Guide
How to translate system audio on Windows or macOS
TanLens does not capture system audio directly. Route desktop sound through a virtual loopback device and use microphone mode on Windows or macOS.
TanLens listens to a microphone, a browser tab or an uploaded file; it does not capture whole-system audio on its own. To translate system audio, install a virtual loopback device, route the sound you want into it, and choose that device as the microphone input in TanLens. This is a workaround rather than a built-in mode, so test it before an important session.
01Route the sound into a virtual input
On macOS, install a virtual audio driver and create a Multi-Output Device so you can still hear the audio while the loopback receives it. On Windows, install a virtual audio cable and set it as the playback device for the app whose sound you want. Open TanLens, choose microphone mode, and select the virtual device as the input. The captions follow whatever that device receives, so close or mute apps you do not want in the transcript.
02What this route cannot do
A loopback copies the mixed output of the app or system, so it cannot separate speakers, remove music or improve a poor source. Some protected services may refuse to play, play silently or behave differently when output is routed, and we do not promise Netflix or Disney+. Feedback is the other risk: wear headphones and keep the virtual device out of the microphone path used by your meeting. Test the app, the cable and the language pair before a live event.
How to do it
- 1Install a virtual loopback device: an audio driver on macOS or a virtual audio cable on Windows.
- 2Route the app or system output into the device, and set up monitoring so you can still hear it.
- 3In TanLens, choose microphone mode and select the virtual device as the input.
- 4Play a short test clip and confirm the captions before the real session.
Frequently asked questions
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