1-Minute Test

At this point, you should have your recordig hardware and software set up correctly. If not, please consult the Newbie Guide to Recording.

You should also be comfortable with using your recording software. If not, please consult Audacity 1-2-3.

(There's also some information on using GarageBand elsewhere on our wiki.)

Reminder

1. record at sample frequency 44.1 kHz at 16 bit sample size in mono
2. export to mp3 at 128Kbps with ID3v2 tags for Title, Artist, and Album
   (if your test is a Short Works project, look at its top post; if you're doing the 1-Minute Test, Title: Test; Artist: Your Name; Album: Testing Testing)
3. always plug your mic in before you launch Audacity (otherwise, restart Audacity)
4. adjust your input level (usually needs to be increased a notch or two)
   1. on a PC: Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > click the Audio tab: Sound recording Default device - select your microphone from the drop-down menu and click Volume; most folks need to slide the volume higher to about 3/4 or 5/8 mark.
   2. on a Mac: Applications > System Preferences > Sound: select your microphone under "Choose a device for sound input" and slide the "Input volume" up, usually to 3/4 or 5/8 mark.
5. and then record either a 1-minute test or a Short Works poem or somesuch
6. and be sure to get feedback:

• are the settings correct?
• input volume OK? (too soft? too loud?)
• got plosives? (mic getting wind over it?)
• got hum? buzz? (dc offset?) hiss? (related to input volume and computer's input selection)