How to Record Sound or Podcasts with Windows

A Computer with Free Audacity Software is a Cheap Audio Recorder

Jan 16, 2009

Sound recordists and Podcasters looking for a low cost recording solution can use the computer they already have to record their programmes.

Despite minor disadvantages which can be overcome, using a PC for recording is well suited to some common recording applications. Podcasting and voice artists or audiobook readers can work with a PC, though the latter may need to upgrade the sound hardware for best results.

What is Needed to Record Sound using a PC

Here is a quick checklist of things that will be required to record and edit sounds:

Assuming the computer has a sound card, the sockets for headphones and microphone usually on the back.

Sound cards use a special connection so the microphone has to be one which is designed for use with a sound card. These a cheap and often come with the computer. The sort of microphone that can be used with a standalone recorder will not work well with a computer.

Listen with headphones

Listening to the results is best done with headphones. Having speakers active while recording gives feedback from the speakers to the microphone, which makes an ugly noise and ruins the recording.

Connect the microphone and headphones to the PC

All the plugs and sockets are the same size, and there are usually three sockets to choose from and two plugs. There is only one way of doing this right, and several wrong ways, though nothing will be broken by getting the plugs and sockets mixed up, it just won't work. Fortunately there is a standard colour code (PC99) for these connectors. Plug the microphone in to the pink or red socket and the headphones into the green one.

It is best to position the microphone some distance away from noise sources like the PC fans and disks - a large book covered in a woolen jumper or other sound-absorbing material placed just behind the microphone can help minimise unwanted noise and improve audio quality.

Load Audacity and press Record

Download Audacity, which is open source and free. The initial settings on Audacity are well chosen so that the program will pick up the microphone input by default, and the program avoids the usual problems usuers have with Windows of having to tangle with the Windows Record Mixer which is not intuitive to find. Save the programme as a mono WAV file - mono because the microphone is mono, so stereo takes up needless space unless music and sound effects are to be added.

Audacity can also edit the podcast, trimming it to length, joining files if it is recorded in multiple takes and excising the inevitable hesitation and repetitions to tighten up the production into a smooth programme. Once the podcast is edited, it can be saved out as a mp3 file to reduce the file size before uploading to the website.