Before recording

There are some things to think about, especially if you have never used your computer as a recording device. Today's computers are generally set up to make recordings, but not automatically. Just plugging in the microphone or starting Camtasia Recorder will get you started, but there is a bit more to it.

Note

This book covers only Windows-based PCs. Many of the programs and features mentioned also work on Apple Macintosh computers. Refer to the Windows system requirements at http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia-system-requirements.html.

Use this section as a reminder of the things that you need to keep in mind to make audio and video recordings.

Microphone

You may already have a microphone but is it ready to make high quality recordings? The tiny microphone included with many laptop computers will record sound, but it is likely to be noisy and sound "distant." The audio recordings produced with an on-board microphone may sound "tinny," or like a bad phone connection.

You may have...