Camtasia Studio Learning Center

Camtasia Studio 6 Tutorial:

Recording Tips

Follow these best practices when recording to achieve high quality video and audio.

Recording Tips

• Create a Recording Standard
  What dimensions will you record at: Full screen or Custom? Will your videos highlight the cursor?
• Practice, Practice, Practice
  Practice is the key to creating professional videos. It takes practice to learn how to move the cursor or open applications so they appear in the recording area. Also, practice to get the positioning of the Recorder, Web browser, or application just right.
• Be Patient
  A one minute video can take two or three minutes to record for an experienced user while a beginner may need 30 minutes or longer to get it right.
• Clean-Up
  Camtasia records anything on your screen. Clean up your Web browser and desktop by closing or removing nonessential applications, browser toolbars, and desktop icons. A plain background on your desktop is better than busy wallpaper.
• No Pop-Ups!
  If you do not want to record pop-up windows, make sure to turn off pop-ups by using a pop-up blocker or your browser’s built-in pop-up blocker.
• Make Multiple Short Clips Using Camtasia Recorder
  Then, import the short clips into Camtasia Studio to join into a longer production. Use the same dimensions for each clip. Leave plenty of time for extra takes.
• Watch the Mouse
  Normal mouse and cursor movement can appear jerky, hesitant, or too fast in the recording. To eliminate some of these issues, practice using the mouse around the screen in a slow, fluid motion.

Audio Recording Tips

• Use a USB microphone
  USB microphones use less computer resources and record better audio than an analog microphone connected to your computer’s audio card.
• Practice using a microphone
  Experiment with different volume levels and different microphone placement. Six inches from the microphone is usually good to record full tones, but not too close that other noises interfere.
• Record in a quiet location
  Any microphone can pick up nearby noises. Most office areas have a lot of background noise that you may or may not notice. Take a second and listen. What do you hear?
• Block the computer’s humming sound
  Build a small box lined with foam to put your microphone in as you record, use pillows or blankets to muffle the noise, or cover your head with the blanket.
• Use a script
  A script helps you produce the best audio by allowing you to avoid mistakes or saying um or uh. If you do not want a formal presentation, an outline can help reduce some mistakes.
• Project and enunciate
  Speak as though you are addressing a small audience in a large room.
• Monitor the audio level as you record
  The green to yellow range indicates normal. Orange to red warns you are too close to the over-modulated input. Best audio quality occurs when the Audio Input meter is in the green to very light orange range.
• Use the Audio Enhancements option
  Audio enhancements help you automatically improve the quality of the audio tracks by evening out volume levels and by removing noise.
  

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