DON'T PANIC AUDIO TIP: Laptop Recording Traps: Don't Fall Victim to these Hidden Pitfalls

I absolutely love recording on my laptop. My lovable
Apple iBook is small & portable, which means I can
record from anywhere. (Which is great when I've
been cooped up in my office just a weeee bit too long!)

I've recorded in hotel rooms, at my folks place . . .
even at Starbucks!

PC laptoppers can have just as much fun.

However, there are a few hidden pitfalls to laptop
recording you'll want to be aware of when you're ready
to take the plunge!

NOISY INTERNAL SOUND CARDS

Your sound card is a device that lets you
plug in a microphone and record digitally to
your hard drive. There are two kinds of sound cards --
internal cards (you may already have one) that
are built-in to your computer. And external sound cards
- that look more like hard drives than cards --
that sit outside your computer.

The problem with internal sound cards on a laptop?

Well, it's the very thing that makes your laptop so
convenient -- its size!

Because there's so little room in your laptop's
innards, you can get a lot of noise and interference
on your recordings from all the tightly packed
circuitry -- yuck! Your desktop computer
actually has a lot of empty space inside, so its not an
issue.

But with your jam-packed laptop? No such luck!

This won't be a problem with EVERY laptop. But it
can destroy the quality of your recording.

The easiest way around this is to do what I do -- use a
USB microphone. They plug into the USB port which
most laptops built in the last four years have. And they
completely bypass your sound card.

POWER PROBLEMS

I haven't read about this ANYWHERE, but its cost me hours
of recording time. For some reason, even when I'm using
a USB mic, when I record on my iBook when its plugged
into the wall, I get a really annoying, constant buzz.

Let me rephrase that -- I don't get a buzz -- my recordings
do! (Whew!)

The only way I've found to get rid of it? Unplug the power
cord and run off my battery when I'm recording. Since I
can get a good 3-4 hours off a charge, this isn't a problem.

Now there's no telling if your laptop will have the
same problem.

My recommendation? Do a short 2-3 minute recording
connected to the wall outlet. If you don't get any buzz,
you're fine.

If you do get interference, try a similar test running off
your battery. If you don't get a buzz - and I believe you
won't - record off your battery from then on.

It's a real pain to have to re-record a program (especially
when you've aced it!) because of this interference.

Save yourself the agony. This simple five minute test can
put your mind at rest and ensure a great recording.

Terms Of Service | Privacy Policy

© 2005 Robert Schultz. All rights reserved.