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A
Anonymous
July 19, 2006
Question

Noisy audio?

  • July 19, 2006
  • 4 replies
  • 914 views
hello!
This may be a silly question, but I'm having some trouble. I've used Captivate frequently to create tutorials (truly, they're demonstrations) of software. My client suddenly wants me to add audio to the existing files. This is fine. I plugged in my new USB Logitech microphone and started recording. However, there seems to be what I think is "white noise" in the background. The microphone is also recording the "click" of my mouse as I stop the voice recording. This click and white noise are very apparent, as there is no sound when only the mouse is moving on the screen.
How do I fix this (or can I)?

Thanks!
Michelle
This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

CatBandit
CatBandit
Inspiring
July 20, 2006
I have no idea why my mind shifted from "audio recording" to "capture recording". Sorry about the confusion, Michelle. One the bright side, it looks like the problem was resolved, so it's not all bad . . .
CatBandit
CatBandit
Inspiring
July 19, 2006
????????? tab tab tab space ???????????
You wouldn't play a funny on the ole "Bandit" would you? Okey-dokey, I just figured it out. I answered a question you didn't ask - cats are notoriously stupid - I was thinking the question was how do you pause the recording process.

And you were referring only to (???) - something else that is fixed by pressing TAB a bunch of times, then the SPACEBAR. I think, for sanity's sake, I will leave it alone and accept that you are happy and healthy and the grandkids have all graduated college - and married well.

Just reread your earlier and realize that you think you don't have a PAUSE key on the keyboard - right?? It should be at the top-right corner (following the function keys), and is shared with the BREAK command. If you are using a laptop, it is possible that you can't access your PAUSE key without first pressing the "fn" keyboard expander key found *only on" laptop computers. Any way, have a nice day.
Captiv8r
Captiv8r
Legend
July 19, 2006
Hi all

Just being an observer here.

I think Larry is probably referring to the overall recording process, while writetek is referring to the process of recording audio via Audio > Record..., as it would appear that the tab tab tab space is one correct sequence to pause the recording on that dialog.

Cheers all... Rick
A
Anonymous
July 20, 2006
Rick is correct about what we were each referring to I believe.
I did know about that Pause button, but I didn't see it as relevant to what I was doing. (I tried it out just to be sure, though, and it does not pause the recording within the Audio > Record dialog box. Had to check!) The solution to not using the mouse in the Audio > Record dialog box, and thus avoid recording the "click," is tab tab tab spacebar.

After a long night trying out various microphones, I have settled on an Altec Lansing headset. The sound is very clear and it doesn't seem to be picking up my air conditioner, my fan, etc. I will be making a couple trips to Best Buy and Circuit City tomorrow to return the discarded microphones though.

Thanks for all your input. It definitely guided me in the correct direction when I was searching for a microphone this evening. I made sure to get one that was unidirectional and approved for Voice to Text programs. Those tips worked like a charm.

- Michelle
CatBandit
CatBandit
Inspiring
July 19, 2006
The "wind sock" idea isn't as crazy as it first seems, though I doubt it will filter enough background to make an omni-directional mic fill the bill. A good way to pick a mic if you are going to Best Buy or Circuit City type stores is to look for a mic that is "approved" for speech-to-text use (programs like "Naturally Speaking" or "Via Voice").

In answer to your other question, you can pause recording at any time by pressing the - Ta Dah! - "Pause" key. To resume recording after a pause, just press the "Pause" key a 2nd time.

Good luck!
A
Anonymous
July 19, 2006
The pause key? On my keyboard? I know I can click with my mouse, on the Pause button in the recording dialog box, but I'm looking for a quieter option, of a keystroke on my keyboard. Sorry if I'm all confused. I'm a bit frustrated.
Just ordered an Audio-Technica unidirectional mic that I can pick up from Circuit City in about an hour. Perhaps it will be an improvement.
A
Anonymous
July 19, 2006
Ah wait - tab tab tab space will do it.
CatBandit
CatBandit
Inspiring
July 19, 2006
Hi Michelle, and welcome to the Captivate user-to-user community!

Please dont' be offended by this suggestion, but if you run a search (which everyone should always do before posting a problem - to see if that issue has already been solved) you will find a host of threads and discussions involving microphones, especially the "works for some, but not many" findings for USB mouse(s). Bottom line, it might very well be the USB connection.

HOWEVER . . . it might just as likely be the type of microphone on the other end of that USB plug. The "white noise" you mention actually sounds like you are speaking into an omni-directional microphone (omni = all), instead of a uni-directional mic (uni = one or single). An omni mic is picking up sounds from all directions, making it better for the center of a table in a company board room, while a uni-directional mic is picking up sound only from the direction it it "aimed", making it best for "boom mic" purposes where all background noise is muted.

Go ahead - tell me your mic is a uni-directional mic, and that you already knew all that and I should go fly a kite (there IS a thunderstorm outside right now).

Anyway, my suggestion is to change microphones, making sure you have a "boom" style (headset type) and that it is uni-directional in function. Let us know if this helps. If it doesn't, I'm going to just go throw myself off the tallest curb I can find . . .

A
Anonymous
July 19, 2006
Actually, I did run a search - on noise, background noise, and white noise. Never occurred to me to run a search on microphone.

There is a good possibility that it is my mic. My client decided at the last minute they wanted voice and I have about 24 hours to get this working correctly. I ran out to Best Buy and picked up the most expensive mic they had - at a whopping $30. I suspect it would be a great mic for Skype or IM, but not so much for the voice recording.

I'm going to put a "wind sock" over it, to see if that helps. Worth a shot, I figure. I have no local place to run out to - that I can think of - that would have (or realize they have) a uni-directional mic.

By the way - when recording audio in Captivate, is there any way to stop the recording by hitting a keystroke? The mouse click sound is being picked up by the mic right now.
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