Recording Audio Guide

Use the voice recorder or your OS app (Sound Recorder on Windows 11, Voice Memos on Mac and iPhone, or the built-in Recorder app on most Android phones).

Windows: enable Stereo Mix or use OBS. Mac: install a loopback driver (e.g. BlackHole) and record it as input.

Record each person locally and combine, or use a recording bot. Always ask permission.

Windows Game Bar (Win + G), macOS Screenshot toolbar (Shift + Cmd + 5) with a mic selected, or OBS.

Condensers use a charged diaphragm and need phantom power or USB power. They capture detail and room sound; dynamic mics are more forgiving in noisy rooms.

Microphones and rooms

Types of microphones

Dynamic, condenser and ribbon, plus USB and lavalier formats.

Pickup patterns

Cardioid rejects the rear, figure-8 picks up front and back, omni picks up all around.

Diaphragms and electric fields

A condenser’s diaphragm and backplate form a capacitor whose changing charge becomes the signal.

Simple home soundproofing

Blankets, a closet of clothes and a rug reduce reflections for vocals.

More on instruments and microphones

Stringed instruments

Guitar: aim at the 12th fret from 20 cm; violin: from above at 1 m.

The keyboard family

Piano: a pair over the strings or near the open lid; electric keys: record direct.

Recording an entire band at once

Use separate mics or a stereo pair in a good room and balance by moving players.

Advantages and disadvantages of condenser mics

Detailed and sensitive, but capture room noise and need power.

Types of microphones

• Dynamic: robust, less sensitive to room noise; great for voice in untreated rooms.
• Condenser: detailed, sensitive; needs a quiet room and usually phantom power.
• USB: a mic plus an interface in one; easiest to set up.

1. Upload the audio file to Google Drive.
2. In Slides: Insert → Audio → choose the file.
3. Set playback to auto or on click in Format options.

• Voice Recorder
• Mic Test

Brass and woodwinds

Mic a little off the bell or body to soften harshness.

Strings and keyboards

Place the mic at a distance to capture the whole instrument.

Percussion and drums

Use dynamics close up and a pair of overheads.

Vocals

Pop filter, 15–20 cm, consistent distance.

Recording a whole band

Use a stereo pair in a good room, or close mics per instrument with a mixer.

Conversation and room tone

Record 30 s of silence for editing; it smooths gaps.

Nature, animals and insects

Use a directional mic, wind protection and patience.

• Cardioid: hears the front, rejects the rear; the default for voice.
• Figure-8: front and back; good for two-person interviews.
• Omnidirectional: all around; natural room sound, more noise.

Close-mic each loud source and place a pair of mics further away for room sound. For a singing guitarist, aim one mic at the mouth and one at the guitar neck joint, and keep them well apart so each captures mostly its own source. A full band recorded live works best with drums furthest from vocal mics.

Record 30 seconds of silence in every location. Editors use this "room tone" to fill gaps smoothly. For Foley, record close in a quiet, furnished room.