Here is a a good short video on learning to use the open source recording software Audacity.
If you watch the video directly on YouTube you can follow along with the excellent transcript.
David Taylor
Published on Mar 8, 2015:
Introduces Audacity’s interface, then shows simple techniques to record and edit a clip. Includes setting preferences, noise removal, normalization, equalization, compression, trimming, and more.
Here is the time line for the video [And remember, that you can open the transcript with time line tagged details when you watch the video on the YouTube site]:
Settings: 0-4:26
Making the recording
Take out unwanted noise
Removing the Intro Silence
Normalization (EQ): 9:10-10:50
Apply Compression: 10:55-11:35
Renormalize: 11:35-11:50
See what it sounds like
Fix the plosive sound: 11:50-13:27
Take out the breath sound: 13:30-14:45
Listen to the entire clip and get rid of the ending silence: 14:17-14:45
Fixing a part that is too loud: 14:45-15:38
Next we render the file (meaning save it – as a WAV file: 15:40-16:29