Recording Techniques for Podcasting

How to Record A Great Sounding Podcast

I learned some valuable tips for recording podcasts from professional podcaster, John McJunkin of Avalon Podcasting.

John identified three problem areas for sound:

• Distractions, such as mouth noises.
• Masking–hiss buzz, music, sound effects, and acoustical blurring from the room.
• Distortion–that you add electronically, e.g., the by-products of sound editing.

He says podcasters should understand that there are elements of sound production that they can control, and ones that you have to live with. For example, you can control

• How you prepare for your podcast and the way you speak.
• The equipment you use, such as good quality microphones.
• The sound editing equipment you use, such as compression.
• The digital encoding rate and other features you employ.

But you can’t control how the listener accesses the podcast. For example, you can't control

• the quality of their computer and the speed of their download.
• the quality of their MP3 player.
• the quality of their ear buds or head phones.

It may seem obvious, but it’s good to remember what you can control for in sound production.

Here are some tips he mentioned, along with some of my own comments.

Finding a Podcast-Friendly Space for Recording

John McJunkin says that the recorded ambiance–or noise from within the room–cannot be removed in editing. It can be adjusted with the noise reduction feature in sound editing, but that feature can cause its own challenges in altering the sound of the recording. I know this is true, because I have tried it. For example, once I recorded a podcast on a road trip. It was good material, but it was hard to take out the engine sound, even with noise reduction.

Of course, there are times when ambient noise adds something to the podcast. Tee Morris (the author of "Podcasting for Dummies") has mentioned the example of when you may be recording interviews at a conference and you want a certain amount of background hub-bub to give the listener a sense of excitement of that environment.

John recommends record in a small, innermost room with absorbent elements, such as draperies or furniture. The standard is to use Auralex foam. If foam isn't handy, you can use heavy rugs and draperies (or even blankets and quilts). Cover up anything hard that will reflect the sound. I've even heard tell of people who podcast in walk-in closets! The clothing provides good sound insulation.

If that kind of preparation just sounds like too much trouble for you, at least try to avoid recording directly in front of your computer monitor, e.g., with a USB mic. Sure, I've done it. But the sound bounces back from the hard surface of your screen. The podcasts that I've recorded in my living room with soft furnishings and drapes sound better.

Correcting for Environmental Noise

If you're going to be really serious about it, John proposes recording the environment before you podcast. That way you can identify the sounds you may otherwise miss. Examples of sounds that you may not notice until you record them include environmental sounds such as cars on the street, a computer fan, air conditioning, cellphones (do not put on vibrate), jingling jewelry, change in your pockets, and even squeaky chairs. John also advises not to wear headphones while you podcast; let a friend do that.

What to Do About Notes

One of the most distracting sounds in a podcast can be the noise that comes from turning the pages of your script or notes as you speak and record. It’s hard to record a podcast without a script or outline at hand, but the papers do create audible noise. To minimize this, put your papers and notes on a music stand covered with a carpet remnant and arrange them so you don’t have to shuffle them.