GUIDE TO RECORDING A CROW

 

So, you want to record a crow of your own?  Use these tips & tricks to ensure that your crow is as good as it can be! 

 

 

GET THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

Although Sharecrow allows you to map your crows to a DVD, it can’t record audio.  For that, you’ll need to download an audio recording program.  If you don’t want to spend any money, there are a few freeware programs out there, such as Audacity.  However, those programs will usually require additional plugins (LAME) in order to be able to export .mp3’s.

 

You’ll also need a good microphone.  Don’t use the one that comes on your computer if you can avoid it.  Spend the $25 and get something decent.  For those of you looking for top notch sound, you may want to purchase a windscreen or “popper stopper” for your mike.  Investing in a good pair of headphones isn’t a bad idea either.

 

And since you’ll probably want to watch the DVD while you’re recording your crow, you will need a DVD player.  You can use any player you’d like – the one hooked up to the tv, a portable player, or even a laptop. 

 

(NOTE:  We don’t recommend that you use the software DVD player installed on the computer that you’re using to record your crow.  Keeping them separate makes it easier and gives you more control over the recording process.)

 

 

PREPARE THE RECORDING ENVIRONMENT

You can’t record clean audio if you’re in the busiest room in your house.  Find a quiet, insulated room.  If you need to, hang up blankets to help reduce outside sound.  It will also help to prevent echoing.

 

Also, make sure the audio from the DVD will not be heard through the microphone.  To avoid this, either mute the DVD player, or listen to it through a pair of headphones.  Remember, you want the audio recording to be as clean as possible.

 

 

THE RECORDING PROCESS

Once you’re ready to begin, just follow these steps:

 

1.  Cue up the DVD to the very beginning of the movie / tv show.  Hit PAUSE. 

     The counter should read 0:00:00.

     

2.  Hit RECORD on your audio program. 

     

3.  Record a brief countdown (“3….2….1…”)

     

4.  Hit PLAY on the DVD.  

     

5.  Start talking!

 

Once you’re done, hit stop on both.  That’s it!  You’ve just created a crow. 

 

EDITING THE AUDIO

Odds are, you won’t record what you want on the first try.  You’ll most likely need to do several recordings and edit them together.  Most audio programs (including Audacity) give you the ability to edit, trim, and move pieces of your audio file around.  Just keep in mind, if you slide things around they may not be in sync when you play them with Sharecrow.

 

We also recommend that you trim off the countdown.  That way, your crow will start at the same time as the DVD.  If it isn’t perfect, don’t worry – Sharecrow lets you fine tune the start time of your crow.

 

The last thing you should do before you finish is NORMALIZE the audio.  This will help even out your audio by raising the volume of the quieter parts to match the volume of the louder ones.  That way, people won’t have to dive for their volume control every time you get excited.

 

 

EXPORTING THE AUDIO

Now that you have a finished crow, you’re ready to export it.  Sharecrow works with a variety of audio formats and settings.  But here are the ones that we find yield the best combination of quality vs. file size.

 

      48 kbps, 44khz, mono, CBR

 

This setting is far below CD quality, but works well with people’s voices.  If you want a higher quality sound, increase the sample rate. 

 

It’s important to export using CBR (Constant Bit Rate) as opposed to VBR (Variable Bit Rate), even though VBR files tend to be smaller.  That’s because CBR files have a set bitrate, which makes it possible to determine the exact playback position within the file.  VBR files on the other hand, have varying bitrates – making exact playback calculations difficult.  

 

 

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

 

1.  Record your audio as clean as possible.  Eliminate outside noise and

     sound from the DVD.

 

2.  Keep a distance of 6 – 12 inches away from the microphone.

 

3.  Record your audio as loud as possible, without clipping (maxing out the audio meters).

     A single clipped audio file can ruin your entire crow when you try to Normalize it. 

 

4.  BE CREATIVE!  Don’t just drone on about how much you like Nicholas Cage.  Give us

     something new and interesting that we’ve never heard before!

 

5.  And of course, have fun!

 

 

 

 

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