Mic technique beats expensive plugins
Distance and angle matter more than a shiny chain. Stay consistent—moving even a few centimeters changes tone. Use a pop filter or gentle off-axis placement to tame plosives without dulling clarity.
Gain staging in plain language
Aim for healthy input levels: strong enough to sit above room noise, not so hot that peaks clip. In Camtasia, use clip gain and effects in a sane order—fix obvious problems before sweetening.
Noise reduction: less is more
Aggressive noise removal creates “underwater” artifacts. Prefer treating the room (blankets, carpet, door seal) and using gentle reduction. Leave a touch of room tone when it sounds natural—complete silence between sentences can feel edited-to-death.
De-click and breath edits
Mouth clicks and loud inhales distract in headphones. Attenuate breaths rather than deleting every one; human rhythm matters. For dense courses, consider text-based audio workflows (for example Audiate) when they fit your license and timeline.
Music under narration
- Duck music under sentences; lift slightly in pauses if your brand allows.
- Choose beds without busy midrange that competes with speech.
- Export a “voice-first” version for accessibility reviews.
After audio is stable, tighten the edit with recording workflow habits so you are not fixing the same problems every week.