# Audio Capture for .NET Developers

Video Capture SDK .Net

# Introduction to Audio Capture

Our SDK provides robust audio capture capabilities designed specifically for .NET developers. Whether you're building a professional recording application, adding voice chat to your software, or creating a podcasting tool, our audio capture components deliver exceptional performance and flexibility.

The audio capture functionality lets you record from any audio input device on the system, including microphones, line-in ports, and virtual audio devices. All processing is optimized for minimal CPU usage while maintaining pristine audio quality.

# Supported Audio Sources

The SDK supports capturing from multiple audio sources:

  • Physical microphones - Desktop, USB, and Bluetooth microphones
  • Line-in ports - For capturing from external mixers or instruments
  • Virtual audio devices - Capture audio from other applications
  • System audio - Record what's playing through your speakers
  • Network streams - Capture audio from RTSP, HTTP, and other streaming sources

# Audio Format Support

Our SDK allows you to capture and encode audio in various industry-standard formats to meet any requirement:

# Lossy Formats

  • MP3 - Industry standard compressed audio with adjustable bitrates from 8kbps to 320kbps
  • M4A (AAC) - Advanced Audio Coding with excellent quality-to-size ratio
  • Windows Media Audio - Microsoft's audio format with good compression and Windows integration
  • Ogg Vorbis - Free and open-source format with excellent quality at lower bitrates
  • Speex - Optimized for speech with good quality at very low bitrates

# Lossless Formats

  • WAV - Uncompressed audio with perfect quality and wide compatibility
  • FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec providing compression without quality loss

# Key Features

# Device Control

  • Enumerate all available audio input devices
  • Select specific input devices programmatically
  • Set input volume levels and mute status
  • Monitor audio levels in real-time
  • Auto-select default system devices

# Advanced Processing

  • Real-time audio visualization with spectrum and waveform analysis
  • Noise reduction and echo cancellation
  • Gain control and normalization
  • Voice activity detection (VAD)
  • Stereo/mono channel management
  • Sample rate conversion

# Recording Controls

  • Start, pause, resume, and stop recording
  • Buffer management for low-latency operation
  • Timed recordings with automatic stop
  • File splitting for large recordings
  • Auto file naming with timestamps
  • Recording profiles for quick setup

# Best Practices

For optimal audio capture in your applications:

  1. Always check device availability before starting capture
  2. Monitor audio levels during recording to detect silence or clipping
  3. Use appropriate formats based on your quality and file size requirements
  4. Implement error handling for device disconnection events
  5. Provide visual feedback to users during recording
  6. Test on various hardware to ensure compatibility
  7. Apply noise reduction only when needed as it can affect audio quality

# Audio Capture Integration

The audio capture component integrates seamlessly with other SDK elements:

  • Combine with video capture for complete AV recording
  • Mix with audio playback for call recording applications
  • Use with streaming components for live broadcasting
  • Integrate with timeline editor for basic audio editing
  • Pair with file conversion for post-processing workflows

# Performance Considerations

The SDK is optimized for efficiency, but here are some tips for best performance:

  • Lower sample rates (44.1kHz vs 48kHz) reduce CPU usage
  • Mono recording uses less processing power than stereo
  • MP3 encoding is more CPU-intensive than WAV recording
  • Higher bitrates require more processing power
  • Buffer sizes affect latency and stability

Visit our GitHub page to get more code samples and implementation examples.