Cheap Microphone

Microphone Details

Recording Balance   Sounds Index

You can buy a compatible microphone for $10 to $15 (U.S.) at most stores that sell computers, such as Radio Shack. Make sure the microphone is intended to be used with a computer -- a microphone designed for a tape recorder will not work.
 

Mic Icon
To hear about how to record, click the Play button. To see how the player at left was embedded on this page, View Source. If you don't see a player at left, you'll need to download the RealPlayer plug-in to hear the sound clip.
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The back of a computer.   A microphone jack.
Back of a computer

Make sure the microphone has a compatible-size jack for your computer. The port (on the back of most desktop or tower models) is part of the sound card that's inside your computer.

Microphone jack and port

If you want to learn a lot about microphones, see the Guide to Microphones from Audio-Technica.