To configure audio playback, right-click the Volume icon in the notification area, and then choose Playback Devices from the context menu. Windows displays the Sound dialog box with the Playback page foremost. What you’ll find on the Playback page and what you can do with what you find, depends on your computer’s audio configuration. If you have an analog audio output with speakers attached, you’ll probably find only an item named Speakers. If you have a digital output device, it will appear as a Digital Output Device. Either way, click the device you want to affect.

Configuring an Analog Speaker System

If your computer has an analog speaker system, you should be able to configure it using the Speaker Setup Wizard. On the Playback page of the Sound dialog box, click the Speakers item, and then click the Configure button. The Speaker Setup Wizard launches and walks you through the process of choosing your speaker configuration, specifying your full-range speakers  and making other available choices.

Choosing Properties for a Playback Device

For any type of playback device, you can choose properties by clicking the device on the Playback page, clicking the Properties button, and then working in the Properties dialog box for the device. The number of pages in the Properties dialog box varies depending on the type of device. Here’s what you can do on the pages:

General Page Change the device’s name or icon, view information about the audio controller and the jack on the device, and enable or disable the device.

Custom Page Choose custom options for the device- for example, enable an S/PDIF port.

Supported Formats Page Test which formats a digital receiver can decode- for example, DTS Audio, Dolby Digital, or Microsoft WMA Pro Audio. Test which sample rates your digital receiver supports for example, 44.1kHz and 48.0kHz.

Levels Page Set volume levels and balances for different outputs  for an example. Mute a digital output device.

Enhancements Page Enable and preview enhancements such as virtual surround sound or room correction adjusting the audio to suit the room’s characteristics.

Advanced Page Choose the default format for example, 16-bit, 44,100Hz audio. Choose Exclusive-mode settings: Decide whether to allow a program to take exclusive control of the playback device and whether to give an Exclusive-mode program priority over other programs when using the playback device.

Choosing Properties for a Recording Device

Before you record audio on Windows, it’s a good idea to make sure your recording device is set up correctly. To do so, follow these steps:

1.  Right-click the Volume icon in the notification area, and then choose Recording Devices from the context menu. Windows displays the Recording page of the Sound dialog box . If you still have the Sound dialog box open, all you need do is click the Recording tab to display the Recording page.

2.  To configure a microphone, click it, and then click the Configure button. Windows displays the Speech Recognition Options window. Click the Set Up Microphone link, and then work through the Microphone Setup Wizard.

3.  To check or change properties for a recording device, select it on the Recording page, and then click the Properties button. Windows displays the device’s Properties dialog box, which contains several pages of options for configuring the device. The pages typically include some or all of the following:

General Page    Change the device’s name or icon, view information about the audio controller and the jack on the device, and enable or disable the device.

Custom Page Choose custom options for the device- for example, apply a 20-decibel boost to a microphone to get a more powerful signal.

Levels Page Set the input level for a microphone.

Advanced Page Choose the default format for example, 16-bit, 44,100Hz audio. Choose Exclusive-mode settings: Decide whether to allow a program to take exclusive control of the recording device and whether to give an Exclusive-mode program priority over other programs when using the recording device.

4.  To set a device as the default, click in the list box, and then click the Set Default button.

5.  Click the OK button. Windows closes the Sound dialog box.

Recording Audio Files with Sound Recorder

If you need to record audio from a real-time source for example, your voice, use Sound Recorder. Sound Recorder is a simple program, but it’s good enough for basic recording. Sound Recorder records audio at a bit rate of 96Kbps, which is high enough to produce decent quality but not audiophile quality. Sound Recorder records in WMA format on Windows Vista Home Premium, but it records in WAV format on Windows Vista Home Basic. The advantage of WMA format is that it uses compression, so your files don’t take up much room. By contrast, WAV format is uncompressed and takes up about 15 times as much space as WMA. To start Sound Recorder, choose Start   All Programs   Accessories   Sound Recorder. Windows launches Sound Recorder, as shown here. To record a sound file with Sound Recorder, take the following steps:

1.  Use Record Control to select the input you want to use. Choose appropriate volume and balance settings.

2.  If you currently have a file open in Sound Recorder, choose File   Open. Sound Recorder closes the current file, prompting you to save it if it contains unsaved changes, and displays the Open dialog box. Open the extended blank file that you created.

3.  Get the input ready. For example, bring your microphone close to your mouth or throat, or feed in a signal through the Line In jack.

4.  Click the Start Recording button.

5.  Start the input.

6.  Click the Stop Recording button to stop recording. Sound Recorder displays the Save As dialog box.

7.  Choose the folder, type a filename, and then click the Save button. Sound Recorder closes the file and opens a new file so that you can record more audio if you want. To close Sound Recorder, click the Close button the  button.

Enjoy audio, video, and more with Windows Media Player    Windows Media Player

is a powerful multimedia player that lets you enjoy audio, video, and DVDs. Windows Media Player includes many configuration options, some of which are important to understand. You can add audio files to your media library by copying them from your CDs or by dragging them from a Windows Explorer window. You can play audio files or video files by double-clicking them on the Library page. To play a DVD, either click the Play DVD Movie Using Windows Media Player button in the AutoPlay dialog box that Windows displays, or double-click the DVD’s entry on the Library page.

Watch and record TV with Windows Media Center    Windows Media Center lets you watch and record TV and enjoy DVDs, videos, music, and more. You’ll need to configure Windows Media Center to recognize your TV signal, and it’s a good idea to make sure the settings for recording TV won’t fill your hard drive with files. After that, Windows Media Center is mostly plain sailing, whether you navigate it with a remote control, a mouse, or the keyboard.

Control input and output with the Volume icon and Sounds    The easiest way to manage audio volume is with the Volume icon in the notification area. Right-click the Volume icon to display a menu of commands for accessing the Playback page and Recording page of the Sounds dialog box, which let you configure audio playback and recording devices.

Record audio with Sound Recorder    Sound Recorder is a basic utility for recording audio via a microphone. On Windows Vista Home Premium, Sound Recorder records in the compressed Windows Media Audio format, but on Windows Vista Home Basic it records in the uncompressed WAV format.