettings.json file could look like this:

{
    "destination_folder": "/Users/oliver/Desktop"
}

When the application runs, it will use the values from defaultsettings.json if they are present. Any missing values will need to be provided manually or will use the application's default settings.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit pull requests for Linux support or any other features.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Affero GPL Licens (or how I lovingly call it: Spaghetti alfredo license.). See the LICENSE file for details.