PoducateMe: Practical Solutions for Podcasting in Education
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Preparing the Recording Environment
Where you record your podcast will have a large impact on the quality of your audio. The
first thing you can do to improve the quality of your audio is to isolate the sound you want
recorded from the sound you don’t want recorded (noise). Noise includes air conditioner
hum, computer fan whir, electrical hum, passing traffic, barking dogs, etc. You should try
to eliminate or attenuate as many of these extraneous sounds as possible before you
begin recording. This is important because when you filter these noises in post-
production, you will also be trimming the dynamic range of your vocal material.
If you are able to record in a windowless room with concrete walls, this is usually
sufficient to keep outside noise from penetrating your workspace. It also helps if the room
has a solid door, as opposed to a hollow one, and a towel or blanket placed to block the
crack under the door. Don’t forget to turn off phones, pagers, fax machines and other
equipment that may suddenly spring to life in the middle of your recording session. Digital
clocks are also recommended.
We once brought a small, analog clock into the recording room to help us keep track of
time. To my surprise, even though the clock was a couple of feet to the left of our
unidirectional microphone, I was able to hear the faint ticking of the device through my
application (Free, Mac, http://podcastacademy.com/2007/07/24/uptimer-20/). UpTimer is
a large and simple digital clock interface you can keep open on your desktop during
recording to help you and your guest keep track of time. And it doesn’t make noise!
UpTimer helps you and your guest track time.
Other potential recording spoilers to watch out for include squeaky chairs and equipment
such as electrical cords and cables rubbing against the microphone or table on which the
microphone is placed. Many guests will unwittingly rock back and forth in a chair, tap a
pencil, put a drink down hard on the table, rustle papers or fiddle with the microphone
during the course of the conversation. These sounds are very likely to be captured by the
microphone and become a distraction for the listener. In addition, a chair with wheels or
lean-back capabilities make it easy for guests to roll or lean away from the microphone
and affect the recording.
Some podcasters will convert a spare room into a recording studio and affix material such
and the ceiling to absorb sound and keep it from reflecting off these flat surfaces.
