Don
01-17-2008, 12:36 AM
Okay. Next week I'll be at the American Board of Hypnotherapy annual convention in Las Vegas and hope to see some of you there. As a presenter, I got a message that I was "requested" to send in something to include in the "goodie bag" they're going to give to attendees.
I hadn't realized that (this is my first time presenting), and if I was going to do something I wanted it to be good...very good. But I needed to get it together quickly. What came to my mind, of course, was doing some sort of CD.
With today's computers, the potential for making a top-quality recording and CD is available to everyone. The days of noisy cassettes are basically over. The question is, how to you get the best quality from your computer?
The answer is found in the following recording "tips":
1) Get a high-quality microphone. This does not mean that you have to spend a fortune, but it also doesn't mean that you can go to Radio Shack or a computer store and get something that is professional quality. I would suggest that you go to a professional musical instrument store such as Guitar Center and get a microphone that is designed for high-end recording of the voice. The one I purchased is made by Samson, model C03UPAK. There are other models available from Samson, but this one is unique because it can record two people very well. Great for podcasting. It came with a small suitcase to carry it, a special "spider mount" stand that prevents it from making noise of the table the stand sits on is bumped. Rather than a typical microphone cable, this one comes with a cord that has a USB connector and goes directly into my computer. I'm not saying anyone should by this particular microphone, but the sound quality is brilliantly rich and vibrant. You will not get that on a $30 microphone. This microphone sells for under $200 and, IMO, is totally worth it. If you think it's expensive, check out real professional microphones. Some cost thousands of dollars.
2) Get some professional level software. That little sound recorder application or something you downloaded from the internet may be free, but it is crap quality. That doesn't mean you have to spend thousands for the industry standard (ProTools). There are even freeware programs such as Audacity (for both Windows and Mac) that are very good. However, spend some time and learn how to use it. For this recording I used GarageBand. It's part of the $80 suite of applications known as iLife from Apple for the Mac only. Even though it is easy to use and was perfect for this project, I had to carefully go through it to make sure I was getting the highest quality recording and sounds. For those of you somewhat familiar with sounds on the internet, most MP3s are recorded at a rate of 128 MHz. For professional quality, that is not enough. Good recording software will allow you to record at higher rates.
3) Record to your CD at the highest rate your computer/burner/CD will allow. That means better quality, but that also means any glitches are likely to show up rather than be covered up by noise.
4) Keep your recording levels "hot." Usually there is some sort of a meter (technically called a "VU Meter") that will show the colors green, yellow and red. Your sound levels should regularly be at the high end of the green, often going into the yellow, and occasionally hitting the red.
5) A CD lecture talk is one thing, but if you're taking time to really prepare a disk, include some music. IMO a CD without music is like a lecture without visual aids. BORING! You can find high quality music and sound effects on the internet. Some may even come with your software (lots came with GarageBand).
If you get a good microphone, learn to use good software, and record at a high rate and "hot," you'll get a great recording that you'll be proud to give to clients or potential clients.
If you come to the ABH convention in Las Vegas, you'll get a free copy of my CD in your goodie bag and hear the results for yourself.
I hadn't realized that (this is my first time presenting), and if I was going to do something I wanted it to be good...very good. But I needed to get it together quickly. What came to my mind, of course, was doing some sort of CD.
With today's computers, the potential for making a top-quality recording and CD is available to everyone. The days of noisy cassettes are basically over. The question is, how to you get the best quality from your computer?
The answer is found in the following recording "tips":
1) Get a high-quality microphone. This does not mean that you have to spend a fortune, but it also doesn't mean that you can go to Radio Shack or a computer store and get something that is professional quality. I would suggest that you go to a professional musical instrument store such as Guitar Center and get a microphone that is designed for high-end recording of the voice. The one I purchased is made by Samson, model C03UPAK. There are other models available from Samson, but this one is unique because it can record two people very well. Great for podcasting. It came with a small suitcase to carry it, a special "spider mount" stand that prevents it from making noise of the table the stand sits on is bumped. Rather than a typical microphone cable, this one comes with a cord that has a USB connector and goes directly into my computer. I'm not saying anyone should by this particular microphone, but the sound quality is brilliantly rich and vibrant. You will not get that on a $30 microphone. This microphone sells for under $200 and, IMO, is totally worth it. If you think it's expensive, check out real professional microphones. Some cost thousands of dollars.
2) Get some professional level software. That little sound recorder application or something you downloaded from the internet may be free, but it is crap quality. That doesn't mean you have to spend thousands for the industry standard (ProTools). There are even freeware programs such as Audacity (for both Windows and Mac) that are very good. However, spend some time and learn how to use it. For this recording I used GarageBand. It's part of the $80 suite of applications known as iLife from Apple for the Mac only. Even though it is easy to use and was perfect for this project, I had to carefully go through it to make sure I was getting the highest quality recording and sounds. For those of you somewhat familiar with sounds on the internet, most MP3s are recorded at a rate of 128 MHz. For professional quality, that is not enough. Good recording software will allow you to record at higher rates.
3) Record to your CD at the highest rate your computer/burner/CD will allow. That means better quality, but that also means any glitches are likely to show up rather than be covered up by noise.
4) Keep your recording levels "hot." Usually there is some sort of a meter (technically called a "VU Meter") that will show the colors green, yellow and red. Your sound levels should regularly be at the high end of the green, often going into the yellow, and occasionally hitting the red.
5) A CD lecture talk is one thing, but if you're taking time to really prepare a disk, include some music. IMO a CD without music is like a lecture without visual aids. BORING! You can find high quality music and sound effects on the internet. Some may even come with your software (lots came with GarageBand).
If you get a good microphone, learn to use good software, and record at a high rate and "hot," you'll get a great recording that you'll be proud to give to clients or potential clients.
If you come to the ABH convention in Las Vegas, you'll get a free copy of my CD in your goodie bag and hear the results for yourself.