How to Record Digital Audio on a Computer

You can use a microphone to capture digital audio in Windows 7.

The easiest way to record digital audio is through Windows 7's Sound Recorder. This is a basic recorder, but it's simplicity allows quick and easy use. You will need a microphone and a sound card with a microphone port. Optionally, you can also acquire a USB microphone, which bypasses the sound card completely. Assuming you meet these requirements, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes by following a few quick steps.

Things You'll Need

• Microphone

Instructions

1. Attach the 3.5 mm plug of your microphone to the "Mic" port of your sound card. This will be in the back of your computer, close to your speaker plugs. If you have a USB microphone, you simply plug the USB cable into an available USB port.

   You can also attach a hardware audio device to the "Line-In" port, if available, to record straight from that device.

2. Open Sound Recorder by clicking the Start orb, typing "Sound Recorder" and pressing Enter.

3. Press "Start Recording" to record dictations or other external audio sources.

4. Press "Stop Recording" to stop recording and open the "Save" dialog box, where you can enter a name and save your file.

Tips & Warnings

• For advanced recording features, you can try other programs, such as Audacity or Adobe's Soundbooth.

References

• Microsoft: Record Sound
• Microsoft: Record Audio with Sound Recorder

Resources

• Audacity: The Free, Cross-Platform Sound Editor
• Adobe: Soundbooth CS5