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Request for Comments: Rym's Podcasting Guide v0.1
I know I've talked about writing something like this for a while on the show. I've been working on it whenever I've had free time, which has been woefully uncommon.
I had a spare couple of hours and, in a burst of activity, put the following together. This is so pre-alpha that it's laughable, but I think you can get a sense of the direction and level of tech I'm aiming for.
Aside from formatting, grammar, diction, and incompleteness issues, what do you think so far? Would a guide such as this be useful to the "podcasting community?"
I plan to release it under the Creative Commons, but for now I reserve all rights, at least until I clean it up substantially.
....
When it comes to actual hardware, I will make two parallel sets of
recommendations: the beginner's/budget setup, and the advanced setup.
Don't be fooled by the names: the beginner's/budget equipment, if used properly,
will yeild sound quality far above and beyond the majority of podcasts out
there. The advanced version, while clearly better, is not
monumentally better.
I cannot stress enough that you should feel no shame whatsoever in working with
the "beginer's/budget" equipment, especially if you have little or no audio
experience. That equipment is just fine, and you'll learn a great deal by
using it. Consider it a baseline starting point. As time goes on,
you'll start to understand both the potential and the limitations of that
rig. Until then, don't get in over your head. Don't buy a $300 mixer
until you understand why you need that $300
mixer, and how it's better than a $60 mixer.
Start small. While no one wants to admit it, there's always the chance
with any new endeavor that you'll grow tired of it in time. A budget rig
will give you the time you'll need to figure out if this is something you want
to continue to invest your time, energy, and money into. You wouldn't buy
a $3000 wide-bore silver trumpet before you took a single lesson: you'd buy a
$200 starter trumpet. If you lose interest in six months, you're out $200,
and you move on. By starting small, you're minimizing your potential
losses.
....
Recording audio requires a small amount of specialized equipment, each component
of which relies on the rest. I would recommend that you read the entire
"Hardware" section before making any decisions.
Microphone choice is important, but that is not to say that you should spend a
lot of money on one. The difference between a $5 microphone and a $30
microphone is enormous. The difference between a $30 and a $100 microphone
is noticeable. The difference between a $100 and a $500 microphone is
almost imperceptible. Welcome to the world of
diminishing returns.
This is not to say that the $500 microphone is not (in most cases) superior to
cheaper models. The issue has more to do with understanding what you
actually need, which is often far less than what you might want. Don't
spend a lot of money on a fancy microphone (or anything, for that matter) unless
you can clearly articulate to yourself exactly
why you need it. Ask yourself what problem this new piece of
equipment will solve, and how you think it will solve it. If you cannot
answer that question, then you'll likely be wasting your money.
There are a great many options out there, and decisions to make long before you
even think about brand or price. For the sake of simplicity, I'll break it
down into a few broad distinctions and omit the more technical details or
esoteric options.
Modern microphones fall into two basic categories: condenser microphones and
dynamic microphones.
Condenser microphones, also known as capacitor microphones, work based on, in
case you couldn't guess, capacitors. While they typically have slightly
more sensitivity and better frequency response, they have a number of drawbacks.
They are significantly more expensive than dynamic microphones of similar
quality, even low-end ones costing quite a bit. They are far more fragile
than dynamic microphones, requiring careful handling. They require
external (Phantom) power to function, and can be overloaded with too-loud
sounds.
Dynamic microphones work with a magnet and coil. Being of far simpler
construction than condenser microphones, they are thus many times more durable
and substantially cheaper. They are practically impossible to overload,
provide excellent response, and generate very little noise. Their only
real drawback is magnetic sensitivity: dynamic microphones will record a hum if
placed too close to CRT displays or other sources of moving magnetic fields.
Different microphones have different pickup patterns. Omnidirectional
microphones accept sound equally from all directions. Unidirectional
microphones accept sound primarily from only one direction, ignoring other
ambient noise. Bidirectional microphones accept sound from two opposite
(180*) directions.
Unidirectional microphones can be broken down into cardioid, hypercardoid, and
shotgun types. Very simply, cardioid accepts sound from a narrow angle in
the direction the microphone is facing. Hypercardioid accepts a much
narrower angle from the front, but also accepts some sound 180* from that (the
rear of the microphone). Shotgun accepts sound from an extremely focused
frontal angle, with small bits of sensitivity to the left, right, and rear.
In general, unidirectional microphones reduce background noise, reverb, and
feedback. They allow you to isolate a single sound source to the exclusion
of anything else going on in the room. They do, however, colour the sound
somewhat when compared to omnidirectional microphones. Interestingly, this
effect can be used to your advantage. Unidirectional microphones will
provide a substantial bass boost at very close ranges (0-5cm) due to something
called the proximity effect. Many
radio personalities' distinct, booming voices are the direct result of
"close-miking" in order to take advantage of this colouration.
Omnidirectional microphones do not typically colour the sound, and will in
general give you a more accurate representation of your voice. Also, since
they are sensitive in all directions, you do not have to be as careful to always
speak from the proper distance and angle. They will, however, pick up any
ambient sound in the room, which can be especially troublesome when trying to
record multiple voices simultaneously.
Bidirectional microphones are often very useful in face-to-face interviews, as
they essentially function as two unidirectional microphones, one for each
speaker.
I had a spare couple of hours and, in a burst of activity, put the following together. This is so pre-alpha that it's laughable, but I think you can get a sense of the direction and level of tech I'm aiming for.
Aside from formatting, grammar, diction, and incompleteness issues, what do you think so far? Would a guide such as this be useful to the "podcasting community?"
I plan to release it under the Creative Commons, but for now I reserve all rights, at least until I clean it up substantially.
Main Title
Introduction
....When it comes to actual hardware, I will make two parallel sets of
recommendations: the beginner's/budget setup, and the advanced setup.
Don't be fooled by the names: the beginner's/budget equipment, if used properly,
will yeild sound quality far above and beyond the majority of podcasts out
there. The advanced version, while clearly better, is not
monumentally better.
I cannot stress enough that you should feel no shame whatsoever in working with
the "beginer's/budget" equipment, especially if you have little or no audio
experience. That equipment is just fine, and you'll learn a great deal by
using it. Consider it a baseline starting point. As time goes on,
you'll start to understand both the potential and the limitations of that
rig. Until then, don't get in over your head. Don't buy a $300 mixer
until you understand why you need that $300
mixer, and how it's better than a $60 mixer.
Start small. While no one wants to admit it, there's always the chance
with any new endeavor that you'll grow tired of it in time. A budget rig
will give you the time you'll need to figure out if this is something you want
to continue to invest your time, energy, and money into. You wouldn't buy
a $3000 wide-bore silver trumpet before you took a single lesson: you'd buy a
$200 starter trumpet. If you lose interest in six months, you're out $200,
and you move on. By starting small, you're minimizing your potential
losses.
....
Hardware
Recording audio requires a small amount of specialized equipment, each componentof which relies on the rest. I would recommend that you read the entire
"Hardware" section before making any decisions.
Microphones
Introduction
Microphone choice is important, but that is not to say that you should spend alot of money on one. The difference between a $5 microphone and a $30
microphone is enormous. The difference between a $30 and a $100 microphone
is noticeable. The difference between a $100 and a $500 microphone is
almost imperceptible. Welcome to the world of
diminishing returns.
This is not to say that the $500 microphone is not (in most cases) superior to
cheaper models. The issue has more to do with understanding what you
actually need, which is often far less than what you might want. Don't
spend a lot of money on a fancy microphone (or anything, for that matter) unless
you can clearly articulate to yourself exactly
why you need it. Ask yourself what problem this new piece of
equipment will solve, and how you think it will solve it. If you cannot
answer that question, then you'll likely be wasting your money.
Types of Microphones
There are a great many options out there, and decisions to make long before youeven think about brand or price. For the sake of simplicity, I'll break it
down into a few broad distinctions and omit the more technical details or
esoteric options.
Condenser vs. Dynamic
Modern microphones fall into two basic categories: condenser microphones anddynamic microphones.
Condenser microphones, also known as capacitor microphones, work based on, in
case you couldn't guess, capacitors. While they typically have slightly
more sensitivity and better frequency response, they have a number of drawbacks.
They are significantly more expensive than dynamic microphones of similar
quality, even low-end ones costing quite a bit. They are far more fragile
than dynamic microphones, requiring careful handling. They require
external (Phantom) power to function, and can be overloaded with too-loud
sounds.
Dynamic microphones work with a magnet and coil. Being of far simpler
construction than condenser microphones, they are thus many times more durable
and substantially cheaper. They are practically impossible to overload,
provide excellent response, and generate very little noise. Their only
real drawback is magnetic sensitivity: dynamic microphones will record a hum if
placed too close to CRT displays or other sources of moving magnetic fields.
Unidirectional vs. Omnidirectional (vs. Bidirectional)
Different microphones have different pickup patterns. Omnidirectionalmicrophones accept sound equally from all directions. Unidirectional
microphones accept sound primarily from only one direction, ignoring other
ambient noise. Bidirectional microphones accept sound from two opposite
(180*) directions.
Unidirectional microphones can be broken down into cardioid, hypercardoid, and
shotgun types. Very simply, cardioid accepts sound from a narrow angle in
the direction the microphone is facing. Hypercardioid accepts a much
narrower angle from the front, but also accepts some sound 180* from that (the
rear of the microphone). Shotgun accepts sound from an extremely focused
frontal angle, with small bits of sensitivity to the left, right, and rear.
In general, unidirectional microphones reduce background noise, reverb, and
feedback. They allow you to isolate a single sound source to the exclusion
of anything else going on in the room. They do, however, colour the sound
somewhat when compared to omnidirectional microphones. Interestingly, this
effect can be used to your advantage. Unidirectional microphones will
provide a substantial bass boost at very close ranges (0-5cm) due to something
called the proximity effect. Many
radio personalities' distinct, booming voices are the direct result of
"close-miking" in order to take advantage of this colouration.
Omnidirectional microphones do not typically colour the sound, and will in
general give you a more accurate representation of your voice. Also, since
they are sensitive in all directions, you do not have to be as careful to always
speak from the proper distance and angle. They will, however, pick up any
ambient sound in the room, which can be especially troublesome when trying to
record multiple voices simultaneously.
Bidirectional microphones are often very useful in face-to-face interviews, as
they essentially function as two unidirectional microphones, one for each
speaker.
Comments
In most cases, especially in podcasting, there is very little reason to botherChoosing a Microphone
with condenser microphones. Their benefits are subtle at best, and you can
get dynamic microphones of equivalent quality for far less money. Couple
that with the durability and ease-of-use of dynamic microphones, and it's no
contest. You'll run into the limitations of your other equipment long
before you'll be at a point where a high-quality condenser microphone would do
you any good.
By the same token, there is little reason to use an omnidirectional microphone.
Unidirectionals, particularly cardioids, have too many benefits to
ignore. This is especially true if you're recording more than one person
in the same room. In general, you don't want a source to be heard by more
than one microphone, nor do you want to pick up passing trucks, computer fans,
or other environmental noise.
I recommend a Radio Shack unidirectional microphone. Most microphones atThe Beginner/Budget Option
this price point are roughly equivalent, so don't fret too much over the
brand. You'll get adequate sound quality, reasonable directionality, and
generally sound better than the majority of podcasts from the get-go.
This microphone uses a 1/4" unbalanced connection (see "Cables" below for an
explanation of what that means), so you'll be able to plug it into just about
any mixer or pre-amplifier.
I recommend the Shure SM-57 Instrument Microphone or the Shure SM-58 VocalThe Advanced Option
Microphone. They are both unidirectional with cardioid pickup patterns,
extremely durable, and relatively inexpensive. Both are very widely used
by professionals, and they are considered staples of the recording
industry. The 57 is the standard microphone of the President of the United
States for all of his public speeches, and has been for a great many
years. The 58 is the most-used stage vocal mic in the world.
If you purchase the SM-57, you'd might as well get the AWS-2 Windscreen to go
along with it. Aside from being generally useful and cheap, it can serve
as a somewhat decent pop filter (see below). Also, note that neither of
these microphones come with cables, and furthermore that they require a special
"XLR" kind of cable. Refer to the cabling section for more information
regarding these.
To effectively use a microphone, especially in talk radio, you'll need a fewMicrophone Accessories
other things to supplement it.
Outside of live stage shows, you never want to be forced to hold a microphone inMicrophone Stand/Boom and Mount
your hands. It's distracting, and your hand will invariably generate all
manner of noise as you move about. You also want the ability to handle
papers and read as you're speaking. Thus, some form of microphone stand is
indespensible.
Most microphones, including the Radio Shack Unidirectionals and Shure SM57/58,
come with plastic mounts, accepting your microphone on one end and having a
threaded hole with which to affix it to a stand or boom on the other.
These mounts are largely standardized, so you can buy just about any stand you
want.
Sit down in the area where you'll be recording and think about how you want to
position yourself. Buy whatever stand will put the microphone where you
want it: generally between 1 and 6 inches from your mouth. If you pick up
vibration hums or thumps against your desk, invest in a cheap shockmount.
Certain consonant sounds, such as "p," are prone to causing an effect known asPop Filter
popping, where a burst of air generated from your mouth during speech strikes
the microphone, creating a loud "popping" sound. Aside from being
generally annoying, these sounds can easily clip (see "Clipping" below) and
greatly reduce the perceived quality of your audio. The closer you
position yourself to the microphone, the more pronounced these sounds will be.
The simplest solution to this problem is the pop filter: a small screen that
prevents the air burst from striking the microphone but allows your voice to
carry through. Professional pop filters often come with flexible mounting
arms and are very sleek, but can cost some $30. You can, however,
create a very effective pop filter yourself for a few dollars. Simply
stretch some thin pantyhose over an embroidery loop and fix it to some sort of
stand.
Regardless of how it is made, place the pop filter directly between your mouth
and the microphone. Be sure that it is not
touching the microphone itself, and also
see that it will not move under the force of your breath and strike the
microphone while you speak.
The need for a pop filter depends greatly on the nature of a person's speech
patterns and their proximity to the microphone. Listen to your recorded
audio and decide for yourself if one is necessary.
All microphones require some form of preamplification in order to get usablePreamplifier
audio from them. Even cheap PC microphones are preamplified in your sound
card. While you can purchase standalone microphone preamps, I recommend
that you simply use the ones included in your mixer. Refer to the mixer
section for more information.
Mixer
The mixer is a crucial part of audio recording. It is the interfaceIntroduction
between your hardware and your PC. It merges all of those microphones,
compressors, and gates, strange connectors and assorted mish-mash, into a
single, simple wire from which you can record. It is a powerful and
indispensible tool that, when mastered, will afford you a great many
conveniences. With a good mixer, you won't need a seperate microphone
preamplifier or phantom power source, nor will you suffer the hassles of
recording multiple streams in software.
Even if you're running a one-man-show, you should probably purchase a
mixer. It will allow you to easily incorporate other audio sources such as
Skype or your iPod, accomodate interviews and guests, incorporate hardware such
as noise gates and compressors into your show, and use better microphones.
Simply put, you'll plug all of your microphones (and other sources) into yourWhat a Mixer Does
mixer, and then plug the mixer into your computer. The mixer, internally,
has all manner of circuitry which allow you to route these sources to where they
need to be and at what volumes you desire. Below are the main functions
broken down.
On their own, microphones produce extremely quiet sounds. You might have experienced this if you've ever plugged a microphone into your computer'sPreamplification
"line-in" port instead of its "microphone" port. (The latter actually has
a tiny preamplifier built in). As such, these sounds need to be amplified
before they can be used. A preamplifier does this before your audio hits
any other piece of equipment, bringing it up to "line level." This way,
you can assume that all of your audio will be coming in at relatively similar
levels.
Standalone microphone preamplifiers exist and have their uses, but I would
recommend simply using the ones built into your mixer. They are more than
adequate, and it is highly unlikely that you would notice any substantial
difference.
Different audio sources come in a different levels. People speak atIndependent Volume Control
different volumes and through different microphones. It is incredibly
annoying to listen to a show where one host is twice as loud as the other, or
where the music is barely louder than the background noise. Thus, each
source of audio, be it a person, iPod, Skype conversation, or what-have-you, has
to have its own volume control. The mixer provides this, allowing each
input to be controlled independently.
Note that this is distinct from preamplification. A preamplifier is for
bringing a very quiet source up to a reasonable level, amplifying it a great
deal. Volume control is for fine-tuning the volumes of different sources
of audio so that they sit well together. A microphone will be preamplified
AND volume controlled: a Skype conversation or iPod will simply be volume
controlled.
In addition to allowing volume adjustments, most mixers provide a visualLevel Monitoring
representation of the loudness of your audio, in the form of a bar or
meter. Far better than going entirely by ear, these meters provide
objective, numeric data. You can observe not just that a source is louder
or quieter than the others, but also by <i>how much</i> it is
so and adjust accordingly. Almost all mixers provide a final volume meter
for your combined audio. Better ones provide meters for each input as
well.
Many mixers, in addition to providing level information, will also include clip
indicators. These serve to warn you if an audio source is too loud for
your equipment to handle, a situation which often results in distortion and poor
audio quality.
The primary purpose of a mixer is, of course, mixing. By setting yourMixing
preamplifiers, watching your levels, and tweaking your volumes, you'll mix all
of your audio into a single, recordable stream. ....
Choosing a Mixer
Cables
Noise Reduction
Compressors
Effects Processors
Sound Cards/Recording Equipment
Setting up your Rig
Recording
Levels
Using your Microphone(s)
Actually Recording
Recording Software
Post-Production
Editing
Processing
Encoding
Publishing
General Concerns
Process
Improvement
Quick and Dirty Guide
The following is a succinct set of recommendationswithout the associated rationale andbackground information.
Hardware
Radio Shack unidirectional microphoneBehringer UB802/Xenyx Whatever mixerBasic Setup
Samson C-Com Stereo Compressor
...Advanced Setup
I'd share it in Google Docs, but I wouldn't expect many people to look at it and I certainly am not seeking direct collaboration.
But, what about a headset with a microphone so your mouth is always at the same distance as the microphone?
And, a personal question: there are some USB logitech microphones. It seems like it's not possible to have two of those USB microphones hooked up at the same time with Audacity without a mixer. Is there a way around this?
And Rym - as for the headsets, that's what I thought you might say (that the good headsets are expensive).
Here's what I have so far. I'm wondering if the firewire audio interface is a good idea or not necessary, and I'm really wondering about the software side of podcasting. So if you could post more or just give some suggestions that would be a great help.
Mixers
Audio Interfaces
Mastering
Mic Preamps
Computers
After you have read the above, you may find this to be of help as well. It is written much more haphazardly, so I really recommend getting to know the jargon first.
TweakHeadz
21 ways to put together a rig
"Smart Speed
Pick up extra speed without distortion with Smart Speed, which dynamically shortens silences in talk shows.
Conversations still sound so natural that you’ll forget it’s on — until you see how much extra time you’ve saved."
This reminds me of the "Make Rym and Scott sound more intelligent" filter you use, one that I've wanted on MANY other podcasts I listen to. Now it seems that as long as I listen to those podcasts on this app (I've not tried it yet though) I'll get the same benefits. For example, maybe I'll finally get to the end of a Hardcore History episode.
Of course, we stopped using it around 2010. GeekNights is all natural now. ;^)
This is another feature which will be handy for when I'm out on my bike or sitting in a hot tub:
"Voice Boost
Boost and normalize volume so every show is loud, clear, and at the same volume.
Listen in more places, such as noisy cars, and still hear what everyone says without cranking the volume so high for quiet people that the loud ones blow your ears out."
That decreases the quality, but there are some shows with such rough dynamic range that I can only listen to in very quiet places.