MUS 510 / CSC 510
DIGITAL AUDIO TECHNIQUES

Sound Recorder

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First, a few words about the computer jacks (1/8" mini phone jacks) located on the rear of your machine, and what they do ....

  • BLACK:  Line Out

  • GREEN:  Speakers / Headset

  • RED:  Microphone

  • BLUE:  Line In

Volume Control

You can use Volume Control to adjust the volume, balance, bass, and treble settings for sounds played on your computer or by multimedia applications. You can also use Volume Control to adjust the level of system sounds, microphones, CD audio, line-in, synthesizer, and wave output.

*Mute items you will not be using.

  • To open Volume Control, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Entertainment, and then click Volume Control.  
  • You may also open Volume Control by right-clicking the Speaker icon in your Taskbar.  If the icon is not present and you wish to add it, go to Control Panel and select Sounds and Audio Devices.  On the Volume tab, under Device volume, select the Place volume icon in the taskbar notification area check box.
  • If you have a sound card, you can use Volume Control to control the volume and speaker balance when you play audio files.
  • For information about using Volume Control, click the Help menu in Volume Control.
  • Before using Sound Recorder, you should examine the settings in Volume Control to ensure that they are appropriate for your intended purpose. 

 

Sounds and Audio Devices Properties

If something is not working correctly after making setting changes to the above, you may need to make further adjustments.  To access Sounds and Audio Devices Properties, right-click on the speak icon in the taskbar.  Select Adjust Audio Properties.  Select the appropriate tab and have at it:  Volume, Sounds, Audio, Voice, Hardware.

You may test your microphone connection (red 1/8" mini plug on the rear panel of your computer, or look for a microphone icon) by clicking on the Voice tab, Test hardware, and following the instructions.

If the microphone does not work, check the settings under Recording Control. 

*Select the device you will be using.

This may be accessed via the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window.  Select the Audio tab.  Under Sound Recording, click Volume.  Be sure that Microphone Select box is checked and that the volume slider is at the appropriate level.

 

Sound Recorder

Sound Recorder enables you to record .wav files that are up to 60 seconds in length.  To access Sound Recorder, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Entertainment, and then click Sound Recorder.

File:

  • New

  • Open

  • Save

  • Save As

  • Revert

  • Properties

  • Exit

Edit:

  • Copy (Control + C)

  • Paste Insert (Control + V)

  • Paste Mix

  • Insert File

  • Mix with File

  • Delete Before Current Position

  • Delete After Current Position

  • Audio Properties

Effects:

  • Increase Volume (by 25%)

  • Decrease Volume

  • Increase Speed (by 100%)

  • Decrease Speed

  • Add Echo

  • Reverse

Help:

  • Help Topics

  • About Sound Recorder

 

Microphones

To initiate a microphone test, see Sounds and Audio Devices Properties above.

Getting the best results from your particular microphone depends on a variety of factors, including distance from the mouth to microphone, and correct positioning of the microphone in terms of pick-up field.  

 

Using Sound Recorder

Sound Recorder Overview

Using Sound Recorder, you can record, mix, play, and edit sounds. You can also link or insert sounds into another document. You can modify an uncompressed sound file by:

  • Adding sounds to a file.
  • Deleting part of the sound file.
  • Changing the playback speed.
  • Changing the playback volume.
  • Changing the playback direction.
  • Changing or converting the sound file type.
  • Adding an echo.

Common Tasks

The following tasks are frequently performed when playing sound files:

  • Record a sound

  • Play a sound

  • Overlay (mix) sound files

  • Insert a sound file into a document

  • Link a sound file to a document

Record and Play Sounds

Record a Sound

To record a sound:  

  1. Make sure you have an audio input device connected to your computer.
  2. On the File menu, click New.
  3. To begin recording, click Record.
  4. To stop recording, click Stop.

 Notes

  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.
  • You can play your recording in Sound Recorder or in any other program that supports waveform (.wav) files.

Play a Sound

To play a sound:

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to play.
  3. Click Play to start playing the sound.
  4. Click Stop to stop playing the sound.

Notes

  • You can move to the beginning of a sound file by clicking Seek To Start (Rewind) and move to the end by clicking Seek To End (Fast Forward).
  • Sound Recorder uses waveform (.wav) files.

Modify Sound Files

Change the Volume of a Sound File

To change the volume of a sound file:

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. On the Effects menu, click Increase Volume (by 25%) or Decrease Volume.

Note

  • You can change the volume of an uncompressed sound file only. If you do not see the green line in Sound Recorder, the file is compressed and you cannot modify it unless you first adjust the sound quality.

Adjust the Quality of a Sound File

To adjust the quality of a sound file:

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. On the File menu, click Properties.
  4. Under Format Conversion, click the format you want, and then click Convert Now.
  5. Specify the format and attributes you want, and then click OK.

Notes

  • Compressed sound files cannot be edited. Changing the format of a compressed sound file changes the file into an uncompressed file that you can edit.
  • You can change the sound quality to untitled, CD, radio, or telephone quality. The CD, radio, and telephone qualities have predefined formats and attributes (for example, sampling frequency and number of channels). However, if you select the untitled sound quality, you can specify the format and attributes.

Change the Speed of a Sound File

To change the speed of a sound file:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. On the Effects menu, click Increase Speed (by 100%) or Decrease Speed.

Notes

  • Increasing the speed of a sound file makes it play more quickly, but also distorts the sound. For example, if you increase the speed of a sound file that contains speech, the voice will speak at a higher pitch and speed.
  • You can change the speed of an uncompressed sound file only. If you do not see the green line in Sound Recorder, the file is compressed and you cannot modify it unless you first adjust the sound quality.

Play a Sound File in Reverse

To play a sound file in reverse:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. On the Effects menu, click Reverse, and then click Play.

Notes

  • You can reverse only an uncompressed sound file. If you do not see the green line in Sound Recorder, the file is compressed and you cannot modify it unless you first adjust the sound quality.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

Add an Echo to a Sound File

To add an echo to a sound file:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. On the Effects menu, click Add Echo.

Notes

  • You can add an echo only to an uncompressed sound file. If you do not see the green line in Sound Recorder, the sound file is compressed and you cannot modify it unless you first adjust the sound quality.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

Delete Part of a Sound File

To delete part of a sound file:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. Move the slider to the place in the file where you want to cut.
  4. On the Edit menu, click Delete Before Current Position or Delete After Current Position.

Notes

  • Until you save the file, you can undo a deletion by clicking the File menu, and then clicking Revert.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

Record a Sound into a Sound File

To record a sound into a sound file:  

  1. Make sure you have an audio input device connected to your computer.
  2. On the File menu, click Open.
  3. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  4. Move the slider to the place in the file where you want to record sound.
  5. To begin recording, click Record.
  6. To stop recording, click Stop.

Notes

  • If you add a sound to the middle of an existing sound file, the new sound replaces the original sound after the insertion point.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

Insert a Sound File into Another Sound File

To insert a sound file into another sound file:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. Move the slider to where you want to insert the sound file.
  4. On the Edit menu, click Insert File.
  5. Double-click the file you want to insert.

Notes

  • You can insert a sound file only into an uncompressed sound file. If you do not see the green line in Sound Recorder, the file is compressed and you cannot modify it unless you first adjust the sound quality.
  • If you insert a sound into an existing sound file, the new sound replaces the original sound after the insertion point.
  • Sound Recorder uses waveform (.wav) files.

Overlay (Mix) Sound Files

To overlay (mix) sound files:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to modify.
  3. Move the slider to the place in the file where you want to overlay the sound file.
  4. On the Edit menu, click Mix with File.
  5. Double-click the name of the file you want to mix.

Notes

  • You can overlay only an uncompressed sound file. If you do not see the green line in Sound Recorder, the file is compressed and you cannot modify it unless you first adjust the sound quality.
  • If you mix a sound into an existing sound file, the new sound replaces the original sound after the insertion point.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

Undo Changes Made to a Sound File

To undo changes made to a sound file:  

  1. On the File menu, click Revert.
  2. Click Yes to confirm the restoration.

Notes

  • After you save a file, you cannot undo any changes made before you saved it.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

 

Add Sound to a Document

Insert a Sound File into a Document

To insert a sound file into a document:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to insert.
  3. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
  4. Using a word processing program such as WordPad, open the document into which you want to copy the sound, and then click where you want to insert the sound.
  5. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Notes

  • You can also link a sound file to a document.
  • Recorded sounds are saved as waveform (.wav) files.

Link a Sound File to a Document

To link a sound file to a document:  

  1. On the File menu, click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, double-click the sound file you want to link.
  3. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
  4. Using a word processing program such as WordPad, open the document into which you want the link to the sound, and then click where you want to insert the sound.
  5. On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.
  6. In the Paste Special dialog box, click Paste Link, and then click OK.

Notes

  • If the Edit menu does not contain Paste Special, your program does not support linking.
  • Sound Recorder uses waveform (.wav) files.

 

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