For any audio you plan to record on your laptop, I recommend using an external mic. The sound quality will be much better and you won’t end up recording your computer’s internal sounds (like the fan or keyboard sounds). You can also use it for projects in the future.
Purchasing
You can get an external mic several ways. If you already have a headset you use for Skype conversations, that may be able to function as an external mic. Or you can buy one from anywhere between $20 and over $100. Some plug into a computer’s mic jack, so you’d want to be sure your computer has one before buying that kind. (That kind won’t work on a 15″ MacBook Pro.) Others plug into a USB port and those generally produce better quality.
This is the model I have, which costs $40 at BestBuy: Plantronics - Digital USB Stereo Headset with Microphone. See the Best Buy page.
You can also find decent external mics at Wal Mart and probably also Radio Shack. The CU Bookstore even has a few reasonably priced models.
Borrowing
CU students and faculty can also arrange to use an external mic in the Digital Media Lab in ATLAS, ideally in one of their recording rooms (which are sound proofed). You might also be able to check one out to use at home, but I’m not sure about that. For info, contact: Tim Riggs
Using
Once you plug in the mic, you should see it as an option in whatever app you’re using to record audio, or you can select it in your system settings. On a Mac, open the System Preferences panel on the Dock, click on Sound, click on Input, and select the external mic.
For more handouts on getting a good audio recording, browse the Composing with Audio category.
