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How to Record Sounds on the USB Microphone

USB microphones are usually quite sensitive to sound, and you can get them at a lesser cost than standard condenser microphones. You can plug them into your computer via a USB port. To record with a USB microphone, you can download a free audio program from the Internet. You will need to know how to set your audio program to recognize the USB microphone, and there are settings on your computer you need to set so that your computer will read the correct input for recording.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer with USB ports
  • Audio recording program
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Instructions

  1. Setup

    • 1

      Plug your USB microphone into a USB port on your computer.

    • 2

      Download a free audio program from the Internet. You can find them by searching in a search engine for "free audio recording programs." Alternatively, you can buy an audio program. All audio programs work the same way, they are simply laid out differently.

    • 3

      Go into your computer's audio settings. You can find them by going to the "Control Panel" under the "Start" menu. Under "Audio Properties," you will see settings for "Audio Playback" and "Audio Recording." Under "Audio Playback," select your speakers or headphones, if you are using them. Under "Audio Recording," select your USB microphone.

    • 4

      Open your audio recording program. In the mixer view, you will see a place to select the input. Click on that and select the USB microphone.

    Recording with the Audio Program

    • 5

      Select "Record Enable" for the same track on which you set the input in the track view. By selecting "Record Enable," you are telling the track that is is "on" and ready to record. The track view is where you see the tracks laid out so that you can see the waveform when recording. The "Record Enable" button is on the track and is usually a little red circle or "R." Be sure that in the mixer view on your program, which is the view with a sound mixer on the screen, that you have the input set to the microphone or instrument that you wish to record. This input box is usually located at the top of the track that you have record-enabled in the mixer view.

    • 6

      Press the "Record" button on the transport of your audio program. The transport is the window with the icons that look like a tape deck or CD player. You will see familiar shapes such as a square for "Stop," an arrow for "Play," and a circle for "Record."

    • 7

      Make a sound so that the microphone picks it up. You will see sound waves form on the track you have record-enabled.

    • 8

      Stop the recording by pressing the square "Stop" button on the transport. You can move the cursor back to the beginning to listen to your recording.

Recording Music

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