Sound Files

Creating Sound Files

Sound File Formats | Creating Sound Files | Audio Players | Format Conversion | Adding Sound to Web Pages | Going Further

Most newer personal computers (and many newer workstations) come out of the box with simple hardware and software for using a microphone to record your voice and other sounds. The sound quality of files created in this manner will not rival recordings made in a sound studio, but this equipment does provide a means for you to create files with personally customized messages that you can include on your Web pages.

Creating a Sound File with Windows

You can record sound on your PC if it has a microphone and you have the program Sound Recorder. (In Windows, Sound Recorder is located under Accessories menu of Start / Programs. You may need to look under the "Multimedia" or "Entertainment" submenu.) Here is a brief intro to making a recording:

1. Open Sound Recorder. This will pop up a recording panel with a set of buttons. Above the row of buttons is a window with a horizontal line through its middle. This window acts as a "level meter" when a recording is being made or played.

2. Choose "New" under the "File" menu.

3. Click the button to start recording.

4. Speak into the microphone. You should see oscillations in the level meter to indicate your sound is being recorded

5. Click the button when you are finished.

6. Click "Save As" under the "File" menu and choose a folder and file in which to store your sound.

The resulting file is in WAV format.

If you want to make another recording and save it a different file, be sure to choose "New" under the File menu again before you begin the next recording. If you forget to choose "New", the next recording will be placed in the same file as the previous one (the second recording will begin right after the end of the first one).

Linking to Your Sound File

The sound file that you have just produced can be played from a browser link. For example, use

if file.wav was the name of the file in which you saved the recording. If a browser is configured to play audio files of this type, the sound should begin when this link is clicked.

Streaming Sound & Audio Players

A more efficient way to transmit sound on the Web is to stream it, which means that the sound plays as it is being loaded, rather than waiting for the full file to download. In the next section we discuss one way of playing streaming sound. Also, the program Flash discussed later has the capability to create streaming sound files.