Create the audio file

1. First you need to connect the microphone to your computer. Locate the microphone input on your computer, it should have a little microphone icon and/or be colour coded pink and plug in the microphone.

   Note: Sound Card.

2. Then you have to configure the sound and audio devices settings to use the microphone and set the volume. Click on Start > Control Panel > Sound and audio devices.

   

   Select the Audio tab and select Volume in the sound recording section.

   

   Select Options > properties then select the recording option and tick all the boxes and select OK.

   

   Set all volumes to full, tick the select box for the microphone.

   

3. Now start Audacity. Audacity has a number of tutorials at the Audacity project homepage. Basically select the record button with the red circle and start talking. Select the orange square button to stop. Select the purple back arrows button to go back to the start and then select the green triangle button to play. Its a multi-track editor so you can add and edit your music and over dubs on seperate tracks, adjust volumes and apply your creativity.

   

   Be aware of which audio format to use and find a balance between quality and file size. First lower the sample rate. In Audacity select File > Preferences select the quality tab and set the sample rate to 16Khz.

   

   If your going to use MP3 audio format you will need to download and install the LAME MP3 Encoder. Click on the File format tab, then select the find library button and browse to where you installed the LAME MP3 encoder.Then set the bitrate to 48 for MP3 files.

   

   Now your ready to record your show, when your done select File > Export as MP3 or Export as Ogg.

   Create a folder on the C drive called "podcasts" and save your audio files there.

   Set your ID 3 Tags and select OK

   

   Test your audio file using Zinf or VLC media player.

If you want help at this point try this Google search.