Zencastr records audio in all recording modes and requires access to both the host’s and the guest’s microphones.
In this article:
Internal vs. External Microphones
The key difference between an internal microphone and an external microphone is:
Internal microphones are built-in to the body or monitor of your laptop or desktop computer.
External microphones are attached to the computer, usually using a USB port, sound card, or audio interface.
When deciding which to use yourself / which to advise your guests to use, keep in mind:
Zencastr has built-in features to help your audio sound great, so it is possible to use Zencastr with just an internal microphone.
An external microphone improves the quality of your voice and therefore can enhance the polish of your recording.
How to Set a Default Microphone on Your Computer
If you often use the same microphone to record, you can set it as the default microphone in your computer’s settings.
On Mac:
Click the Apple menu on your computer.
Click System Preferences.
Click Sound.
In the dialog that pops up, click the Input tab.
Select the microphone you want to set as the default.
On Windows:
Click the Start menu on your computer.
Click Settings.
Click System.
Click Sound.
On the right, click Sound Control Panel.
In the dialog that pops up, click the Recording tab.
Select the microphone you want to set as the default.
Click Set Default.
How to Select a Microphone in Zencastr
Zencastr automatically detects and uses your computer’s default audio input. To change this:
From your Dashboard, click the Sessions tab.
Under the ‘My Sessions’ list, click the name of the session.
Click the Join Session button.
On the top right of the Recording Page, click Call Settings.
Under Audio Input, select your microphone.
Click Done.
How to Allow Microphone Access
When logging into Zencastr for the first time, a popup will prompt you to allow microphone access. Click Allow.
Additionally, if prompted, you may need to enable Chrome to access the microphone in your computer’s privacy settings.