INTRO-- Start by putting a simple sound -- one sentence on a Web page. Once you understand the process, it will be easy to ramp up to your version of the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Get organized. Create a folder called "flashvoices" or something like that. Inside that folder you might want to create subfolders called "rawsound" and "flash" (wanna see?).

Review some samples before you start.

STEP ONE -- Make some test recordings and then some actual, useful recordings. KEEP THEM SHORT -- THINK 5-10 SECONDS or even less for your first experiments. Audio files get BIG in a hurry; keep it brief.

• the microphone
• the recording software
• want to get fancy?

Save your recordings as wav files in your "rawsound" folder.

Do multiple takes until you are satisfied with content, clarity and volume.

STEP TWO -- Create a small movie in Flash with nothing in it except a button. I am using the term "button" in the official Flash way -- make a movie that is nothing but a Flash button. (You might want to set your movie size to something like 100 pixels x 100 pixels before you start.)

need help?

STEP THREE -- Import your sound file into the Flash movie that you made in step two and drop it into the over state of the button (need help?).

Export your movie (need help?). Open your browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape) and open the Web page that Flash created with your movie on it