Screencasting is when you record your computer’s screen as a video. There are several apps that do the job such as Camstudio (free) and Camtasia Studio (paid), but the problem is that you have to install software, set options up, record a few screencasts before you get the settings right, etc.

Screencast-O-Matic is as easy as screencasts get. Just go to the web site, let it install it’s Java app via the browser (that’s how it works) and away you go. The end result is a MOV file you can upload direct to any video sharing service you like such as YouTube or Vimeo.

And by the way, did I mention it will also record your voice with the screencast if you have a mic attached to your computer? Yes, it does.

See video below for details.

Some people have noted that the voice quality in the videos I produce for PCMech and in personal music recordings I make that have sought-after "FM sound" to them, which loosely translates to "sounds like the dee jay I hear on FM radio".

If you’re the type that records audio and are looking for that particular sound, it’s actually much easier to achieve than most people realize.

It takes three steps.

First is how you model the sound of your own voice when you speak when recording it.

Do you use verbal fillers such as "um..", "ah…", "er…" or the like? Try not to use those. Don’t worry, a lot of people do and it’s a tough habit to break. You can kill most of the fillers by having a "cheat sheet" next to you when speaking. No, it doesn’t contain every word you’re going to say but just a topic list. When you have this list, verbal fillers will usually decrease noticeably.

There are other tricks you can use, such as saying more with each breath, purposely slowing down how fast you speak (but not by much) and trying find a nice happy medium between speaking and announcing.

Modeling your voice just in the way you speak will make a dramatic improvement in the overall recorded sound.

Second on the list is noise reduction.

On most voice recordings people get hiss (a.k.a. "white noise") and background noise they want out of there.

The easiest way to eliminate the unwanted noise is to use a mild noise reduction filter.

Audacity, a free audio recording program, has a such a filter as do most other programs that record audio. Even Camtasia Studio has one.

The reason you want to use a mild filter is because if you filter it too much it will literally cut out parts of your voice - and you don’t want that.

It takes a bit of experimentation to get the proper sound you want from a noise reduction filter.

Third on the list is compression.

Compression above all else is what most people think an "FM Radio" sound sounds like. And for those most part it’s true.

To note: Do not confuse this with file compression because that’s something totally different. What we’re talking about is using a compressor as an audio filter.

Audacity by the way also has compression filters in it.

In FM radio, music and voice are compressed with a live filter so that everything comes out at an even audio level thru your car speakers when you listen to it. Nothing is too loud or too soft. This is why a recorded piece of music sounds different on a home stereo played via CD (or computer) compared to a radio broadcast. It is the compression you’re hearing that makes it sound different.

When you examine an audio wave in an audio editor like Audacity, the original recording has peaks and valleys. When compressed, most of those peaks/valleys are "scrunched" so that it’s all evened out. Volume levels are even across the wave after the filter is applied for the most part.

Another example of compressed audio is a camcorder’s recording. All audio recorded with a camcorder is highly compressed with a live filter which is why it seemingly can "pick up everything". In reality it can’t. What it’s doing when recording is filtering on the fly so it can "hear" whatever is in range, near or far, and even it out appropriately.

If you’ve never experimented with noise reduction filters and compression, you ordinarily won’t get it right the first time. It takes practice to get the sound you want. But once you do you can repeat the process every time you make an audio recording for podcasting or music recording or whatever you do with recorded audio.

To note: I may do more detailed how-to’s on this later but would prefer if you would comment and say whether you would be interested or not. Any/all comments appreciated. I can get seriously detailed on this stuff.

The sound card on your desktop computer has 1/8th-inch ports on the rear to accept other types of audio input (blue for line in, pink for mic in). If you have a custom-build computer you may have these ports also routed to the front as well.

If you record audio at all with these ports, be it via a microphone built-in to a headset or having a mixing board fed a signal thru line in, you’re going to get what’s called white noise. This is a hissing sound that occurs due to fact you’re using an analog means of feeding audio to the sound card. There is no way to avoid it and you are forced to process your sound afterwards thru a digital filter for noise reduction. In other words, it never sounds good unprocessed.

My recommendation for anyone that records audio is to completely ditch using analog ports. They’re really old and sound really crappy.

If you record audio via USB instead you will be amazed at how much better everything sounds when recorded.

Method 1: Use a USB headset with mic attached

I use the Logitech Clearchat Comfort USB and people who listen to me speak over this microphone are astounded at how good it sounds. There are no tricks to using this. The difference is digital and that’s why it’s so clear.

If you game at all, having a USB-based headset with mic is a must-have especially if you use it for in-game voice chat. Not only will the audio sound clearer but your spoken voice will also be understood better.

Method 2: Use a standalone USB-based microphone

I’ve mentioned this product before but it bears repeating - the Blue Snowball is one of the best USB microphones ever made. It will record anything and I mean anything. Great for voice, great for instruments and also great as an "ambient" mic. It has a sensitivity high enough where you could place it clear across the other side of the room, speak softly from far away and it would still "hear" you. I have nothing but good things to say about this mic.

Method 3: USB mixer

USB mixers are nothing new to people who record audio, but it’s still true that most people aren’t aware they exist. The mixer shown here is an Alesis Multimix 8 USB. If you do any semi-pro (or even pro) recording at all this is a really handy mixer to have. It will accept XLR microphone input, 1/4th-inch input and feed out thru USB. If you’ve got stuff to record but can’t go digital with them, you should take a look at this.

To note: These mixers are almost never in computer retailer shops but rather music shops like Guitar Center and Sam Ash. If you need to see one "in the flesh" you’ll need to go there.

Additional note: If you’ve got the cash, yes there are mixers with more than 8 channels, rack mount flaps and those with FireWire connectivity. But bear in mind if you’re just recording yourself, the Multimix 8 will do the job just fine.

The great debate: Software or Hardware based mixing board?

Something that has been a subject of debate since the advent of software based mixers is whether or not you need a standalone hardware based mixer at all.

My response to this is if you record, yes you do. My reason for stating this is that it is far easier to control and manage your sound using tactile knobs and sliders instead of scrolling sliders on-screen. Professional studios has proven this to be true because they have never given up their standalone mixing boards. The only difference now is that the boards can be digitally controlled - but they haven’t been replaced.

Fear not adding in audio hardware when you need to. "Virtual" mixing boards, while nice, can be annoying.