DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!

[clockwatch]

I am importing my own instrumental files and they play fine.
I have a microphone that already came built into my computer, so I am trying to use that to record vocals.
When I am trying to record over the instrumental, my voice sounds skippy while i am recording and during playback.
Also, I hear any possible noise that may occur while I am trying to record. Example: the sound of me moving the mouse trying to click something or me getting close to the microphone, their is noise.

Can someone help me fix this problem?

[Irish]

The built-in microphone is the worst possible option, from the point of view of audio quality.
(I'm assuming you are on a laptop, from that description)

As you have discovered, it will pick up every sound the computer makes, and usually will have a pretty poor frequency response as well.

You need an external microphone to get decent sound quality.
The section on microphones in this article from the wiki:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=Improving_Recording_Quality
should get you pointed in the right direction.

When I am trying to record over the instrumental, my voice sounds skippy while i am recording ...

How are you listening to yourself, and to the instrumental, during recording, and what exactly are you hearing?

PO'L

[kozikowski]

You can get that if the computer isn't fast enough. Audio (and video) happens in real time and the computer doesn't have any chances to stop and take a breath. But many times you can help out a lot.

Are you on a Windows machine?

Koz

[clockwatch]

Yes, I am on a laptop and my computer is new.
So it sounds like the built in microphone is a bad option if I am trying to record audio.
Yes, it picks up every single sound....

I am using Windows Vista.

So I guess I should buy an external microphone...

[kozikowski]

The built-in microphone is frequently used for video and audio conferencing and Skype phone calls. You bought a business computer. It's usually OK for those jobs and we can assume it's stable if not spectacular while it's working.

That's why we should probably clear any damage or bad operation before you buy a new microphone. If you buy a new mic and it doesn't work, we'll never know if it was a bad mic or the original computer problem.

Buying a mic is a whole journey in itself. What kind of car should I buy?

Koz