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Looking around my studio, I counted almost ten different ways to record a podcast. Over the next few episode of Podcast Quick Tips, I’m going to be using each of these methods to demonstrate how you can produce a quality sounding podcast many different ways.
Recording with the H4n on-board mics about 7-10 inches from my mouth
First up is the Zoom H4n. This digital audio recorder is an amazing little piece of technology and really the only thing you need to record a podcast. You’ll hear how I use the on-board condenser microphones of the H4n to record this episode.
Coupled together with some post production, you can create some fantastic sounding audio. A little compression, a limiter, some EQ and a touch of noise removal can really improve the audio that comes off the Zoom. However, this device is powerful enough to produce a show without using any post production. It can even compress your raw audio file into the mp3 format for you.
If you’re considering attending this year’s BlogWorld, which will have an incredible podcasting track, make sure to use my promo code: PodRay10 on checkout to save 10% off the price of your ticket. And, if you purchase by May 15, 2012 you’ll save an additional $100 off the price of a ticket.
If you’re going, make sure you let me know so we can meet in person!
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Adding a mixer to your podcast studio will allow your productions to grow along with your show.
As you get further along in your podcasting venture, you’ll likely want to add in more capabilities such as Skype hosts and guests, more in-studio microphones, and built in capabilities for backing up recordings to avoid loss of your audio. Having a mixer in your studio allows you to easily add in these and many more features as your skills and productions progress over time.
On this episode I explain the many ways a mixer allows you to easily expand your studio’s capabilities and what features you might want to look for when choosing your first mixer or upgrading your old one.
There are many ways to create an .mp3 file. Some methods include creating an mp3 directly from your editing system including Audacity, Garageband and others.
My preferred method is to use the free iTunes software. This gives you a better sounding file due to the technology (Fraunhoffer (best for voice)) that iTunes is using to compress your audio into the .mp3 format.
The video below shows you how to setup your iTunes software for compressing an uncompressed file (.wav or .aiff) into the .mp3 format.
The settings shown are my preferred settings for audio only (mostly voice) for podcasting. You can change the bit rate to your desired setting for the best compromise between size and quality.
After properly setting up the iTunes software to create mp3′s, I’ll show you how to add in metadata to your file. ID3 tags are the information that helps identify your podcast episode within someone’s portable media player such as an iPod, iPad, or Android device.
This information will display each episode’s title, description and album cover art as well as any other information you choose to include.
Your version of Skype might be doing a couple things with your audio that you don’t want it to. Here’s how to fix it.
To disable Skype’s auto gain control (AGC) for both Mac (5.6.0.143 and later) and PC versions, simply go into your Preferrences > Audio/Video and deselect the Automatic Microphone Control checkbox. [click to continue…]
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Fresh off my return from SXSW, I share my experiences from the conference and a couple panels I saw that led me to bigger ideas about my podcast, sharing and your show’s legacy. One of the speakers I sat in on was Jason Scott from the Internet Archive. He talked about curating the culture of [...]
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If you weren’t already aware, Skype is likely controlling your audio levels. As podcasters, we want to make sure we are in control of all our settings all of the time. This is how you can make sure Skype isn’t changing your audio quality. Skype just released (03/06/12) a new version of it’s software for [...]
I tackled another DIY podcast studio project today and I’m happy with the results thus far. This is a desktop rack mount which I’m calling the Podcaster’s Rack Mount because of it’s relatively small footprint. Designed to fit a mixer and one or two rack mountable pieces to meet the challenges of recording in a [...]
I’ve spent hours culling through all the video tutorials I could find to help you get a better understanding of specific audio production concepts. The videos on this page all deal with the concept of compression and help you understand how to go about using this effect in your audio editing. Underneath each video, I’ve [...]
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Blip.tv announces they will no longer accept audio only uploads. For the past six years or so, Blip.tv has been kindly hosting audio only files for free. Blip.tv is primarily a video site and now they’re cementing that with the discontinuation of audio only uploads. Here’s the official announcement: At blip.tv we’re focused on being [...]
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Sean Allen sent in a guest Quick Tip detailing how he increases the credibility of his podcast by using voice overs. Subscribe to Podcast Quick Tips
