GETTING AUDIO INTO YOUR COMPUTER

To get your audio from outside the computer to the inside, you will have to transfer a sound file or record the audio into your PC using:

• A Microphone
• Digital Recording
• Cassette Recording
• Micro Cassette Recording
• Telephone Recording
   

Remember that your computer and the Internet can only use digital sound... ones and zeros. If you have analog sound like a voice speaking into a microphone or a tape recording it will have to be converted to digital sound.

The latest craze for home audiophiles is a move away from solid state back to tube amplifiers for a more "natural" sound. You don't have to go that far for audio streaming from your web site. The Web is not known for "hi-fidelity".

However, there are some things that you have to consider when recording sound with your computer that make a difference in the end product. You want sound on your web site to be clean and intelligible, making you sound more professional.

Also, voice recordings don't require as much bandwidth as musical recordings. That means you can stream voice recordings instantly while good stereo music recordings may have to be buffered (delayed) before playing on your site.

One more thing to remember... When moving digital audio to your computer it's a simple matter of transferring an audio file, but when moving analog sound you have to play it at its normal speed. For example, if you have a 30 minute cassette recording, it takes 30 minutes to record it into your computer.

So let's get started with your computer recording options...