So if I have plugged the Focusrite digital interface into my laptop, when I am logged into Google Voice I click the Microphone symbol Audio Settings at the top right and give it permission, then the dropdown for Microphone and such will recognize my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 digital interface? I noticed that within Audacity the Audacity software recognized in the Input AND Output my Focusrite digital interface.
The Shure SM-57 mic is not the most expensive mic in the world, that’s for sure. But it is a solid microphone. I bet it is better than the microphone/headset in a call center. I would be giving the benchod a high quality sound of my voice!
Google Voice does not allow probably the recording of phone calls. Maybe I’ll look into some sort of software to record phone calls. Wait, I could try to be within a new Audacity project and connect its input and output to my Focusrite digital interface, and it would record the phone call? That would be cool. After the call ended, I could add some more tracks on my guitar and/or junior electric bass for dramatic effect! Like after the scammer hangs up on me, I could play notes Wa Waaaa to try to imitate that sound of something failing, or do notes that imitate the drums being played after a joke.
Hell, I could be on the call with a scammer and have on my lap my guitar and try to have a track going of the phone call with a different track going from my guitar, though I do not know if the scammer would hear the guitar track. Well, if Audacity and Google Voice are both using Input/Output of my digital interface, the scammer might hear both tracks too.
Yes, you’d set the Focusrite as your microphone in Google Voice. It should be on the dropdown list so long as you’ve already got it set up as an audio input for Windows/MacOS. I’m sure the SM57 will work just fine, but since it’s an instrument mic you may want to get a cheap pop filter to keep the plosives at bay.
I don’t record my calls (yet), but in trying I’ve found Audacity to be tricky, at least on a Windows laptop (haven’t tried it on my Mac). I can’t have both the soundcard AND the mic as input sources - just one or the other. So I only get one side of the call.
As for sound effects, you could add those “in post”. Just add a new audio track to the Audacity project and drop the sounds wherever you want, after the fact.
I do not recommend Google Voice for scambaiting. If you do your job right, you will get suspended for calling the same phone number over and over and over again. I prefer Textnow right now. So far they have not suspended me.
Good point. I’ve had my GV number disabled temporarily for “too many calls in a short time” on multiple occasions, and have been outright suspended once.
In that case, I appealed stating I was scambaiting, it it was restored within a day - which I hope means they support what we do!
I see your point, John. With an instrument mic, I would need a pop filter. Like you write, even a cheap pop filter could suffice.
Good point, Joe. I am fortunate I guess that Google Voice has not suspended me for using my Unknown Number VOIP Google Voice phone to call scammers, sometimes calling repeatedly to harass them. So far though I just use the cordless handset to dial manually the phone numbers but still they would have seen how many calls I am making to certain numbers and how short each call is when I am bombarding them. I do not have the time unfortunately to bombard scammers daily, so maybe that is why I have not been suspended already by Google Voice.
If I do get suspended by Google Voice, I will do what John did and tell them that I am scam baiting when I appeal.
Yeah, I also have one TextNow number on my cell phone.