Speak Up! Buttons: Get clear recordings

These tips are for Speak Up! Buttons, which record your word on the button itself. For Connect Buttons, see Connect Buttons: Fix a clipped recording.

Keep the microphone uncovered

The microphone is on the bottom of the button. It is a small hole, about the size of a pen tip. Make sure the microphone is uncovered while you record. If the microphone is covered while recording, it produces static.

Find the right voice volume and distance

By experimenting with the volume of your voice and the position of the button while you record, you can greatly improve the audio quality and reduce distortion.

Record at a normal speaking volume, close to the microphone. A recording that is too loud or too close sounds distorted. If it does, record the word again a little farther away. Because of the button’s size, higher-pitched sounds tend to be reproduced better than lower ones, so adjusting the pitch of your voice can also improve the audio. Getting it just right can take a few attempts.

More tips

• Pause a split second after the beep, so you do not cut off the beginning of your word.
• Do not breathe into the microphone as you record.
• Articulate your words while keeping the natural rhythm and tempo you would normally use to say the word.
• Avoid background noise: do not stand near appliances, fans, windows, air ducts or anything else that adds noise.