- 1). Install an audio recording and editing software package on your laptop computer. There are several to choose from, ranging in price from $200 to $300 to over a thousand. Be sure to buy one that is compatible with your computer's operating system, and be sure you have enough free space on your hard drive for the software and the audio files you will produce while recording, which can be several gigabytes each.
- 2). Plug an audio interface into your computer's USB port with an appropriate USB cable. As with audio editing programs, there is a large selection of interfaces available. Some have two inputs for microphones or instruments, while others have as many as eight. Choose one that is bus-powered so you don't have to plug it in, giving you freedom to record in places where power isn't available.
- 3). Set up a microphone on a stand a comfortable distance from the computer and plug it into the the interface with a microphone cord. You can set up as many microphones or instruments as your interface will accommodate. Most audio software is capable of recording them simultaneously. If you are recording instruments, plug them into the interface with instrument cords.
- 4). Tack corrugated cardboard of the type used for packing on the panels of two or three folding screens so you are still able to fold the screens. Set the screens strategically around the microphones to block extraneous sounds. You don't need to set screens around instruments with built-in pick-ups. The screens may not be necessary if you record in a quiet room. If you record outdoors, ambient sounds may even add charm to the recording.
- 5). Open the audio program and follow the instructions that came with it to begin recording.
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