Preparing to Record
 1. Start Sound Companion. It is a sound tool that is located in
your "Multimedia" or "Classroom Tools" directory
on your desktop.
After launching the program, maximize its main window by clicking
on the hollow box in the upper right hand corner of the window. Your
desktop should now look similar to this:
2. Make sure that your microphone is plugged into the correct "mic
in" port on the sound card located at the back of your computer.
3. Make sure that the "Select" box has been checked and
the volume slider is up to about 3/4 at minimum, in the Window's
Recording Control window. (this is NOT the slider that pops up when
you click once on the  icon
located in your system tray on the lower right hand corner of your
desktop) If you are not sure, then refer back to the Windows
Control section of this web site for detailed instructions on
selecting it. It will look similar to this:
4. If you are using a microphone that has an on/off switch on it,
make sure it is switched to the "on" position.
5. In the Sound Companion main window, go to the Sound menu
and select Sound Format. Since this page is for recording
with a microphone, for the purposes of this tutorial, I am going
to assume that you will just be recording voice. In the Sound
Format window and the Sample Rate drop-down, choose 11.025
KHz. Leave the Sample Size set to 16 Bit. Bit depths and bit
rate settings will be discussed more later.
Note: You can also access the Sound Format window by clicking in
the boxed area at the bottom left of the Sound Companion window,
where the current sound settings appear.
6. When done with the settings, click the Ok button to close the
Sound Format window.
Recording
7. To begin recording, click on the round red Record button
located in the lower left hand corner of the Sound Companion
window.
Recording Tip: Watch the "sound
intensity" meter in the lower left of the Sound Companion
window while you are recording. Try to keep the fluctuating "red" level
from "banging" the top of this vertical black box
area too much. If it does, you will need to re-record your
sample with the microphone a little further back from the
source of the sound. |
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8. When you are finished recording, click on the square black Stop button
in the lower left-hand corner. |
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Saving the File
9. Depending on the speed of the computer you are working on, and
how long your sound clip is, don't be surprised if you see the "hour
glass" for a few moments, while Sound Companion processes the
recorded clip. When it is done you will see a screen similar to this:
10. To test (hear) your file, make sure that you have some headphones
or speakers set up and plugged into the correct port (spkr out) on
your computer's sound card (located at the back of the computer).
You also may need to adjust the Windows "Volume" slider,
by clicking once on the sound icon in
the lower right corner of your desktop and adjusting. (Some headphones/speakers
also have their own volume controls to adjust as well).
11. When ready to listen, click the cursor
once, at the beginning of the "yellow" sound clip
(wave), and then click the black triangle-shaped Play button
at the lower left of the Sound Companion window.
Note: You can start the playback of a sound file, from any
position along the sound wave. Just click the cursor at the
point you want to start listening from. Also, you may want
to here only a certain "portion" of your sound
clip. Do this by highlighting the portion of the sound wave
you wish to hear and then clicking the play button. |
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12. If you have decided that this is a "keeper" (you are
satisfied with it), then go to the File menu and select Save
As.
Remember, before clicking the Save button,
first, give your sound clip a short file name. (So you can remember
what it was later.) Do not use any spaces in the name. Second, be
sure that you "navigate" to the location (drive and/or
directory) that you wish to save the file to. (So you can find it
later.) When that is done, you may click "Save"!
13. Your file is now ready to insert into applications like PowerPoint,
Flash, VideoWave, etc.
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