Unit 12-2 Audio Recording and Embedding

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Make a waveform audio recording.
• Adjust the quality of a waveform audio recording.
• Explain the difference between sampling rate and bits per sample.
• Reduce bandwidth requirements by converting a waveform audio recording into an MP3 file.
• Link a waveform audio recording to your Web page.
• Embed audio on a Web page.

Reading

Read chapter 24 of the Internet Literacy textbook to study the concepts covered by this unit.

Online Activities

Waveform audio is a great way to begin adding multimedia content to your Web pages. Because every multimedia computer comes with the hardware needed to create waveform audio recordings, you're already equipped to do it. The following activities will get you well on your way:

• You can record either from a microphone, or from a so-called "line output" from a tape recorder, audio CD player, or VCR. Your computer has jacks into which you can plug a microphone or a line output. Once your audio source is connected, you need to make sure it's selected as the source in the recording section of your computer's sound mixing software. To select the record sound source, follow the steps in Table 24-1.
• Now that you have your sound source connected and selected, you can make the recording by following the steps in Table 24-2.
• In addition to recording waveform audio, you can also edit the audio. For example, if you pressed the Record button too soon, there's extra sound at the beginning of the recording that you need to delete. Similarly, if you pressed the stop button too late, there's extra sound at the end that you'll want to remove. To learn how to edit the audio, follow the steps in Table 24-3.
• Now that you have learned how to record audio, it's time to put it on your Web page. There are two ways to do that. You can either link it, or you can embed it. To learn how to link it, follow the steps in Table 24-7.
• To learn how to embed audio on a Web page, follow the steps in Table 24-8 if you have Netscape, or Table 24-9 if you have FrontPage.

Assignment

After you complete this module, you will be prepared to submit your answer to the following assignment:

• Complete exercises 1 through 3 at the end of chapter 24, which has you put audio onto your home page. After you have tested the audio on your Web page to make sure it plays back properly from the Web, submit the URL of your home page so your instructor can assign you a grade for your waveform audio recording.