Things You'll Need:
- Microphone with adapters
- Headphones
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Step 1
Optimize your environment to keep the background noises at a minimum. Make sure all the doors leading into the room are closed, the air conditioning is off and any other noisemakers have no potential for interrupting. Check to adjust your chair or desk area so that if you bump into anything, it won’t show up in the recording. Place your mouse somewhere away from the microphone. If you have a mouse that can be used under your desk, that is best, too. This minimizes the mous- clicking sounds that can show up in your vocals.
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Step 2
Plug in a microphone (or mic) into the appropriate jack on your computer. You can use a standard computer microphone, but for clarity you should use a wired microphone for performance, preferably a dynamic one.
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Step 3
Adjust the output volume in speakers and the microphone. Select the microphone icon from the drop-down menu in audacity. Adjust the output level to be at the medium level. If you set it too high, the Audacity program will pick up a lot of static and background hissing. You can magnify the volume later during editing if it is needed. Turn the speakers down on your computer or plug in a headset if you need to hear yourself being recorded. Even if you use a headset, adjust the volume on it to be as low as you can take it. Some microphones are so good they can pick up the headset sounds.
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Step 4
Click the record button on Audacity and wait 2 seconds before you begin singing or talking. Do a test track first so you know how far to place your mic from your mouth. Start by saying “test, test, test,” count to 10 and then say “Peter Piper packed a peck of pickled peppers.” Save the track as “Test” and replay. As you listen to these words, watch the graphics equalizer. If there are spikes in the red for every “p” and “t” word, you’ll want to pull the mic back another inch or two. Record again until you feel that your sound is clear enough.
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Step 5
Record your main vocal track, remembering your mic placement and awareness of distracters. When you are done recording, label it something like “Vocal 1.” Record your piece again and label it “Vocal 2.” Compare the two tracks by muting one and listening to the other. Watch for large spikes in the graphic readouts of each track; they indicate volume jumps in your recording.
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Step 6
Modify your track as needed, depending on the purpose. For singing vocals you may want to consider "Change Tempo" and "Change Pitch" under the Effects tab. You may want to pay particular attention to the gain volume or the noise reduction under “Effects” for spoken tracks. Delete the unused tracks and save your track into either .wav or .mp3 format by clicking the “Save” button under the File tab.
