Recording Sounds

Before we start just a reminder note about copyright. This is much the same as site graphics. If you are putting music on your site that you wrote, hold the copyright to (if there is one) and performed that is then that's okay under most countries' and international law (assuming it fulfils international and locally acceptable laws about it contents and lyrics - i.e.. Don't put a song on-line if if against the law to play it in front of an audience). Clearly if you change your entire music collection or a film's audio track into downloadable files and place it on the web without permission from the relevant parties that is illegal and you might well end up being at the wrong end of a legal action. Between this the key is permission, so basically if in doubt don't do it and see about getting permission first (These thing vary from country to country and company to company - so we're not going to bore you to death about it and give potentially false legal info).

There are tons of software out there to help you create music or record sounds, but to record audio you can get by with whats on your system already.

Recording sound with a Windows based PC is comparatively easy.
Your PC will need a sound card or an onboard sound set with a mic socket and a microphone (alternatively you can record something onto tape and use the line in socket with a set of leads.

Turn on your mic and talk into it. You should hear yourself through the PC speakers.

If not click on your volume control icon ( a small loudspeaker) in the system tray (down on the right side of the windows toolbar or it can be found via Start-> Programs -> Accessories -> Entertainment). Check the mute box isn't ticked for the microphone/or line in (1) (you may need to mute one or other) and you may have to fiddle with your volume settings.

You may need to access the record menu through or adjust the available settings via options -> properties

Now move your mic around to sort out any feedback (yup that's the high pitched whine you're getting. You may have to move your speakers too)

Now open a program called sound recorder (it should be in one of the accessories folders - via the start menu (e.g. start -> programs ->accessories -> entertainment -> sound recorder)

Sound recorder as you can see has controls that looks a bit like a tape recorder.

Just hit record (the red dot button) and record your file.

Hit stop when finished (the button with the square). That's just about it.

Sound recorder allows you to play back the recording (and can do a lot of editing). To save the file go file -> save as and save the file (we'd recommend sticking to wav. files when starting out)

For Mac users the process is essentially the same (although your sound recorder may well be slightly differently titled.)

Once you get the hang of things you can use your sound card to record from things like tapes or minidisc files you've made allowing you to save files without being stuck at your PC.

BACK TO SOUND MAIN