Knowing where you're at

Initially, I was going to use a BM-800 condenser microphone—which I had planned to use for some time during the term—but it unfortunately gave up in the middle of recording. I had only finished testing the microphone (and it seemed fine with little to no issues), and I had just begun recording the first audio clip when it started breaking down. I only realized that when I heard the playback of my recording, where I heard loud static instead of my voice. I tried checking for loose connections between the microphone and my laptop, reconnecting, and fiddling with the cables, but nothing worked. In the end, the microphone couldn't be detected anymore, and I just opted to use the built-in microphone of my laptop, a MacBook Air.

Honestly speaking, I was devastated. I really liked using this microphone, and I was looking forward to using it again this term. Although, there was a nagging little voice at the back of my mind that told me to upgrade to a better microphone a few weeks ago in preparation for this course. I shrugged it off, telling myself my microphone was still fine despite it having survived four years with a cheap build. I suppose the lesson here is to invest in good, long-lasting equipment, to listen to your gut sometimes, and to have a backup plan because things don't always go the way you want them to. By the time I publish this, I will have already selected a better replacement.

Anyway, for the recording process, I had to bring the sounds closer to my laptop to ensure they were recorded properly. Moreover, I had to speak louder, and clearer for the first audio clip and set my keyboard's volume to the max for the second one. The recording software I used was Voice Memos.

Since I recorded these audio clips using my laptop's built-in mic, the sound quality wasn't that great. Both audio clips sound muffled, as if they were recorded with a thin wall between the microphone and the source. A consistent, fuzzy noise could be heard in the background. Furthermore, they don't quite capture the full range and nuances of the sounds, and they are certainly far from a perfect reproduction. However, I'd argue that the sound quality isn't that bad; it's much better than if I were to record on my phone.

I know that there might be some steps that I could have taken (given that I have the resources) to make the audio clips better, but as a total beginner, I might not have been aware of those options at the time. With that, I hope to learn more about audio production in this course and come back to this assignment with the knowledge of what I could have done better.

The Resulting Audio Clips