Recording and distributing audio used to be an expensive and tedious endeavor. Cassette recording produced poor sound, resulting in sketchy duplication, and DAT recording was prohibitively expensive. But considering today's cheaper digital-recording technology and the triumvirate of the Internet, CD burners, and free audio-editing software, anyone can record audio and distribute it to friends or business associates without breaking a sweat--or the bank. This tutorial shows you how to go about the task using the right gear and free software, whether you're recording a sales pitch or a friend's band at a dive bar.

Our favorite portable device for recording audio is the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox. It records audio to WAV or MP3 files and has clean sound going in and out. Plus, you can transfer your recordings onto a computer using USB or FireWire. You can also use a MiniDisc player for recording, but keep in mind that transferring the audio to a computer is more difficult and can be time consuming. Regardless of the device that you pick, you should also use a digital mic for optimal sound since both the Nomad Jukebox 3 and all MiniDisc recorders accept a digital signal. Finally, we chose the open-source Audacity for editing the audio because it's stable software and is absolutely free.

Here's what you'll need:


• Portable digital microphone (or any portable mike with an 1/8-inch plug)
• Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox or a MiniDisc recorder
• Audacity, an open-source audio editor

Different recording subjects require different approaches. If you're recording speech, just plunk the recorder on a table, ask any conferenced-in parties for permission to record (it's the law--think: Watergate) and proceed to the second step. If you're recording a friend's band at the local bar, it should be easy to get permission from both the band and the house staff, although larger venues can be tougher to convince. We do not recommend sneaking in recording equipment without consent, but if you must try, use a tiny lavalier mike. Clip the mike high on your clothing for stealthy, albeit mono, recording.

Once you have approval and are all set up, you'll need to determine the proper recording level on your device, or you'll risk recording inaudible or distorted audio. To ensure that your recorder is set at the optimal levels, you'll need to test the equipment. The best way to do this is to wait until you think that your source hits full volume, then place the mike where it will be during recording and press only the Record button. This approach may not work for all devices, and if that's the case, check your manual for instructions on how to display levels without actually recording. If the player doesn't display volume levels--as is the case with the Nomad Jukebox 3--do things the old-fashioned way: record a snippet, then listen to it. After you test the sound, adjust the volume accordingly, turning it down if there's distortion or pumping it up if the recording is too soft.

MiniDisc users: If there are volume bars on the display, make sure that they never max out, or you'll end up with a distorted recording. Similarly, you don't want the recording levels to be set too low, or the playback volume will be too soft. You'll also want to ensure that the player isn't set to stop recording at certain intervals.

Start recording, usually by pressing Record, then hitting Play. If you're using the Nomad Jukebox and want to burn CDs of the audio, make sure to select WAV > 44.1KHz in the Format drop-down menu. And if you're recording a concert, try not to talk, because your voice will be recorded at a very high volume, causing you to be shocked at the annoying banality of your midshow comments (trust us).

Once you're done documenting the event, you'll need to get the files from the recorder onto your computer so that you can then edit, burn, and/or upload them to the Internet. This process is simple if you're using the Nomad Jukebox 3. Just sync the device with your desktop, find the WAV file in the Recordings playlist (its filename will have a time stamp), and hit the left Transfer arrow to send it to your PC.

MiniDisc users: You'll first have to record the audio from your MiniDisc unit onto your PC in real time. To do this, read up to the fourth step of our other tutorial, then return back here and continue with step five.

Now it's time to dice the recording into individual songs. (Note: Skip this step if you recorded something besides music.) Before you start, create a folder on your desktop that you'll use to store the new music files. Once that's done, fire up Audacity and select Project > Import Audio. Once you figure out where each song starts and stops in the waveform, use the Zoom tool and the Cursor tool to highlight the first song, then select File > Export Selection As WAV. Save the song in the folder that you created. Repeat this step until all songs are individual files.

If you want to share your recording online, our tutorial will show you how to encode the resulting WAVs files into MP3s, then upload them to an online storage site such as Yahoo Briefcase. To burn the files onto a CD, select Audio CD in your favorite burning software, pick the WAVs that you want to record, and make yourself a new disc.

• Turn the WAVs you've recorded into MP3 files.
• Burn the original WAV files to CD with a CD-RW drive.

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bit rate - In essence, a measure of how many bits describes each sound in an audio file. A low bit rate means lower quality and a smaller file size, while a high bit rate means better quality and larger files. The standard bit rate is 128Kbps.

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