Recording Sounds in Director

On Macintosh computers only, Director can digitally record sound from a microphone connected to the computer. (How to connect the microphone varies according to your hardware: Some Macs have a built-in microphone, some have a standard mic input jack, others require a special Universal Serial Bus (USB) microphone, and still others require an external audio adapter.)

The sound-recording tool Director uses is actually part of the Mac operating system, not part of Director itself. It's a completely no-frills affair, without even a volume meter, but it can be handy in emergencies when more suitable sound-recording software isn't available.

To record a sound in Director (Mac only):

1. Make sure that you have a microphone attached to your computer, and that it's properly configured in System Preferences ( Figure 13.41 ).

   Figure 13.41. Check the Sound settings in Mac OS X's System Preferences panel to make sure your Mac recognizes input from the microphone.

   

2. In Director, choose Insert > Media Element > Sound.

   The recording window opens ( Figure 13.42 ).

   Figure 13.42. The no-frills sound-recording window.

   

3. Click Record and begin recording a sound with the attached microphone.

   The timer keeps track of the elapsed time.

4. If necessary, click Pause to pause the recording session; click Record again to resume.

5. When you're finished recording, click Stop.

6. If you want to listen to the sound, click Play.

7. Click Save to save the sound.

   The recording window closes , and the sound appears as an unnamed cast member in the Cast window ( Figure 13.43 ).

   Figure 13.43. A newly recorded sound in the Cast window.