Recording Tips

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

In this tutorial, learn how to:

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.

Share This Page
Technical Issue?Questions and FeedbackTips via Facebook
Format Title Category Level
Written Customize the About Box Produce b I
Written How do I make a Table of Contents? Produce b I
Written Project Settings And Presets Edit b I
Written Markers Edit b I
Written Record Voice Narration Edit b I
Written Upload to Screencast.com without Using the Preset Troubleshooting b II
Written Flash Quiz or Survey Edit b I
Written Export Project as a Zip File Share b I
Written Why is my Preview Window "choppy" or seem out of sync? Troubleshooting b I
Written Save PowerPoint Slides as Images Record b I
Written Record Camera Video in Camtasia Studio Record b I
Video/Written Produce a Selection of Your Timeline: A Very Handy Thing to Know Produce b I
Video/Written SmartFocus and Zoom and Pan Edit b I
Written Preview the Production Settings Produce b I
Video How to Produce Getting Started b I
Video How to Record Getting Started b I
Written Captions Edit b II
Video/Written Draw on the Screen while Recording (ScreenDraw) Record b II
Written Produce a Video for an iPod, iPhone, or iTunes Produce b I
Written Add or Edit a Production Preset Produce b I
Written Flash Hotspot Callouts Edit b I
Written Picture-in-Picture (PIP) Edit b I
Written Customize the Start and End Screens Produce b I
Written Produce a Flash (MPEG-4 or SWF) Video Produce b I
Written Documentation Documentation b I
Written Can I See What My Video Will Look Like Without Having to Produce the Whole Thing? (Preview Production Settings) Troubleshooting b I
Written Project File Overview Edit b I
Video How to Edit Getting Started b I
Written Transitions Edit b I
Written Produce using a Production Preset Produce b I
Written How to Improve Recording Performance Troubleshooting b III
Video How to Share Getting Started b I
Written Upload a Video to Screencast.com Share b I
Video/Written Record a PowerPoint Presentation Record b I
Written Customize the Flash Table of Contents Produce b I
Written Recording Tips Record b I
Written Understanding Dimensions, Project Settings and Aspect Ratio Troubleshooting b II
Video Tilt Edit b I
Written Record a Web Camera in Camtasia Studio Record b I
Written Record Audio in Camtasia Recorder Record b I
Written Custom Callouts Edit b I
Written Customize the Quiz Placement and Opacity Produce b I
Video/Written Record the Screen Record b I
Written Camtasia Studio Hotkeys Edit b I
Video Camtasia Studio 6 Overview Getting Started b I
Written Audio Enhancements Edit b I
Written How do I record system audio? (The sound that comes out of my speakers) Troubleshooting b III
Written Share a Production Preset Produce b I
Written Produce a Video using Custom Production Settings Produce b I
Written Title Clips Edit b I
Written Upload Video by FTP Share b I
Written How do I extend the duration of a callout? Edit b I
Written Playback Controls Produce b I
Written Add Callouts Edit b I
Written Audio Editing Edit b I

© 1995 - 2012, Corporation, All Rights Reserved.