Avoiding technical problems
For those who are unfamiliar with sound recording from their computer, it can be a slightly frustrating experience. While computers are being designed with the gamer in mind, it takes a bit more to render it suitable for recording for a production.
This short document will hopefully help you cure some of the problems facing people who try to record their own voice using their computer.
It can not be emphasised enough the need for a good quality microphone. We're not talking high-end, $500 equipment. But neither are we saying that plastic, $10 mics are going to do the job. Be prepared to spend about $60 minimum. Radio Shack has some good mics for those just getting into the business of voice acting. Don't be afraid of them just because they are Radio Shack. Of course, if you want to do this professionally, then start saving up. Good equipment costs money. But don't be fooled. Just because it costs a lot doesn't mean that the quality recording you'll get will be proportional. So don't think that spending hundreds of dollars on a mic will give you hundreds of dollars of better results. Be reasonable.
A better mic will help you avoid problems such as noise and distortion.
Next to your mic, you'll need a good sound card. Most computers come with a built in sound chip. These are usually garbage. The manufacturer went with the cheapest SoundBlaster clone they could find. Mind you, some are better than others, so give it a try. If it produces good sound, the Lord has smiled on you. But if it doesn't, it's time to invest in a real sound card.
Again, top of the line is overkill. But we're not talking generic stuff either. We don't have any recommendations because they are always coming out with new cards, so anything we say here would be out of date by the time you read it. Just follow the same guidelines for buying a mic and you should be okay. Be sure to save the receipt, though, in case it doesn't work for you and you need to get a different card.
A good sound card will reduce distortion and noise.
Many, many auditions come to us with an echo to them. This is very bad and renders an audition unusable. Fortunately, it is a very easy problem to solve.
Echo is generally produced by the room you are recording your voice in. The sound of your voice bounces off the walls and back into your microphone, thus producing an echo. Speaking more quietly will keep the sound from hitting the walls, though this isn't always a practical solution since it dulls your voice. Some people throw a blanket over themselves to absorb the sound. Others, professionals with their own home studios, go to the expense of having sound-absorbing material placed on the walls. Whichever method you come up with, it is vital to kill that echo.
Most people new to recording won't know what that means. Very basically, it means that your recording is so loud that some of the sound gets cut off because your sound card can't handle the volume. You'll know you clipped because you'll here what sounds like static or popping in the loud bits of your recording. Many programmes will have an indicator when you clip as well.
The solution is very easy. Simply turn down your recording level. Your recording software will have a way for you to do that.