Recording audio in Windows is pretty easy. Most video-editing programs —including Pinnacle Studio and Windows Movie Maker — give you the capability to record audio directly in the software. Before you can record audio, however, your computer must have a sound card and a microphone. (If your computer has speakers, it has a sound card.) The sound card should have a connector for a microphone as well. Check the documentation for your computer if you can’t find the microphone connector.
After your hardware is set up correctly, you’re ready to record audio in Pinnacle Studio or most any other movie making program. To record audio in Studio, follow these steps:
- Open the movie project for which you want to record audio, and switch to the timeline view if you aren’t there already.
- If you’re working with a current movie project, move the play head to the spot where you want to begin recording.
- Choose Toolbox➪Record Voice-over. The voice-over recording studio appears.
- Say a few words to test the audio levels. As your microphone picks up sound, the audio meter in Studio should indicate the recording level. If the meter doesn’t move at all, your microphone probably isn’t working. You’ll notice that as sound levels rise, the meter changes from green to yellow and finally red. For best results, try to keep the sound levels in or near the yellow part of the meter. You can fine-tune the levels by adjusting the Recording Volume slider.
- Click Record. A visible three-second countdown appears in the recording-studio window, giving you a couple of seconds to get ready.
- When recording begins and your movie project starts to play, recite your narration.
- When you’re done, click Stop.
An audio clip of your narration appears in the timeline,
