What I recorded in Audacity sounds like sh*t. What do I do now?

Bummer, man.  You just recorded your first words in Audacity and it sounds like the picture at left.  What now?

Don't panic.  You can fix Mr. Poop with the right equipment.  If your recording sounds like Mr. Poop, it's probably one of two problems.

Problem 1: Your headphones suck, dude.  

Solution: Get a good pair of headphones, you are going to need them.  

By the way, they are not going to be the trendy, low-profile "ear-bud" style of headphones.  They are going to be the nerdy, remedial reading center kind that go over the ears.  May I recommend my favorite: Audio-Technica ATH-M30 (or better quality, if you can afford it).  Check them out here.  

Problem 2: Your microphone sucks, dude.

Solution: Get a good microphone.  You are going to need this more than any other piece of equipment, if you plan to do any audiobook production that won't be sh*t.  

Note: It's not going to be the crappy little stork-neck looking mic that costs $5 at the dollar store.  It's going to be the phallic, beefy-looking kind that sits on your desk in an intimidating way.  My favorite is the Blue Yeti mic.  Check it out here.

In the next post, we'll examine some common reasons ACX will bounce your production.  Don't worry, you can fix it.

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