Digital Recording for Beginners
Why?
Because it is easier to use and store digital media than tapes.
How?
For both of the above you need recording software. Sound Recorder in Windows (Start > All Programs > Accessories >
Entertainment > Sound Recorder) is a good beginning but has 2 main limitations:
- It can only produce .wav format files – which is fine if you want to use analysis software such as Praat and don’t mind very large files. Recording in .mp3 format allows you to keep your files small and give you the ability to burn directly to CD
- It can record one minute of sound at most (but you can tweak it, by clicking on the slider)
Fortunately good software is available for free or very little money.
- Free: Audacity - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ - has some good mixing features, but you have to download the .mp3 encoder separately. It is all free though and works very well. However, *BE SURE* to actually download and install the .mp3 encoder.
- Cheap: WavePad Professional by a company in Australia, NCH Swift Sound. It can be found at: http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/ [The trial version only works a short time.]
- Next to near Pro quality: Sound Forge and Peak - but expect to pay several hundred dollars.
Settings for recording:
Keep in mind that the default settings for most recording software are designed with music in mind (with a sampling rate of up to about 44,000 times per second). However, if you are just recording voice sounds, all you really need is a sampling rate of up to about 12,000 times per second. You can adjust the compression ratio and other settings to fit your file storage needs. Put simply, as you compress the encoding the file you save will be smaller, but the sound quality will be worse. Make sure you are using settings that fit your needs – in other words, try to *use* a recording and see if it has sufficient quality.
That said, one of the most important things in making recordings for others is *NOT* to make the file too large. Using the default settings of most software, you will end up with a file that is several megabytes, even though it is only one or two minutes long. In addition to the sampling rate, make sure that your settings are for mono if you are not recording in stereo, and make sure that your bitrate is as low as possible. For example, recording on my laptop, the microphone jack is not stereo, so I have no choice but to make mono recordings. Then I set the sampling rate for 11025 if I am doing a voice file. Also, using Audacity to make .mp3 files, when I save the file, I have a choice of whether to make it a constant or variable bit rate. I generally choose the constant bit rate and drop it down to 32kbs or less (most CD quality sound is 128kbs). With those settings, two minutes of sound is less than a megabyte, usually
around 400 or 500KB. But again, the key is to *TEST* the sounds you make to see if they come out the right size and quality.
Once you have the software:
Using any of the above recording software should be pretty self explanatory. However, there are two points that should be kept in mind:
- Your recording quality is only as good as the weakest link in the system, which is often the microphone. If you plan to do this for any serious purpose (data collection, transcription) spending a bit more on good microphone is well worth it. I use a Sony ECM-F01 microphone (about $50 at Fry’s) and get very good results, whether recording an interview or a lecture in a large auditorium. For recording one person's voice, it is very difficult to beat a good USB headseat.
- Be sure to adjust the recording input properly. Access this by opening the recording level setting (Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio > Sound Recording > Volume, or just click on the speaker icon in the taskbar then drop down the Options menu and click on Properties. From there, click on Recording and then OK). Make sure the “Microphone” is clicked as the input, and adjust the volume so that you are getting a decent level. If you have trouble, click on the “Advanced” button and check to see if the “Microphone Boost” box is checked under “Other controls” – if you are not getting enough, volume you should use this option, otherwise you may not have to.
- Audacity instructions with screenshots (pdf)
Again, there are two things to keep in mind:
- The recording is only as good as the weakest link, which is the playback device here. You can just plug run a patch cable from the earphone jack of a hand-held cassette player to the microphone jack of your computer, and get decent sound. However, if you put the same cassette in a good home stereo, and run a cable from the audio out to the microphone jack, you will get a much better recording. Remember, often the little handheld recorders will do a great job of recording but are not so good on playback.
- As with the microphone, make sure you adjust the recording input properly. Access this by opening the recording level setting (Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio > Sound Recording > Volume, or just click on the speaker icon in the taskbar then drop down the Options menu and click on Properties. From there, click on Recording and then OK). Make sure the “Microphone” is clicked as the input, and adjust the volume so that you are getting a decent level. If you have trouble, click on the “Advanced” button and check to see if the “Microphone Boost” box is checked under “Other controls” – if you are not getting enough, volume you should use this option, otherwise you may not have to.
There is one more option available, depending on your needs. You can directly record any sound playing on your computer without a microphone. For example, if you are watching a video clip online using your browser or one of the media players, you can record the sound through any of the recording software listed above. The key is to make sure that the recording input is set to “Stereo Mix” rather than “Microphone”. Access this by opening the recording level setting (Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio > Sound Recording > Volume, or just click on the speaker icon in the taskbar then drop down the Options menu and click on Properties. From there, click on Recording and then OK). However, you should keep in mind that this will record *all* sounds that occur, including e-mail notifications and error messages, so be careful. You should also be aware that some recent model laptops (Dells for example) DO NOT have the Stereo Mix option on their sound card.