Recording Audio

Depending on the application you use to create your digital story, you may record your narration using that tool or you may need to record a separate audio file that you import into your story.

In either case, you will need:

• a microphone
• a computer with an "audio-in" port or jack
• an audio recording/editing application
• a quiet location

Recording Audio on a Computer

To record audio, you will need a microphone and a computer with an "audio-in" port or jack. You can purchase a microphone at most computer or electronics stores. The "audio-in" port might be designated by the word "mic" or with an icon of a microphone, and typically is a mini-jack (like what you'd expect to plug headphones into).

If you don't have an "audio-in" option on your computer, you could also record your audio into a digital recorder and then transfer it to the computer (usually with a usb cable). There are many models of recorder; it is important to use one that records quality audio.

Audio Editing Applications

There are a number of applications that will allow you to record audio directly into your computer, as well as convert audio that you've transferred to the computer from another device.

Audacity, is a free, cross-platform, and easy-to-use application. It will let you record, edit and save your audio as an mp3.

Location

Where you record your audio is almost as important as the content itself. Make sure you are in a quiet room with a decent quality microphone attached to your computer (or audio recorder). Place the microphone near, but not against your mouth, and test the recording level and quality before you begin recording your script. Locating the microphone just above your mouth is a good technique for avoiding the recording of extraneous breath sounds.

Joe Lambert, founding director the Center for Digital Storytelling, writes "Record several takes of the text... We suggest you work at speaking slowly in a conversational style." (From Chapter 4, The Gift of Your Voice, the Digital Storytelling Cookbook, p.16) You should consider what tone you want your narration to have, then practice reading your script a few times. If possible, ask someone to listen to you read and give you feedback. Can they understand you? Do you need to slow down? Speak more clearly? Emphasize certain words?

Quality Settings

There are quality settings to audio recordings that are analogous to the resolution of an image. The best rule of thumb is to test a few quality settings by exporting them and listening to your audio... shoot for the lowest file size you can get without sacrificing more quality than you, and your audience, can live without.

Sample Rate

The "sample rate" of a recording refers to the number of units the recording is broken into. An audio file's sample rate is similar to the number of pixels in an image. Before you begin recording, you can set the number of "samples" that are recorded each second. This, in turn, allows for a certain number of frequencies to be reproduced by the digital sound. The more samples you have, the higher the frequency you can produce. Commonly used rates include:

Sample Format (16 or 32 bit in Audacity)

Sample format is a setting that dictates how the samples get written as a file. 16 bit is CD quality, but 32 bit is more flexible. As long as you have storage space on your computer, record at 32 bit, then save a version out at the lower quality.

Exporting (or Saving) Audio Files

When exporting an mp3, it is important to pay attention to the bit rate. The bit rate controls how much data (per second) is in the file. This translates into how many samples are in the file, which affects file size and sound quality. These files, from a podcast workshop, demonstrate the reduction in quality based on a reduction in bit rate.