WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRO AND CONSUMER AUDIO?

There are 4 elements to professional audio;

Microphones

Techniques

Environment

Mixing techniques of sounds and music

Pro vs consumer Microphones

Most recording is done in a digital format on a computer. For a information publisher to get the best result it is advisable to get USB microphone. Most microphones sold are usb compatible, do not use a headset or microphone that plugs into the audio jacks as the sound quality is not as good as with USB microphones. USB microhones integrate very easily into modern day computers and software and makes it very easy to get a good result. You dont have to buy expensive sound equipment to get professional sound quality. What you want is to get a USB microphone with a small diaphragm this is the bit which picks up the sound of your voice. Get one with a large diaphragm as this helps with the sound quality when recording audio. The microphone to use is a USB audia technica 2020. This will give you professional audio quality and is compatible with most modern computers.

Techniques

Make sure you stay close to the microphone, this will ensure a constant good quality audio and gives a consistent sound and reduces interference when recording. Pop filters will filter out wind noise from letters like "P", "B","D".

Environment

A quiet environment means better recording. Make sure you dont have any outside noise which can add unwanted sound to your recording like noisy computer components, dogs barking, traffic passing etc. Make sure you don't have too many hard surfaces as this reflects the sound, this can be reduces dramatically with carpeting on the floor or curtains or blinds on windows.

Production techniques

Use production techniques to make sure it sounds professional. This can be done by doing some editing to help present the audio well. To make it sound more professional you can use intro music to create the mood and set the expectation or use music underscoring to sustain the mood. Sound effects can also be used to help enhance the audio. Take out the flaws and mistakes in the recording and generally tidy up the audio to help make it sound more professional and distinguish from consumer audio.