Adobe CAPTIVATE 5 Help Manual page 138

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131
Last updated 4/22/2010 USING ADOBE CAPTIVATE 5
Audio
A wide range of recording software is available. Important software features include editing
Recording software
functionality (to fix mistakes), music and sound effect options, and the capability to create the file format you require
(such as mp3 or WAV).
After you have acquired the necessary audio equipment, the most important action you can take
Recording area
before recording is an obvious one: find a quiet place to record. Try closing doors, turning off any unnecessary
computer equipment, turning off or lowering lights, turning off phone ringers, beepers, and pagers. Inform your
coworkers that recording is in progress.
Tips for recording audio
Follow these tips to ensure that you are recording the highest quality audio possible.
After you have acquired the necessary audio recording equipment, ensure that it is set up properly. First, plug
Setup
your microphone into your mixer or preamplifier, and then plug the output of that device into your computer sound
card's "line in." Plug your headphones into your computer. Then, set the volume on your mixer or preamplifier. Begin
speaking to test the volume levels, and carefully raise the volume until it shows just under zero.
Open the software application that controls the sound card. The sound settings are located in the
Sound card settings
Control Panel. Select the recording source (Line In) and adjust the volume to 100%.
You control the actual recording level with your mixer or preamplifier.
Start your audio recording software. Change the settings as necessary. Note that
Audio recording software settings
mixers and preamplifiers do not have sound-level controls, so you rely on the meters when recording. While
recording, ensure that you do not exceed zero on the meters, or the sound will be distorted.
Positioning your microphone correctly can make a big difference in the finished audio file.
Microphone placement
First, get close to the microphone (within 4 to 6 inches), so any other nearby sounds have less chance of being recorded.
Don't speak down to the microphone; instead, position it above your nose and pointed down at your mouth. Finally,
position the microphone slightly to the side of your mouth, because this can help soften the sound of the letters S and P.
Have a glass of water nearby so you can avoid "dry mouth." Before recording, turn away from
Microphone technique
the microphone, take a deep breath, exhale, take another deep breath, open your mouth, turn back toward the
microphone, and start speaking. This trick can eliminate breathing and lip-smacking sounds frequently recorded at
the beginning of audio tracks. Speak slowly and carefully. You may feel that you are speaking artificially slowly, but
you should be able to adjust the speed later by using your audio recording software. Finally, bear in mind that you don't
have to get everything right the first time. You can listen and evaluate each recording and rerecord if required.
Editing sound is similar to editing text. Listen carefully to your recording. Delete any extraneous sounds
Audio editing
and then use the options available in your software to polish the track. Add any music or sound effects you require.
Make sure you save your audio track in the correct format (mp3 or WAV files).
When you are finished recording the audio file, add it to the Adobe Captivate
Adding audio files to Adobe Captivate
project.
After you add the audio to the Adobe Captivate project, listen to it again. Play the project as users
Additional feedback
normally would. Finally, ask others to preview the Adobe Captivate SWF/audio file. If necessary, edit the audio file
again.
Set audio recording preferences
Audio files present the common challenge of balancing quality against size. The higher the sound quality, the larger
the file size. The more you compress a sound and the lower the sampling rate, the smaller the size and lower the quality.
Adobe Captivate lets you control the way sound is recorded and compressed based upon your input and output
requirements.