Time for action — setting up to record
We have downloaded the software application named Audacity for the purpose of recording audio. Now, let's set up the Audacity application.
1. Click on the Audacity logo. Don't worry about the complex-looking screen; we only need to use a couple of the features.
2. Make sure your computer's sound is switched on. Check the loudspeaker icon on the bottom-right corner of your screen. If it has a red X, it's off. Click on that icon to turn the loudspeaker on.
3. Click on the red recording circle and speak out loud. If you are able to see sound waves on the screen, as shown in the following screenshot, you have an inbuilt microphone. Click the square button to stop. You can move on to step 8.
4. If you don't have an inbuilt microphone, you'll need to connect an external microphone. If you have an external microphone, plug it into the computer now, making sure that it's turned on.
5. Go to menu option Edit | Preferences | Devices | Recording and select the...