I attached a shiny new microphone to my computer to experiment with audio production at home. (The microphone is actually a few years old, but I never had a chance to play with it until now.) The occasion was an urgent request for a public service announcement, so time was limited; in spite of my unfamiliarity with the microphone and the audio/editing software, Audacity, I plowed right into voicing and mixing the spot.
After some fumbling about, mostly in Audacity, I got a marginally acceptable finished product. Although the music bed was fine, the voice was bizarrely tinny, as if it had been recorded in a high school bathroom with a portable cassette recorder. (Not that I'd know anything about that.) Considering this microphone was highly rated and recommended, I couldn't understand why it produced such a lousy result.
It wasn't until much later that I went back to read the booklet that came with the mike, and things became clear. Audacity had given me the option of using either the internal microphone, something called "built-in input," or "USB audio codec." I had no idea what the latter two were (I do now), but I knew I wanted a microphone.
Except that wasn't true: according to the booklet, I wanted "USB audio codec." That would be consistent with this mic plugging into the USB port on the computer, I saw in hindsight.
No, the word "internal" didn't register on my clue meter. Look, it was over 70 and sunny today: I must have been stupid with the heat.
I'm impressed that the computer's built-in microphone worked so well, especially since I wasn't directing my voice at it.
And my shiny new microphone makes me sound nasal. Damn its accuracy!
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