The article below is from John Dotson.
How can I record audio on my computer? Have you tried using Windows Sound Recorder? Only to find that it will only record one minute of audio? We will fix that in just a bit.
One minute of audio? What were they thinking?! Beats me but, there is a work around. You will need a microphone connected to your PC. Please check your owner’s manual for the specifics for connecting one to your machine. In general the record jack on the back of your computer (front if your lucky) will be a small female plug of the same color as the male plug end on your microphone (Usually pink in color.)
These microphones often-cost as little as five dollars US in stores that carry computer supplies. Fancy microphones costing up to hundreds of dollars can be obtained and may give a somewhat better tone. But, these less expensive ones will get you started just fine.
First, find Windows Sound Recorder, it may not be easy to find. In Window XP, go to Start/ All Programs/Accessories/ Entertainment Sound recorder. Once, you have found it you can create a shortcut to your desktop by clicking your right mouse button and choosing copy. Your next step is to click on your desktop with the left button and the again with the right mouse button. Choose paste. If everything went ok you will now have a speaker shaped icon on your windows desktop.
Double-click the sound recorder icon that we just put on the desktop. A small window opens with a flat green line and menus for File – Edit – Effects – Help a green line some black arrows and a red circle.
Now that we have a microphone on our machine we need to create a template that will allow us to record more than one minute of audio. Click record (red circle) and let it run silently for 55 or so seconds or until it at the end of the line where the indicator is moving. Click stop, press record again, keep doing this until you have a silent recording of about 3 minutes of length, this is your template. Go to File Menu and select Save as . Save your file as Template. If you have a microphone already you may have recorded 3 minutes of your local weather from the TV! That’s ok. Save your 3 minutes of whatever to the desktop.
If you want to put your sound files on a CD you need to start the Windows Recorder with a format quality of 44,000 Hz and 16 bit stereo and you’ll end up with approx. a 40 Mb file for each track. You can then record them onto a CD. The large size of the .wav files on a CD is why you can only get around 21 songs per CD. Always set up Windows Recorder Audio Properties before you begin your session and as appropriate to your use. IE: set up the recorder to 44,000 Hz (Hertz) when you are ready to make a final recording for creating a CD. I hope this will help you to make quality recordings without fancy and expensive software.
Good luck and make beautiful music!
Hi there Jean,
I think if u use Windows Movie Maker, there is no real time limit, un less of course u run out of Hard disk space. But I’ve used it to create
some compositions & its pretty good, we did run the song at least
3/4 times & it recorded it all ….
Good recommendation !!!
Dear Brother-in-Christ,
I wonder I can`t heard the sound of the music. I have seen indicator moving on the template.wave-sound recorder. the Click stop, press record again, keep doing this until you have a silent recording of about 3 minutes of length, this is your template. Where is the stop button? Is it the the black bar which means “stop“ then press again the record- then that`s the template.
The I go to File Menu and select Save as. The filename I have typed it as Template.
But regret it can`t be hear but the indicator is moving. Hope you could hlep me thru your patience and kindness to me to help me hear the beautiful kid`s song. Looking to download it to CD too.
Thanks for your kindness and support,
God bless you abundantly,
Nancy
If you would like a more in depth recorder check out the FREE program audacity. It is what I use to record our church services as well as our praise band. Although a little more difficult than sound recorder, it has alot more options.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
excellent thinking. I use high tech software and equipment but always wanted a simple quick easy way to record ideas without having to use my walkman or mini recorder then transfer then convert then edit or burn. Blessings. PS I stumbled across a way to save internet radio links easily if you want to know
That was a lot of help. Thank you!
thanks for the iinfo re extending that 60 second time limit.
Thanks for the information. Look forward to trying it out!
Jean here.. didn’t know the comments were waiting for approval. Ben sent an email with another solution he gave me permission to post…
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I just returned from a trip to Arizona via Oklahoma, Texas and back to Maryland and home to Maine. Lots of sights and sounds and the like. Tired, but had a really great time. I even gained a few unneeded pounds. I am finally getting around to my emails. Love to hear from you this way and thank you for a previous email that explained how to add analog audio to my computer. I did, however, find an easier way or sorts. Real Player Plus, $19.99, has a record feature that allows you to record from any external source directly into the Real Player program and then you can make Cd’s from there. Much easier than the window recorder. You use the Audio CD setting in the tools section of the record program and it works like a charm.
I believe there is an area where you can actually tell the system, real player, to filter out machine noises. It is a nifty set up. You should absolutely have the best analog device that you can afford to purchase. The better that device, be it microphone, radio, stereo, boom box or whatever, it should be the best to reproduce the type of music or voice that you are putting through it. Everything should go smoother that way.
Be well and God Bless, Ben