Recording Sound
If you hope to record new sounds, you need a microphone. Your microphone situation depends on the kind of Mac you have:
iMac, eMac, PowerBook, white iBook. You have a built-in microphone, usually a tiny hole near the screen. This microphone couldn't be more convenient; it's always with you, and always turned on.
Cube, Power Macs, Mac Mini. You can plug in an external USB microphone (the Macintosh Products Guide at www.guide.apple.com offers a list) or use an adapter (such as the iMic, www.griffintechnology.com) that accommodates a standard microphone.
Tip
No matter which model you have, an Apple iSight videoconferencing camera works well as a microphone.
The Sound pane of System Preferences lets you choose which sound source you want the Mac to listen to. Click the Input tab, and then click the sound source you want: external USB microphone, external analog microphone (that is, something plugged into the microphone or Line In jacks of Macs that have them), built-in microphone, iSight, or whatever.
Making the Recording
Once you've got your microphone situation taken care of, you need to get your hands on some sound-recording software. You can use shareware programs like Amadeus II, or try iMovie (which came with your Mac) or QuickTime Player Pro (see the box on Section 15.3.1.2).
The iMovie method
Although you might never suspect it, every Mac comes with a basic recording program. It's iMovie, which lurks in your Applications folder.
In a new movie project, click the Audio ...
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