MicAudioRecorder

A macOS application that records audio from both microphone and system audio (browser, applications, etc.) and provides real-time transcription.

Features

• Record from microphone
• Record system audio (requires BlackHole audio driver)
• Real-time audio transcription
• Clean, modern user interface
• Automatic file management

Requirements

• macOS 11.0 or later
• Xcode 14.0 or later (for development)
• BlackHole 2ch audio driver (for system audio recording)
• Docker Desktop for Mac (for running the transcription backend)

Installation

1. Backend Setup (Required)

First, set up the transcription backend:

# Install Docker Desktop for Mac if you haven't already
# Download from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/

# Pull the transcription backend image
docker pull nlemoff/audio-transcription:latest

# Run the backend container
docker run -d -p 8000:8000 nlemoff/audio-transcription:latest

2. App Setup

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/nlemoff/audio-transcriber.git
cd audio-transcriber

2. Open MicAudioRecorder.xcodeproj in Xcode
3. Build and run the project

3. System Audio Recording Setup (Optional)

To enable system audio recording:

1. Install BlackHole audio driver:
   • Visit https://github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole
   • Follow installation instructions
   • Restart the app after installation

The app will automatically detect BlackHole and enable system audio recording.

Usage

1. Make sure the Docker container is running:

# Check if container is running
docker ps | grep audio-transcription

# If not running, start it
docker run -d -p 8000:8000 nlemoff/audio-transcription:latest

2. Launch the application
3. Grant microphone permissions when prompted
4. Click "Record" to start recording
5. Click "Stop Recording" to stop
6. Click "Transcribe" to generate transcription

Development

The project uses:

• SwiftUI for the user interface
• AVFoundation for audio recording
• Core Audio for device management
• Docker container for transcription backend

License

MIT License

Troubleshooting

Backend Issues

1. Check if the backend is running:

docker ps | grep audio-transcription

2. Check backend logs:

docker logs $(docker ps | grep audio-transcription | awk '{print $1}')

3. If the backend isn't responding:

# Stop existing container
docker stop $(docker ps | grep audio-transcription | awk '{print $1}')

# Remove container
docker rm $(docker ps -a | grep audio-transcription | awk '{print $1}')

# Pull latest image
docker pull nlemoff/audio-transcription:latest

# Start fresh container
docker run -d -p 8000:8000 nlemoff/audio-transcription:latest

App Issues

1. If you get a "Microphone access required" message:

   • Click "Open System Settings"
   • Go to Privacy & Security -> Microphone
   • Enable access for MicAudioRecorder

2. If the app won't open:

   • Right-click the app and select "Open"
   • In System Settings -> Privacy & Security, allow the app to run

3. If system audio recording isn't working:

   • Verify BlackHole is installed and configured
   • Check System Settings > Sound for proper device setup

For optimal quality:

• In Audio MIDI Setup, set all devices to the same sample rate (48000 Hz recommended)
• Keep the Multi-Output Device as your system output even when not recording

Package Contents

• MicAudioRecorder.app