A cardioid microphone records in one direction.
Recording digital audio with a microphone requires an investment in hardware and software. An audio interface must connect the microphone to the computer, and audio editing software must record the signal from the interface. Depending on your microphone, you may need to quiet the computer fan while you are recording. Use a pop filter when recording vocals to diminish the sibilant noise, and monitor your levels to avoid distortion. Some interfaces come with software mixers to adjust the volume, and most have volume knobs for each input.
Instructions
1. Insert the audio interface installation disk into the CD tray and install the drivers. Open your audio-editing software and select your interface from the drop-down menu under "Preferences" or "Options."
2. Plug your microphone into the interface with standard microphone XLR cable. This type of cable fits the three-prong male connection on the end of your microphone and terminates in another three-prong connection that fits in the female channel input of your interface. XLR cable is also commonly called microphone cable. Put on your headphones or listen to the recorded audio through speakers connected to the interface.
3. Create a new audio track in your editing software. Some programs only require that you press "record" to create an audio track.
4. Press "record" in the control panel and speak into the microphone or make a noise as loud as you will make when you are recording. Adjust the recording level so that the interface picks up the signal well but doesn't clip or distort. If your interface has a switch near the input for "line" and "mic" level, switch it to "mic."
5. Delete your test recording and make your final recording. If you are using a sensitive condenser microphone, you may have to record in an adjacent room to avoid recording the computer fan.
6. Add plug-ins to the track to make the recording sound better. Many plug-ins are free and can add reverb and effects to your audio. Plug-ins use up computer resources and can slow down your computer or crash the program when too many are running.
