Operation Manual
Camtasia Studio Version 8 Help
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Audio Recording Tips
Use the best microphone you can afford.
Sound is critical to screen recording videos. Quite often, if the sound is bad, people will not watch the
video.
Use a USB microphone.
USB microphones use less computer resources and record better audio than an analog microphone
connected to your computer’s sound card.
Use the Camtasia Recorder default settings for audio.
This includes recording your system audio to a separate track (not supported on the Microsoft® Win-
dows XPoperating system).
Practice using a microphone.
Experiment with different volume levels and the microphone placement. Six inches from the micro-
phone is usually good to record full tones, but not too close that other noises interfere.
Record in a quiet location.
Any microphone can pick up nearby noises. Most office areas have a lot of background noise that you
may or may not notice.
Take a second and listen. What do you hear?
Try not to record your audio in a public location.
Use an office or conference room away from high traffic areas.
Place a note on the door letting others know that you are recording.
Do a short test recording to make sure audio is being recorded.
Use a script.
A script helps you produce the best audio by allowing you to avoid mistakes or saying "um" or "uh."
Even if you do not want a formal presentation, an outline can help reduce some mistakes.
Project and enunciate.
Speak as though you are addressing a small audience in a large room.
Monitor the audio level as you record.
The green to yellow range indicates normal. Orange to red warns you the input is close to becoming
over-modulated. Best audio quality occurs when the Audio Input meter is in the green to very light
orange range.
Use the Editor’s Audio Enhancements after you record
Audio enhancements help you automatically improve the quality of the audio tracks by reducing noise,
evening out volume levels, and eliminating white noise, as well as "um’s," and "ah’s."
Adjust the audio volume in Editor.
If your volume is too low or too loud, use the volume controls in Editor to adjust the audio up or down.
Add audio points to enhance certain areas of the waveform.
Background music can add a nice touch if done correctly.
If you have background music playing on your computer while you are recording narration with a micro-
phone, the background music appears on a separate track within Editor. Edit the background music to
fit the narration using fade effects or volume adjustments.
Record the audio and video separately.
After you become familiar with using Camtasia Studio, try recording the screen without the audio.
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