Introduction
The second most important thing other than getting your video stream right is making sure you have a great audio stream to go with it. The program I would choose for this important task is Cool Edit 2000 by Syntrillium Software.

This program is, in my opinion, the best editor for any audio editing. In this tutorial, I will cover issues on how to reduce clipping, amplify volume, and reduce background noise. I obviously can't cover EVERY topic because this would result in a book, not a tutorial. If you need help with a different topic other than the three I will cover, try reading Cool Edit's help file. It covers a lot of information.

Section 1 -- Reducing Clipping
Audio clipping happens when you record your audio source at a higher decibel than suitable for hearing. This results in the bass maxing out and/or sounds and lyrics reaching such a high volume that everything you hear is distorted. There is no real solution to this problem other than to re-record your intended audio stream, next thime making sure you set your record vlume levels properly. Cool edit 2000, however, offers a fix for this. Although it is not a cure-all, in some cases it can save the audio stream so you don't have to record it all over again.

To begin, start up Cool Edit and load your clipped audio by choosing FILE --> OPEN...

More Help
If you need any more help, read the Cool Edit 2000 manual, it answers almost all your questions. I can't stress reading the manual enough. Also, you can catch me in #musicvideo and /msg me for some help. I'll do my best to help you out. You could also try posting in the Forum. Good luck!

happyg