University of Phoenix / 1
Associate Level Material
Help With AudioAce™ Assignments
Introduction
The AudioAce™ web application is a simple tool for recording digital audio for submission as an assignment.
Table of Contents
Using AudioAce™
Creating Your Best Work in AudioAce™
Details You Should Know
Submitting Your Work
Using AudioAce™
What the Software Is Used For
AudioAce™ is a web application provided to students as a simple tool for recording digital audio for submission as an assignment.
Once an audio clip has been recorded, AudioAce™ provides a web link to that clip that can be submitted as your assignment. Providing web links to audio instead of actual digital audio files reduces the complexity and difficulty of submitting audio assignments.
To use AudioAce™ to record audio, you will need a microphone and either earphones or speakers attached to your Internet-connected computer.
Help with AudioAce™
For help in using AudioAce™, please click the Getting Started or Video Tutorialbuttons located on the left side of the AudioAce™ window
You can get additional help using AudioAce™ by clicking the Help tab in the University of Phoenix eCampus website and search for the keyword AudioAce.
Creating Your Best Work in AudioAce™
AudioAce™does not allow you to edit your audio recordings, replacing undesirable sections of audio with better ones. For this reason, it is best to be completely prepared to make your recording before you start. The following tips and suggestions will help you create high-qualityAudioAce™recordings.
Before You Use AudioAce™
Do you know what you are going to say before beginning a recording? You may think winging itis a good approach, but you will find creating an outline and then writing a script will help to ensure the highest quality and save you time.
Practice reading your script aloud. If possible, read your script to a friend and ask for help to make the script sound natural. You will find that spoken text is often phrased differently than written text, so you may need to make script changes before recording.
Once your script is finished, print a copy that you can refer to when you are recording. Leave some space to insert comments and changes that will come to you as you prepare to record.
Again, one of the most important things you can do to prepare for recording is to rehearse your script. You do not have to memorize it—unless you want to—but rehearsal will keep youfrom being tripped up by unfamiliar phrases or words or parts that you have forgotten. Make notes on your printed script on where you want to place emphasis, what words need careful enunciation, where you can ad lib, and so forth. Noting these in advance—during rehearsal and on your printed script—will help you when you begin recording.
RecordingWith AudioAce™
Professional recording takes place in a studio where outside noises and distractions can be minimized. Because you probably do not have that kind of facility, here are some tips to get the best sound from your recording session:
- Find a quiet place. Listen carefully to the ambient sounds around you in the place you plan to record. Is there music playing nearby? Can you hear fluorescent lights humming or the heating or air conditioning fan noises? Does your chair or desk squeak? Reduce or minimize these as much as possible.
If your computer is portable, you may want to consider finding a quieter place to record. You may be able to use blankets or pillows to dampen sounds, but do not rely on these, as they may not beas effective as you may like.
- Find a place without echoes.Rooms with hard floors, walls, and ceilings will reflect sound and create reverberation in your recording. A room with carpeting, curtains, and an acoustic tile ceiling will reduce this echo. (For instance, a carpeted walk-in closet full of clothes makes a perfect recording room, as the clothes absorb much of the echo.) AudioAce™ also has an adjustment to reduce the effects of echo, which may help.
- Turn off speakers. Speakers that playback your voice as you record are not only distracting, but they can cause feedback in your recording. Turn off your speakers or use headphones to minimize any feedback.
- Place your microphone close. If possible, place your microphone within 3 to 5 inches of your mouth, just off to one side (placing it to the side will help prevent exploding Ps and sizzling Ss). Situate it so that you can see your script without discomfort. If you are using a laptop or other computer with a built-in microphone, find out wherethe microphone is located on the computer and direct your speaking to that location.
- Spread out your script. If possible, arrange things so that you do not have to turn the pages of your script, as this adds noise to your recording.
Now that you are ready to record, here are some additional tips that will help you make great recordings:
- Use good inflection.Speak clearly and pronounce words correctly. Do not rush.
- Recording takes time. Most people—even professional narrators and actors—cannot simply go into the studio, read a script once, and leave. Recording takes time, so allow yourself plenty of time to record, rerecord, and listen to your takes so that you choose the best recording to keep.
- Always do one more take. Because you may be both performing (reading) and managing the software (clicking the buttons to start and stop the recording) at the same time, you may not always realize you have used a wrong word, mispronounced something, or that a loud truck was driving by while you read your script. Always do one more take, even if you think the last take was perfect. Then, you can listen to all the takes and decide on which is best or rerecord, if necessary.
- Dramatize it!Make your voice fun to listen to. Use stress, intonation, and emphasis in your voice to bring out important words and phrases. Increase and decrease the volume of your voice to enhance parts of the script. Do not be afraid of using dramatic pauses. Do not just read your script—perform it!
APA References and Sources
Generally, digital audio assignments will not require you to read your bibliography aloud into the digital audio file. However, in your script,it is appropriate to insert words—in context—that describe the people or places from which you obtained ideas or quotations. You can use phrases such as the following:
“As Thomas Jefferson noted, in a letter to John Adams in February of 1825, quote ‘Nights of rest to you and days of tranquility are the wishes I tender you with my affect[iona]te respects’ end quote.”
“Ralph Waldo Emerson also described this phenomenon. In his essay titled ‘The Poet,’ he mentioned [insert a paraphrase of what Emerson said here].”
Although saying the words quote and end quoteto set off direct quotations would not generally be appropriate in a dramatic reading, they are perfectly appropriate in expository readings and essays, with the source or author mentioned in context.
If your assignment requires an APA-formatted bibliography, you will want to include that as a separate Microsoft® Word documentthat you submit along with the link to your digital audio file.
If a bibliography were required for the audio file that incorporated the quotes above, both Jefferson’s letter of February 1825 and Emerson’s essay, “The Poet,” would be listed.
Details You Should Know
AudioAce™ Links
AudioAce™ digital audio files are stored on the AudioAce™ server and are accessed exclusively by means of an Internet link provided by AudioAce™. You may copy and paste the link into a document, an e-mail, or a university forum, as needed.
Currently, AudioAce™ does not have the capability to alter, edit, merge, or copy digital audio files.
Digital audio files in the My Temporary Recordings list are deleted each time you log out. If you have created a link to a file, and then deleted its file name from the My Saved Recordings list, it may continue to work as if the file were still there for the lifespan of the list.
File Size Restrictions
AudioAce™ clips are limited to 20 minutes or less. Because the actual digital audio file resides on a server, and only an access link is provided, there are no file size restrictions.
Submitting Your Work
Where to Upload Files to the Facilitator
Unless directed otherwise by your instructor, submit your AudioAce™ file by pasting it into a word document and submitting it under the Assignment Files tab link. If you are submitting an AudioAce™ presentation on behalf of a team, include the names of all team members somewhere in your submission, as directed.
Resubmissions
Sometimes the wrong version of a file is accidentally submitted to the facilitator, or a mistake is discovered after you have already submitted the file. Check with your facilitators to find out if they allow for resubmissions in some circumstances. If you need to resubmit an AudioAce™ link, contact your facilitators to find out their policies and let them know which link is the final version to be graded.