Last week I ran an article about the best microphones to use for recording audio in Adobe Captivate. At that time I asked for comments from readers of this newsletter. Here are a few of the responses:
From Tina Silverstein, Course Designer, Alameda County Office of Education:
First of all, I second the recommendation for the BlueMic Snowball microphone. When you see the microphone, there is no question about how it got its name. I’ve heard people with professional audio experience comment on the good quality of the audio when using the Snowball microphone.
It has been my experience that the quality of audio when recording via a laptop is not as good as when recording via a desktop computer. When using a laptop, the microphone seems to pick up the laptop’s "internal sounds," probably due to the fact that we tend to be very close to the laptop when recording. I ran some tests recording narration using a desktop and laptop with the same microphone (within minutes of each other). The quality of the audio recorded into the laptop was definitely inferior.
From Mary E. Hughes:
Here are two audio accessories that I have found to help improve audio quality by either saving time or increasing voice quality when recording:
I purchased Harlan Hogan’s Portabooth for about $150. Hogan also provides instructions to make your own sound proof box in which to house your microphone. The sound proof box keeps out feedback and other noises as well as creates a rich, full and consistent sound. As its name implies, the Portabooth is portable for recording offsite.
Another accessory I use is a pop blocker that I purchased from a music store for about $20. This screen goes in front of the microphone and eliminates post-editing clean up of plosive ‘p’ and ‘b’ sounds when they cause a burst of volume in the audio recording.
Got any more suggestions or comments about this topic?
Please send me your emails and I’ll be happy to post your responses here.