Audio Recording Portable Solution, Software.
 

I am looking to use my laptop to record some voiceover work. I was wondering what software would be good for that and even if it's something I should even consider?

I currently use DV Rack on the laptop, but I would be looking at plugging in a Mixer to the laptop and running some software package for recording the voiceover.

It's an IBM X31 Thinkpad Laptop with Line In and Mic with the following audio specs:
Audio
Integrated speakers 2
Speaker power rating 1.0 Watts
Volume control buttons Yes
Speaker Quantity 2 (Internal Speakers)
Number of speakers 2
Audio chipset SoundMAX
Audio data width n/a
Audio on planar Yes

I would just like not having to capture the audio in from DV..

Would you be trying to record audio and run DVRack at the same time? If you can list some specs on the laptop (processor speed, operating system), that would help determine if the machine's up to the task.

Why do you want to record it separately?

When it comes to recording, Sound Forge has always been my tool of choice. It will even recordwav files as they play in another app. Even though my copy is several years old, it gets used a lot.

I just wish I knew what I was doing ;)

Laptops generally have really bad sound cards built into them. At least it's free to try out, to see the kind of quality you will be getting. There will generally be a lot of hiss... and random noises that correlate to computer activity (i.e. network, hard drive).

Glenn.. Thanks for the reply..

That was along the lines of the question I guess is the downside to using a laptop. I would hate to drag my full tower edit system to the narration recording just to use the SB Audigy card.. However I do have Audition on that..

Pat have you looked into getting a PCMCIA sound card for your laptop. I know Digigram makes the " VXpocket 2" and Sound Blaster has the "Audigy 2 ZS Notebook". Have not played with either so I can't comment on their performance.

If you have a laptop, there are various USB and firewire audio interfaces out there from around three hundred upwards. These would be ideal and would be equal to or better quality than the Audigy 2 on your tower.

Sound Devices makes the USBPre which is suitable for field recording (not very complex, hard to hit buttons accidentally, simple to use). It costs several hundred.
M-audio makes a bunch of interfaces than are good value. i.e. they sell the Mobilepre USB which is $180USD MSRP (street prices would be lower).

(Disclaimer: I haven't tried either.)

For interfaces (firewire) try the edirol fa-101 or fa-66. For software sound forge (or Goldwave if you want to save money)