The technology to record your voice (and other audio) has been around for a long time. Ever since that fateful day in 1877 when Mr. Edison recorded ‘Mary had a little lamb‘ (or 1860 when a random French woman sang ‘Claire de la lune‘ depending on who’s version of history you believe), we have been able to listen to people talking and singing via technology.
Thankfully the quality of recording and playback has drastically improved – but the techniques used to ensure that you record with the best clarity haven’t really changed over the past 150 years…
In this post we are going to look at 3 simple ways in which you can dramatically improve the quality of your audio recording. It doesn’t matter what software you are using to record as frankly there is little to differentiate their basic functions and quality of recording – these tips will help improve recordings using anything from SoundBooth to Windows Sound Recorder (even though I would never recommend the latter!).
Tip #1 – Recording environment
This might seem obvious, but the most important thing you can do to improve your audio recording is find somewhere quiet to record. In an ideal world, you have a recording studio where you can control all of the sound… as most normal people don’t have record deals there are lots of things you can do to emulate the professional environment:
- Try to sit somewhere quiet – away from traffic noise, air-conditioning units, printers, people talking etc. You might not be able to hear it, but your microphone will probably pick up the extra noise.
- Use something to ‘shield’ or dampen your microphone – if you are using a desktop microphone (see Tip #2 below) then you can either use a professional ‘sound booth’ like this one, or make your own using foam and a cardboard box. (Egg boxes are not great!).
- If you are singing and need a backing track, this is best added after you have recorded your vocals. Use software like SoundBooth or GarageBand to get the levels correct. If you try to have the backing track playing in the background while you record, the quality is likely to be poor.
Tip #2 – Equipment
Equipment is the posh name for your microphone and your computer. Most laptops now ship with a microphone built in (if your computer has a built-in webcam it is likely that this doubles as a microphone) but traditional desktops will need a microphone to plug in.
- If you can afford it, buy a good quality desk based microphone even if you are using a laptop with a microphone. We use the excellent Snowball by Blue Microphones.
- Try not to use microphones that plug into the microphone jack on your computer. These will pick-up the noises coming from your computer (like fans). Use a USB connection as this is a digital connection and ‘cleaner’.
- Don’t use headset type microphones. These are usually too close to your mouth and it can be difficult to control the volume you record at and can cause popping (see Tip #3 below).
Tip #3 – Volume
There is nothing worse than spending time getting your environment and equipment right only to find that you cannot hear the recording you just made.
- Test, test, test – before you record for the first time make a few test recordings to make sure everything is working well and the volume of your recording is correct. (If you are recording online using Voisse, you can use the microphone level indicator to test this before you record).
- Try putting your microphone directly in front of you and raising it so that it is at ‘mouth level’. If you are using your laptop, put it on some books or a box to raise it up.
- Don’t get too close – STEP AWAY FROM THE MIC! Being too close distorts the recording and can cause popping.
- Get rid of popping – popping is when you here annoying blips on your recording on some letter sounds. You can by filters that stop this (like this one that we use), or you can have a stab at making your own. Either way, it’s a must if you do lots of recording.
That’s it – this is by no means a definitive guide to recording but hopefully it will point you in the right direction to start making better recordings. If I have missed something, add your comments.
