Audio Hijack 2.2.

5 Manual

Audio Hijack v2.2.5 www.rogueamoeba.com Welcome! Audio Hijack is a simple utility for recording audio - from internet streams to DVDs, use it to record any audio. You can also use Audio Hijack to improve internet streams, movies and more. Audio Hijack gives you powerful control over any hijacked audio, with recording and beyond. Printing To print this entire manual, download the PDF version from: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/download/AudioHijackManual.pdf New in 2.2.5: + Includes Smart Crash Reports 1.2 New in 2.2: + Sample rate selector + "Stop Recording After" option + New "Add to iPod" and "Encode to Wav" scripts + Scroll-wheel support for knobs + Many hijacking and AppleScript reliability improvements - Better handling of RealPlayer-related files and mal-formed Target URLs - Semantic adjustments ("Presets" are now "Sessions", "Timer" is now "Schedule") - Inspector window now no longer hides when in background - Mute menu items now correctly updates Mute button New in 2.1: + Stronger Hijacking method, less prone to breaking + Duplicate Button for Presets List - Several bug fixes New in 2.0: - Entirely new interface - Improved Timed recording - Built-in Excitifer effect to sweeten audio quality - Easy to use Toolbar, featuring built-in Level Meters - Post-processing options for recordings (Save to MP3 or AAC via iTunes), with AppleScript - Direct URL Entering, no need for bookmark files - Automatic Preset saving - Convenient Dock Menu Feature Overview Audio Hijack excels at making it simple to record audio from any application. With Audio Hijack, you can save internet streams as you listen to them. Or you can record audio clips from games, DVDs, or websites.

With timed recordings, you can save internet streams and other audio at a specific time - record the ball game and listen to it later. Just like a VCR, you can record any audio while you're not around, and it's even easier to program than your VCR. No flashing 12:00 here! Audio Hijack's got lots of other great features too - use it to make RealOne Player an alarm clock, tweak the audio on a DVD with the built-in Equalizer, and use Excitifier to improve the quality of iTunes radio streams. Purchasing Audio Hijack is NOT free software. We provide a demonstration of the software so you can test it out. If you keep it, you are required to purchase a license code. Until a license code is purchased, the quality of hijacked audio will degrade after ten minutes to encourage registration. Purchasing a license for Audio Hijack will provide you with permanent, full-quality audio. We hope you'll find an Audio Hijack license is worth purchasing. When you do, you can purchase a code quickly and easily through our online store at http://www.rogueamoeba.com/store/. Audio Hijack is priced at $16. To purchase a license for Audio Hijack, visit our online store at: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/store/ Contact: Web: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/ Support: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/support/ E-Mail: audiohijack2@rogueamoeba.com Purchase: http://www.rogueamoeba.com/store/

Audio Hijack is Copyright 2002-2006, Rogue Amoeba Software, LLC

About Audio Hijack

What Is This Document? This is the Audio Hijack Manual. Contained within this manual, you'll find tutorials on using Audio Hijack, detailed explanations of all its settings, and helpful hints for using the application to its full power. What Is Audio Hijack? Audio Hijack is the perfect tool to record any audio on your computer. With Audio Hijack, you can quickly and easily save audio from almost any application to an AIFF file. This file can then be burned to a CD, or played in any software audio player like iTunes or any hardware audio player like an iPod. Use Audio Hijack to record Car Talk or any other Real/Windows Media/iTunes/Internet stream and listen at your leisure. Snag game sounds or sound bytes off DVD movies. You can even use Audio Hijack to rip Flash audio! And with built-in Timers, you don't even have to be there to record. Audio Hijack puts you in control of all your audio. Audio Hijack is distributed as a free download, making it easily available to allow you to test it before you purchase it. Use it freely for as long as you need to decide if you want to purchase it. Until you register, Audio Hijack will overlay noise on all hijacked audio after 10 minutes. This 10 minute trial period resets every time you rehijack an application. More information about purchasing Audio Hijack is available in the Purchasing section of this manual. For the latest information and updates on Audio Hijack, come to our website at http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack. Requirements -A Macintosh computer -OS X 10.3.9 or higher Basic Installation/Removal To install Audio Hijack, just drag it from your download folder to your Applications folder, or wherever you'd like to keep it. To uninstall Audio Hijack, just delete the application. Version History Audio Hijack v2.2.5 Released 06.07.2006 + Includes Smart Crash Reports 1.2 Audio Hijack v2.2.4 Released 03.15.2006 + Official Intel Chip-Based Mac (ICBM) support + Can now pull audio from applications running under Rosetta emulation - Now requires OS X 10.3.9 Audio Hijack v2.2.4 (Public Beta #2) Released 02.21.2006 + Full Intel Chip-Based Mac (ICBM) support Audio Hijack v2.2.4 (Public Beta) Released 01.23.2006

+ Now a Universal Build, with preliminary support for Intel Macs Audio Hijack v2.2.3 Released 10.27.2005 - "Hijack Force Quit" alert now has Keep Trying option - PTFileRef - Messages window - auverse/rbuffer: finally fixed the oldest crashing bug ever - libah: increased timeouts in ah_serv - AH2: Added Reveal button to Recording pane - Extras: Added SmartCrashReports installer - AHKit: AHHijackedSource now actively detects libah disconnects - AHKit: made timers trigger if app launched in the middle - PT: Added PTDebugPanel Audio Hijack v2.2.2 Released 07.14.2005 - "Hijack Force Quit" alert now has Keep Trying option - Recorder is now smarter about creating folders - AHP2, AH2: Redid Scripts popups to support executing Workflows - auverse: attempt to fix resampler clicking - sw4fx/sw4fxPlugins/auverse: attempt to use OSAtomic functions (eg. Possible AIFF crasher fix) Audio Hijack v2.2.1 Released 04.21.2005 + Now requires 10.3, compatible with 10.4 + New Fill Gaps Advanced Hijacking options - New registration window - Improved execution of post-processing AppleScripts - Recorder now defaults to recording to ~/Music/Audio Hijack - Recorder now creates the output folder if it is is missing - Fixed Recording pane to disable itself as needed - Fixed popup menu display bug in Prefs window Audio Hijack v2.2.0 Released 11.15.2004 + Sample rate selector + "Stop Recording After" option + Drag and Drop to the Inspector now handles webloc files better + Many hijacking reliability improvements + Scroll-wheel support for knobs + Improved AppleScript reliability (ra_script_helper) + New "Add to iPod" and "Encode to Wav" scripts - Better handling of RealPlayer-related files and mal-formed Target URLs - Moved to new Timer backend (AHP2s) - Registration text field no longer accepts CRs, LFs or tabs - Improved registration checker error reporting - Interface adjustments ("Presets" are now "Sessions", "Timer" is now "Schedule") - Inspector window now no longer hides when in background - Mute menu items now correctly updates Mute button Version History: Audio Hijack v2.1.4 Released 08.09.2004 + Bulletproof AIFF Recording

+ Bug fixes for OS X 10.3.4 and 10.3.5 Audio Hijack v2.1.3 Released 06.10.2004 + Improved hijacking + Keeps machine awake while recording - Fixed a bug with relaunching - Other minor bug fixes Audio Hijack v2.1.2 Released 04.12.2004 - Important bug fix for bad Recording Output folder - Other minor bug fixes Audio Hijack v2.1.1 Released 04.05.2004 + Added hijack Options dialog (Control-click Hijack) - Now accepts Audio Hijack Pro 2 codes - AudioHijackKit upgrade - Fixed bug in BigMix sn# handling - Fixed "zombie preset" bug Audio Hijack v2.1 Released 01.29.2004 + Stronger Hijacking method, less prone to breaking + Contextual Menu in Presets List + New Duplicate Button for Presets List - Added "stickyInspector" hidden preference - Added "defaultRecordingFolder" hidden preference - Several bug fixes - Delete key now works in Preset window - Saves prefs better (to avoid lose during crashes) Audio Hijack v2.0.3 Released 12.29.2003 + OS X 10.3.2 Support + Added Duplicate Preset menu option - Fixed bug with 10.1 launching - Fixed bug w/ Edit Preset menu item - Updated AHAudioRecorder for new auverse - Dropped in auverse - Dropped in libahNG Audio Hijack v2.0.2 Released 10.16.2003 + OS X 10.3 (Panther) support - Added new Debug panel (Hold Option at startup) - Added debugging variable to aid tech support - Fixed memmove() crash Audio Hijack v2.0.1 Released 09.22.2003 + Audio Hijack 2 now accepts Audio Hijack Pro codes + Threaded post-process AppleScripts + Made the libAH.dylib creation code more persistent (error #5) + Made the Inspector window remember its open/closed state + Removed kLSLaunchInhibitBGOnly launch flag (might fix -606 bugs)

Fixed Fixed Made Fixed Fixed

Audio/Video Path bug Muting bug Inspector not disappear when double clicking table Target tab so files can not be set as target application recording when Presets have : or / in their name

Audio Hijack v2.0 Released 08.31.2003 + Complete Redesign - it's all new.

Tutorials
This section of the Help will aid you in getting started with Audio Hijack. The easiest way to do this is to give simple walk-throughs of how to use Audio Hijack's basic features, so that's just what we've done. Click on one of the sub-sections to the left to jump to your desired tutorial. Hijacking - The most basic operation in Audio Hijack, hijacking simply allows Audio Hijack to control your audio by piping it through Audio Hijack before it reaches the speakers. Recording - Once an application is hijacked, you'll probably want to record the audio from it. Timed Recordings - Not going to be around tonight? Tell Audio Hijack what to hijack and when to do it. Alarm Clock - Wake up to any audio you like from any application. A perfect way to tune to the news in the morning.

How To Hijack An Application

When Audio Hijack loads, you'll see the Sessions List. This window shows all the saved Sessions in Audio Hijack, as well as providing the controls for hijacking and recording (seen above). Hijacking an application is easy. First, you can create a new Session by clicking New, or by dragging an application from the Finder to the Sessions List. The Inspector window will then appear. Set the Session name and target application if necessary, and you're ready to hijack. Click the Hijack button in the Sessions List Toolbar, and the application will launch. If it works properly, the 'Hijack' button will toggle and read 'Release', and the Record and Mute controls will illuminate. Audio Hijack now has control of the targetted application's audio. Now you'll probably want to record - See the "Recording" tutorial on the left side of this window. Hijacking A URL/File/AppleScript This field allows you to pass off a specific URL location (by typing the URL or using an AppleScript) or file, to the target application set above. This is especially useful for Timed Recordings. Hijacking Live Input By downloading our free LineIn application from our Freebies section, you will be able to record live input coming through the Sound In port on your computer. Target this application with a Session, and hijack. Then, set the device accordingly and play the audio, and Audio Hijack will pick it up! For more information, see the Importing Records page. Quick Review Let's do a quick review of all that is necessary to hijack an application and gain control over its audio. 1 . Open Audio Hijack and make a New Session in the Sessions List. The Inspector will pop-up - name the Session and select the target application. 2 . Click the 'Hijack' button in the Session List toolbar. If it toggles and reads 'Release' and no error dialog appears, you now have control of the audio from the target application!

How To Record An Application

Once you have an application hijacked (See "Hijacking"), you can record the audio coming from it with one click. Clicking the Record button in the Sessions List Toolbar will cause Audio Hijack to save all the audio coming from the hijacked application to an AIFF file. Be aware that AIFF files grow to be very large rather quickly, as they are bit-by-bit copies of the original audio. Adjusting Recording Settings The relevant settings can be adjusted in the Recording tab of the Inspector window. The Format settings are all fairly optional. If you don't know what Sample Rate you want, just leave it set to Auto. You can adjust the file size or length at which Audio Hijack will start a new file by turning on the appropriate checkbox. AIFF files must be 2 gigabytes or smaller, so Audio Hijack will automatically create a new AIFF file every 2 gigabytes if you don't set this smaller. However, you may wish for this split to occur at a different size, such as 650 or 700 megabytes for burning to a CD, or 60 minutes, for files of one hour in length. Finally, you can adjust when Audio Hijack will stop recording, perfect for pulling in a specific amount of audio without using a timer. In the second section, you can adjust the location where the file will be saved by changing the "Save Recorded Files To" setting. Finally, when you finish recording, you can have Audio Hijack run a post-processing script. Included scripts allow you to have the file automatically added to your iTunes library (Add to iTunes Library), or encoded to AAC (Encode to AAC with iTunes) or MP3 (Encode to MP3 with iTunes). In this way, you can save AAC or MP3 files with Audio Hijack. Note that the original AIFF file will remain until you delete it manually. These settings also apply to Timers. If you set a Timer to record, it will use the settings found in the Recording tab. Quick Review Let's do a quick review of all that is necessary to record audio from an application. 1 . Open Audio Hijack and hijack the desired application (See "Hijacking" for more information). 2 . Optionally adjust settings in the Recording tab of the Inspector window. 3 . Click the 'Record' button. If it highlights and no error dialog appears, you are now recording audio from the target application to the specified location on your hard drive! 4 . Click 'Record' again to end your recording session and write out the file's headers. Load the file in

your favorite audio player and enjoy!

How To Configure A Timed Recording

You can use a timer in an Audio Hijack Session to hijack an application at a specified time and for a specified interval. This can be useful for the timed recording of Internet radio streams. It's just like a VCR, but you'll actually understand how to program it. Timed Recordings Timed recording is simple and once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to set up a Timed Recording very quickly. First, set up a Session for an application by creating a new Session and selecting the application in the Target tab (see "Hijacking" for more detail). You will most likely want to record a particular stream in the application you're hijacking. This is accomplished with the "Open URL/File/AppleScript" field. Many sites provide a bookmark file for their stream. These bookmark files will end with extensions like .pls, .rm, .ram, .smil, .asf, .asx. This file will contain the URL for the stream, as well as some other data that the application may need in reference to the stream. Alternately, you may have the exact URL to the stream, which can be typed in this field. A direct URL can often be obtained from the streaming application by getting info on a stream*, or from the website from which the stream originates. Finally, an AppleScript which passes a URL out to the application can also be used. This is designed for more advanced users. Once this is set, when this Session is activated it will open the specified file or URL. Now it's time to set up the Timer aspect of our Timed Recording by going to the Timer tab of the Inspector window. Enable the Timer using the checkbox. Then, set the days of the week you wish the Timer to run, as well as the time it should begin and end. Note that these times are in 24-hour time. Finally, set the options in the bottom of the Timer tab. You'll need to turn on the Record checkbox so the Timer records. You'll also likely want to Mute it, especially if you're recording at night, so that it's not playing audio at 3 in the morning. Finally, if you want Audio Hijack to quit the target application when it finishes, turn on that option. You're all set for the basics. You may also wish to adjust the Recording options. A Timed Recording uses the settings in the Recording Tab, so see the "Recording" tutorial for more information on this.
* In Windows Media Player, choose Get Info to get the URL for a running stream. In RealOne Player, choose Edit Favorites to get the URL for a Favorite, or Clip Info to get the URL for a running stream. In iTunes, choose Get Info on a stream in the Radio section or in the playlist to get its URL.

Quick Review

Let's do a quick review of all that is necessary to create a Timed Recording in Audio Hijack. 1 . Open Audio Hijack and set up a Session (see Hijacking). 2 . Open the Inspector and click the Schedule Tab. Enable the timer with the checkbox. Set up the days and times when the Timer should run. If you wish to record, turn on that checkbox. Likewise, if you want Audio Hijack to mute the output or quit the target application when the timer finishes, turn on the proper settings. 3 . Check the Sessions List to be sure the Timer is set correctly. Now you'll just need to be sure to leave Audio Hijack on before the timer is set to run. Note! Timers will not wake the machine from sleep, nor will they launch Audio Hijack. To use timers, turn the monitor off to save energy but make sure your Energy Saver settings are set to not put the machine to sleep. As well, you'll need to either leave Audio Hijack open or set up an application to automatically launch it at a specified time.

Turning Any Application Into An Alarm Clock

To turn any application into a simple alarm clock, you can use Audio Hijack and its Timer feature. For a quick alarm clock with a basic audio file, just drag the audio file from the Finder to the Sessions List. A new Session will be created and this file will be opened when the Session runs. Now, set the Timer to run at the desired time. Just set the End Time an hour after the Start Time. You may wish to set the Volume in the Effects tab past 100%, to get a louder sound for your alarm.. To open a radio stream, such as the news, you'll need the URL of the stream, or a bookmark file for it. See "Timed Recordings" for more information on this. Set it up exactly as above, but instead of a local audio file, you'll enter a URL or bookmark file in the "URL/File/AppleScript" field. Again, set the Timer to run at the desired time, setting the End Time an hour after the Start Time. Again, you may wish to set the Volume in the Effects tab past 100%, to get a louder sound for your alarm. Quick Review Let's do a quick review of all that is necessary to turn any application into an alarm clock with Audio Hijack. 1 . Open Audio Hijack and create a New Session (see "Hijacking"). Target the application and select the appropriate file or bookmark/URL. 2 . Click the Timers Tab in the Inspector. Enable the timer with the checkbox. Set up the days and times when the Timer should run. 3 . Set the Volume past 100% if desired, in the Effects tab. 4 . Check the Sessions List to be sure the Timer is set correctly. Now you'll just need to be sure to leave Audio Hijack on before the timer is set to run. Note! Timers will not wake the machine from sleep. To use timers, turn the monitor off to save energy and make sure your Energy Saver settings are set to not put the machine to sleep.

Recording A Stream

One of the most common uses for Audio Hijack is recording streaming audio, particularly with timed recording. We provide tutorials for Hijacking and Timers, but we'll outline the exact steps needed to record a specific program. You can then use this as a launching point for recording your own stream. Here, we'll be recording an archived episode of This American Life. These instructions can be adjusted slightly to record just about any streamed content, both archived and live. First things first, we need to launch Audio Hijack. Once that's done, we'll create a new session by clicking the New button at the top of the Sessions List. In the Inspector, we'll adjust the name to This American Life and set the Application to Realplayer, which will be playing our audio stream. Next, we need to set the URL or file that the session will pass off to RealPlayer when it runs. In this case, we'll be recording episode #250, available from this page. On that page, is a small RA graphic, which contains the link to the show. Holding Control and clicking on this allows us to choose the Download Linked File option in Safari. We've now downloaded a bookmark to the stream, called 250.ram. This is what we'll drop into the Open URL/File field of our session. For full details on finding a stream's URL, see the Finding Stream URLs page of the manual. As it's set now, when we click Hijack, the desired stream will be passed to RealPlayer, which will then play the audio and we can record it. However, we're using a timer here, so we don't need to be in front of the machine to record. So, we need to click the Schedule tab in the Inspector window for our Session. There, we'll enable a timer. For this program, we can record at any time, so we'll choose 2:00 am to 3:00 am today, Thursday, when no one will be around. We'll also turn on the Record and Mute checkboxes. Once that's set, we're done! We just need to leave Audio Hijack open and our machine awake. At 2 am, Audio Hijack will launch RealPlayer, and tell it to open the stream. RealPlayer will play the stream, and Audio Hijack will record it. At 3 am, the stream and hijacking will finish, and when we come back to the machine, there will be a recording waiting for us in the location specified in the Recording tab of the Inspector. Now we can burn it to CD, drop it on an iPod, or listen to it in iTunes. Quick Review Let's do a quick review of all that is necessary to record this stream in Audio Hijack. 1 . Open Audio Hijack and set up a Session (see Hijacking), targeting RealPlayer as the source. 2 . Enter the address of the stream you wish to record, (see Finding Stream URLs) in the Open URL/File/AppleScript area. 3 . Click the Schedule Tab and enable the timer with the checkbox. Set up the days and times when the Timer should run, and be sure to turn on the Record checkbox. You'll also likely want local

output muted when the recording is made, so turn on the Mute checkbox. 4 . Check the Sessions List to be sure the Timer is set correctly. Now you'll just need to be sure to leave Audio Hijack on before the timer is set to run. Note! Timers will not wake the machine from sleep, nor will they launch Audio Hijack. To use timers, turn the monitor off to save energy but make sure your Energy Saver settings are set to not put the machine to sleep. As well, you'll need to either leave Audio Hijack open or set up an application to automatically launch it at a specified time.

Audio Hijack Interfaces

This section of the Help gives details on what each window in Audio Hijack does, as well as details on each of Audio Hijack's menus. The sub-sections will give information on the functions for the Sessions List window, the Inspector window and the other minor windows (the Preference Window and the Registration Window). Click on one of the sub-sections to the left to jump to the specified window. Sessions List Window - The basic control window of Audio Hijack, listing current Sessions and allowing the hijacking and recording of the active Session. Inspector Window - Controls all aspects of each Session. Use it to adjust details including timers, recording, and audio effects before hijacking. Other Windows - Information on the other minor windows in Audio Hijack, including Preferences. Menu Reference - Explains what each and every menu item does in obsessive, boring detail

Sessions List Window

The Sessions List window serves as the basic organizer window for Audio Hijack. Each session represents one configuration of an application or file to be hijacked. The Sessions List displays the userdefined name of each session, along with information on what application will be hijacked and when timers will run. Double-clicking a session in the list will open the Inspector window for that session. To create a new session, drag and drop an application or file to the Sessions List window, or hit New and configure the session in the Inspector window. The Sessions List has a contextual menu which contains several functions. Control-click on a session to popup this menu. Use this menu to Duplicate or Delete a session, reveal the session's Target Application, or quickly toggle the status of the session's Timer. Toolbar New - Creates a new session ready to be edited. Duplicate - Creates a duplicate of the current;y-highlight session. Inspector - Opens the Inspector window for the currently highlighted session. Delete - Deletes the currently highlighted session from the Sessions List. Levels - Level meters showing audio activity for the currently active session. Control - Controls for hijacking a session. Hijack/Release a session, record its audio, or mute the output.

Inspector Window

The Inspector window provides control for editing sessions. With it you can change all the details of how a preset functions. The Inspector shows and edits information for the currently highlighted session in the Sessions List. The four tabs of the Inspector are as follows: Source - Setup target application to be hijacked and adjust the session name Schedule - Settings for an optional timer to trigger this session at the specified times Recording - Simple controls for an optional recorded file Effects - Audio effects to enhance and change the audio Source Tab Session Name - Sets the name of the session Application - Sets the application which will be hijacked when the Preset is activated Open URL/File/AppleScript - A field for an optional URL, file, or AppleScript which will be passed on to the application set in the Application field. Use it to direct an application to a specific internet stream. Schedule Tab Timer Enabled - Enables the Timer and allows you to adjust its settings Days - Sets the days of the week on which a Timer will run Start/End - Sets the start and end times for the timer. Times are on a 24-hour clock. Record Checkbox - Records the audio output of the target application, using the settings in the Recording Tab. Turn it off for an alarm clock Timer. Mute Checkbox - Mutes the target application while the Timer runs Quit Checkbox - Quits the target application when the Timer finishes Recording Tab Sample Rate - Sets the sample rate of the recorded AIFF file. This should be left at Auto, unless you have a reason for wanting a specific sample rate. Start A New File Every - Sets how often a new file will be created, based on time or file size. Use it to create hour long files, or 650 Meg (CD-sized) files. The maximum file size for a recording is 2 gigabytes, after which a new file will automatically be created.

Stop Recording After - Sets when a recording will end, based on size or time, without needing to schedule a timer. Save Recorded Files To - Sets the destination location for all recordings made for this preset. Defaults to the Desktop. When Finished Recording - Allows you to post-process the file with AppleScripts. Several scripts are pre-packaged to save to MP3 or AAC. Effects Tab All effects occur before a recording is made, so that changes made here will be recorded as well. Click and hold a knob, then mouse up to move right and down to move left. Double-click any knob to return it to its default state. If you have a scroll wheel, mouse over a knob and then use the scroll wheel to adjust it, up to move right and down to move left. Volume - Adjust the volume of the hijacked audio. Knob turns up to 200% for Double Gain, which may cause distortion. Balance - Adjust the speaker balance from left to right Bass - Tweak Bass output in the -12 to 12 dB range Treble - Tweak Treble output in the -12 to 12 dB range Excitifier - An effect to add upper harmonics to audio. Works great to "un-muddy" audio, such as lowquality Internet streams Equalizer - Adjusts audio using the high-quality 10-band EQ, with Custom settings, or many included presets

Other Windows

Help Window You're looking at it. Displays Read Me and Help files. Registration Window Enter your name and code for a purchased Audio Hijack license or get purchase information About Window Displays the credits for Audio Hijack.

Menu Reference
The following is a list of the relevant menu items in Audio Hijack including a short description of each item's function.

Audio Hijack Menu

About Audio Hijack - Shows Audio Hijack credits Check For Update - Checks via the Internet for updates to Audio Hijack Preferences... - Opens Audio Hijack's Preferences window Registration... - Opens Audio Hijack's Registration window Hide Audio Hijack - Conceals all of Audio Hijack's windows Hide Others - Conceals all other applications Show All - Reveals all other applications Quit Audio Hijack - Quits Audio Hijack

File Menu

New Session - Creates a new session and opens the Inspector for it Duplicate Session - Copies the highlighted session in the Sessions List Edit Session - Opens the Inspector for the highlighted session in the Sessions List Delete Session - Deletes the highlighted session in the Sessions List Close Window - Closes the foremost window (the Audio Hijack 2 Sessions List window can not be closed)

Control Menu

Show Inspector - Brings up the Inspector window, which shows information for the session highlighted in the Sessions list Start Hijacking/Release - Toggles the hijacking state of the highlighted session in the Sessions list Start/Stop Recording - Toggles the Recording state of the active session Mute/Unmute - Toggles the Mute status of the active session

Window Menu

Minimize - Minimizes the foremost window to the Dock (the Inspector can not be minimized) Hide/Show Toolbar - Show or hide the toolbar for the foremost window Customize Toolbar - Customize the toolbar for the foremost window Bring All To Front - Brings all Audio Hijack windows forward

Help Menu
Audio Hijack Manual - Opens this help window Rogue Rogue E-Mail Rogue Amoeba.com... - Takes you to our homepage Amoeba Support... - Takes you to our online Support Center Rogue Amoeba... - Opens an email to Rogue Amoeba Support Amoeba Forums - Takes you to our online discussion forums

Preferences

Audio Hijack's preferences are accessible from the Audio Hijack menu or by pressing Command-, on the keyboard. These preferences are fairly simple, and explained below. Interface: Sort Sessions By - Toggles the sort method on the Session List window between Name and Schedule based Hot Keys: Hijack/Release - Sets a hot key for the hijacking and releasing of the currently highlighted session in the Sessions List window Toggle Record - Sets a hot key to toggle the recording status of the currently hijacked session in the Sessions List window Other: Automatic Internet version checking - Silently checks for a new version of Audio Hijack every 14 days. Recommended to stay up-to-date.

Audio Hijack Pro's has a great many features, some of which can be a bit difficult to find. Read this over for some of the lesser-known features of AH Pro. Hijacking Features

Hidden Features

Hijacking Options: This window allows Advanced hijacking options to be set. To access it, hold down Option while clicking Hijack. Most of these settings should be left at automatic, but adjusting the Stream Index may allow you to receive audio from applications from which Audio Hijack ordinarily does not receive audio. Bulletproof AIFF Recording On OS X, applications crash a lot less often than they used to. But bugs and kernel panics still happen, and if you're in the middle of a recording, this can be a huge setback. With Bulletproof AIFF recording, Audio Hijack Pro constantly updates the saved recording, so if you have a crash, you won't lose any of the previously recorded audio. All AIFF recordings are bulletproof, so just choose record and enjoy. Debugging

The Debugging dialog can be accessed by holding down the option key as Audio Hijack launches. If a problem occurs, these debugging options may show what's wrong. For more information, please contact support.

Hidden Preferences
defaultRecordingFolder: Sets the default value for the recording folder, as seen in every new preset. The factory setting is ~/Desktop This example command for the Terminal sets defaultRecordingFolder to your Music folder: defaults write com.rogueamoeba.AudioHijack2 defaultRecordingFolder "~/Music" stickyInspector [YES/NO]: Controls whether the Inspector follows the Presets window when dragged. This example command for the Terminal sets stickyInspector to Yes: defaults write com.rogueamoeba.AudioHijack2 stickyInspector YES

Known Issues In Audio Hijack

Audio Hijack goes through rigorous design and testing before it every gets released. However, there sometimes arise issues which can't or won't be worked around, at least not presently. Read on for more information. Wake From Sleep, Auto-launching: Audio Hijack's timers will not wake the computer up from sleep. As well, Audio Hijack must be left open for them to run, as they will not automatically launch the application. For more powerful timers, check out Audio Hijack Pro. Fast User Switching: Because audio playback can behave in unexpected ways when switched out of an account, Audio Hijack is not supported for use with Fast User Switching.

Purchasing Audio Hijack (BUY ME!)

Quick Link: To buy Audio Hijack, visit our online store. Why Should I Buy Audio Hijack? You should buy Audio Hijack because it isn't free - we give you a chance to test out the program and all its features before you buy it. It's like test driving a car, for as long as it takes you to decide. An unregistered copy of Audio Hijack isn't fully-functional. It's crippled in such a way that you can easily get a feel for how it works, and all its features are available to try, but it won't work full-time until you purchase. After 10 minutes, noise will be overlaid on all hijacked audio. We let you test the software fully because we want you to be happy. If you use it and find you like Audio Hijack, please purchase it and support Rogue Amoeba. You'll be allowing us to continue to bring some of the world's best software products into existence. Alright, Alright. What's Audio Hijack Gonna Cost Me? Audio Hijack is available for purchase on computers around the world for the low, low price of $16. Our prices are so low, they're affordable! Awesome! So, How Do I Buy Audio Hijack? Purchasing Audio Hijack is simple - we made it this way because we want your money. Visit http://www.rogueamoeba.com/store/ and follow the instructions there.

Check Out Audio Hijack Pro

Quick Link: If you already own Audio Hijack, you can move up to Audio Hijack Pro for just $16. Check out Audio Hijack Pro, then be sure to visit the discount page. What Is Audio Hijack Pro? Audio Hijack Pro is the big brother to Audio Hijack, offering many more features over the more basic Audio Hijack. If you enjoy Audio Hijack, but you're looking for more, Audio Hijack Pro could be just what you need. If you're interested, see the comparison chart below, then download Audio Hijack Pro. What's Audio Hijack Pro Gonna Cost Me? Audio Hijack Pro is $32, but if you already own Audio Hijack, you can move up to Audio Hijack Pro for the low, low price of $16. Our prices are so low, they're affordable! How Do I Buy Audio Hijack Pro? Purchasing Audio Hijack Pro is simple, just visit our store att http://www.rogueamoeba.com/store and follow the instructions there. If you already own Audio Hijack, be sure to visit the discount page.

Audio Hijack Pro vs. Audio Hijack

Audio Hijack Pro Hijack Audio From Any Application Hijack Running Applications (Instant Hijack) Hijack Dashboard Widgets Add DSP Effects To Any Audio Targeted Recording Of A Single Audio Source Hijack Multiple Audio Sources Concurrently Support For VST, AudioUnit, and LADSPA Plugins Record Audio To AIFF Record Audio To MP3, AAC, And ALAC (Apple Lossless) Timed Hijacking/Recording Multiple Timers Per Session, One-Shot Timers, AutoWake/AutoLaunch Timers In-app File Organization & CD Burning In-app CD Burning Level Meters Pause & Split Recordings Split On Silence/Remove Silence ID3 Tagging AM/FM Radio Input, With Support For RadioShark and DSB-R100

Audio Hijack

Some

System Audio Input, With Support For Recording All Audio Full Applescriptability Application Mixer Plugin To Record Multiple Sources In One File Record Audio Chat, From Skype Or iChat Price $32 $16

Basic Troubleshooting
This page will assist you with any basic problems you're having with Audio Hijack. Follow the steps in this troubleshooting guide and your problem may disappear. After each step, test Audio Hijack again. If you reach the last step, and it's still not working, then please check the support center or contact us via email. Update Be sure you're using the latest version of Audio Hijack. Check by using the 'Check For Update' command in the Audio Hijack menu. Delete Preferences Try the old OS 9 standby of deleting the application's preferences. On your OS X hard drive, go to your User folder and open Library/Preferences (~/Library/Preferences) and delete the file "com.rogueamoeba.AudioHjack.plist". Check for a messages from Audio Hijack Did Audio Hijack give you any error messages? If so, pay attention to them! These error messages are designed to tell you something is wrong, and to help us diagnose the problem if you can't fix it. You may also see error messages if you check Console.app (located in /Applications/Utilities/Console). If all else fails... If these steps haven't fixed your problem, please (please!) email us for support. Send mail to audiohijack2@rogueamoeba.com, and we'll try to get your issue solved.

Importing Records, Cassettes, And More

Many people want to bring records, cassette tapes, and other types of audio, into their computers. While we recommend Audio Hijack Pro for this, with a bit of work Audio Hijack will also help you accomplish the task. We've outlined the steps for doing it here. With these instructions, you can important any audio into your computer. Connecting Your Device First, you need to get the output of the audio device (your stereo, a microphone, etc.) into your Mac. Fortunately, almost all Mac's have a Line Input port. In most cases, you'll need a stereo mini-jack (1/8") patch cable coupled with a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter, like these from Radio Shack. No matter where you go, total cost to get the audio from your stereo to your computer should be under $10. Once you have the cables, just plug one end into the output of your stereo (the headphone jack usually works nicely) and the other into your computer's Line Input port. Getting LineIn Next, you need to download our free LineIn application. This allows audio from external devices to be played through your Mac and subsequently hijacked. You can get LineIn from our Freebies page. Getting The Audio Once you've got LineIn installed, open up Audio Hijack and make a new Session. Select LineIn as the Application for your Session and click Hijack. Once LineIn launches, select the proper audio devices for input and output. Now you're ready to hijack and record. Press Record, then start the audio playing from your source, and it will be recorded. That's about all there is to it. When you're done, turn the hijacking off, and disconnect the input device. Assorted Notes: To record from a microphone (either built-in or external), be sure to set to either set the output device to a pair of headphones or mute local output with Audio Hijack's Mute button. If you fail to do this, you'll generate a feedback loop, audible as a loud squeal. This tip will work for bringing in any kind of audio, from records to cassette tapes to microphone or mixer audio. The only thing you have to take care of is getting the audio into your machine, generally with the above mentioned patch cables. Once LineIn can see it, the original audio source is unimportant.

Finding Stream URLs For Use With Timers

In order to create effective timers in Audio Hijack, it's best to have a direct link to the URL of the stream you wish to record. Just like you need to tell your VCR what channel to record, Audio Hijack usually needs to know what stream to pass off to the source application. The proper URL is entered in the Open URL field, and the selected source application opens this URL at the appointed time. The key is always to have the exact address of the stream. However, finding these URLs can be tricky. There's no single correct way to find the URL for a stream, but we've outlined several methods to try. Generally, at least one of these methods will provide a direct link to the stream. When you have a bookmark file or direct URL, choose the proper application in the Application selector of a Session, then use the "Select" menu under the "Open URL/File/AppleScript" field, and choose "Select File..." to pick the proper bookmark, or just paste the URL in. When you hit "Hijack", Audio Hijack will send the link on to the source application. Click The Listen Button When accessing a stream's website, there is often a "Click To Listen" button or link, or something close. This is used to open the stream, for live listening. However, it often downloads a bookmark file, which will usually end in one of the following file name extensions: .ram, .asf, .rm, .smil, .mov. Other bookmark types may also be found, these are just some of the most common. When double-clicked, this file will usually lead directly to the stream you're tuned in to. You can use this file in the Open URL field.* Also, take note that many streams play inside of your web browser (using browser plugins). However, they often have an option to "Listen In Stand-Alone Player" or a link to click if you're having listening problems. This too will often download the bookmark file you need. Control-click The Listen Button Instead of simply clicking the Listen button, try control-clicking it. This will bring up a menu with several options, and you can use the "Copy Link To Clipboard" option to pull the link out. You can then paste this link into the Open URL field of your session. Be sure to test this link, however, it won't always be the direct stream link for which you're searching. When it is, however, you'll be all set. Search The HTML Sometimes, it can be difficult to locate a link. If you're up to it, you can try scouring the HTML code that defines a web page. Choose View Source from Safari's View menu, and try to hunt down the stream's URL. These will often end in .rm, .ram, or .asx. Check The Player If you can't find the URL, but you can get it to play in a stand-alone player such as Windows Media Player or RealPlayer, you can often find the URL by checking the Player's Info window. This window, called Get Info in Window Media Player and Clip Info in RealPlayer, provides information on the current stream. This should include a direct link to the stream which you can copy and paste out. Dynamically Create URLs With AppleScripts, you can use Audio Hijack to dynamically generate stream urls, grabbing urls off the web that change often. This is especially useful for stream urls that change based on dates. Look at the following script example: set urlString to "http://example.com/path/to/show/%Y-%m-%d.ram" set urlString to do shell script "echo -n;date '+" & urlString & "'" return urlString If the date is July 28th, 2004, this script will returns the url: http://example.com/path/to/show/200407-28.ram. Create a script with similar code, then use the "Select" button under the "Open URL/File/AppleScript" field to choose the proper AppleScript. When you hit "Hijack", this script will run and return the address, which will then be passed on to the source application. Worst Case, Pre-Hijack And Leave The Stream Running If all else fails, you can simply leave the stream running. First, hijack your source application. Then,

set it up for live listening of the stream you want to record. Now, set a timer in the active Audio Hijack session, and click the Mute button. At the appointed time, Audio Hijack will record the audio that's playing. It's not ideal, but it will work. Good luck, and happy recording!
*Be aware, RealPlayer will often delete these files once it opens a stream, in a misguided effort to keep your hard drive clean. To prevent this, lock the file in the Finder. Get Info on the bookmark file, and turn on the Locked checkbox, and RealPlayer will be unable to delete the file.

AppleScript and Audio Hijack

Extending via AppleScripts Currently, Audio Hijack can be extended via AppleScripts in two ways (1) Source Target AppleScripts which dynamically generate URLs to be record, (2) Post-processing AppleScripts which process recording files as they are made Source Target AppleScripts Source Target AppleScripts can be used when you need to hijack URLs that change often and in predictable ways. They generate a URL string, and return it back to Audio Hijack. Here is an example Source Target AppleScript that generates URLs like "http://example.com/program2004-10-03.ram": set urlString to "http://example.com/program-%Y-%m-%d.ram" set urlString to do shell script "echo -n; date '+" & urlString & "'" return urlString Note that "do shell script" may fail in Audio Hijack (the hijacker breaks it). The work around is to prefix the command string with "echo -n;" (as in the example above). Post-processing AppleScripts Post-processing scripts let you process recording files immediately after they are completed. As Audio Hijack finishes a recording file, it will pass it to the "process" subroutine in the given post-processing AppleScript. Note that post-processing scripts are invoked immediately as a file is finished. This means that if you do something such as recording iTunes while having a script that encodes files in iTunes, you will run into trouble because iTunes will stop playing audio when the encoder kicks in. Here is an example post-processing script that adds files to iTunes library: on process(theArgs) --Coerce args to be a list if class of theArgs is not list then set theArgs to {theArgs} end if

--Into iTunes ye files shall go tell application "iTunes" repeat with theFile in theArgs add theFile end repeat end tell end process

Credits, Licenses, Contacts and All The Fun That Involves

We now present the conclusion to the Audio Hijack Manual, on the Rogue Amoeba Tuesday Morning Movie. -Credits - The butler didn't do it - these people did. -User License - Let your lawyer explain it all to you. -Licensing - Information about licensing the technology Audio Hijack is built on. -Contact - How to get in touch with Rogue Amoeba. Audio Hijack - Superb Audio Recording

Software Engineers: Quentin D. Carnicelli Alex Lagutin Product Management: Paul Kafasis Additional Software: Glenn Olander Artwork: Mike Apolis Jason Pietsch Testers: Larry Lightbulb Rudy Richter Mark Johns petercat symlink Daniel Cohen Special Thanks: Ed Wynne Rudy Richter Dmitry Boldyrev

Credits

Audio Hijack is Rogue Amoeba Software LLC, 2001-2005. All Rights Reserved. All other product names mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies.

Audio Hijack is powered by Audio Hijack Technology. For licensing details, please see the Licensing Audio Hijack Technology page.

License Distribution Unless explicitly stated in writing, Rogue Amoeba Software does not grant permission to distribute Audio Hijack ("The Software") for direct profit in any form. Non-profit distribution of The Software is acceptable provided that The Software is not modified in any way, and the complete works of The Software are included in the distribution package. If The Software is to be included in a distribution package, Rogue Amoeba requests one complimentary copy of said package, sent to the following address: Rogue Amoeba Software Marketing Department 29 Scottsdale Ct. #1 Cranbury, NJ 08512 What that said: Don't sell this software directly for profit. If you want to distribute it, awesome! Just make sure it's unmodified from the download from our site. If you create a distribution package, it'd be cool if you sent a copy to the address above, though this is not required. Warranty All Rogue Amoeba products are available as demos for an evaluation prior to purchase. Customers are encouraged to fully evaluate the software prior to purchasing, and seek technical support if desired. We believe that no customer should have to buy software in order to find out how well it works. Our software can be evaluated with no limitations in capabilities. Even after purchase, all our software is covered by a 42-day money-back guarantee. If you experience problems with the software, e-mail refunds@rogueamoeba.com within 42 days of purchasing your license. We'll work with you and if (at our discretion) we are unable to resolve your issue, your code will be cancelled and your money refunded. What that said: We want you to be happy - if you're not, you can get your money back, for up to 42 days after the sale. Disclaimer Audio Hijack ("The Software") is provided as is. Rogue Amoeba Software ("The Author") is not responsible for any damage to the user's computer system or data and in no event will The Author, its officers, directors, employees or agents be responsible to the user for any consequential, incidental, or indirect damages (including damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, lost of business information, and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use the The Software, even if The Author has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you. Further, the consumer agrees that using this software in any way illegal, or even for the purposes of assessing its viability for illegal usage, is prohibited. What that said: Be safe when you use the software. Be aware that it's simply a tool designed to make your life better. Don't use it to do illegal or evil things. If you do, be ready to take responsibility for your own actions.

Licensing
Audio Hijack Technology Audio Hijack is built on Audio Hijack technology, the same technology powering many of our products. We have several technologies that have been adapted for licensing. For more details, see our online licensing page.

Contacts
Audio Hijack Homepage http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack Rogue Amoeba Homepage http://www.rogueamoeba.com Buying Audio Hijack Visit our online store or see Purchasing Audio Hijack Support audiohijack@rogueamoeba.com Be sure to look over the Known Issues page, and the support center first. Join the Rogue Amoeba low-traffic announcement list. There's no spam, EVER. It's as simple as that. http://www.rogueamoeba.com/company/lists/maclist.php