Podcamp Pittsburgh 3- Audio Techniques

Professional Audio Techniques Taking your Podcast to the next level By David Fisher (aka Tibbon) Twitter: @Tibbon 1

12 practices to improve your audio (Mostly in the studio) Twitter: @Tibbon 2

aka.Your Podcast Sucks (well, just the audio) Twitter: @Tibbon 3

Who is this guy? • Guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, cello • Engineer: Taylor Barefoot Productions 2003-2005 • Music Business Management: Berklee College of Music 2006 • Jazkarta, 2007-2008, @natea’s company • GamerDNA, 2008-Present Twitter: @Tibbon 4

I am not covering: • Content • Distribution • How to push the record button Twitter: @Tibbon 5

3 Instant Takeaways #1: Subscribe to a FREE subscription of TapeOp Magazine: http://www.tapeop.com/ 6

Global Crisis (Joke) Youtube Blip Attempts at ‘going viral’ Global Warming Videos Number of Poor Quality Audio Productions Twitter: @Tibbon 7

Ask questions Twitter: @Tibbon 8

Problem Solving Twitter: @Tibbon 9

Audio is Important! Twitter: @Tibbon 10

You will lose listeners! Twitter: @Tibbon 11

Quality? Twitter: @Tibbon 12

Quality • Clear • Noise-free • Natural • No distractions Twitter: @Tibbon 13

Examples of Quality • Howard Stern Show • NPR • TED Talks • Most Revision3 shows Twitter: @Tibbon 14

Examples of Poor Quality • Totally Rad Show • Problems: • Boomy • Too much room sound • Distracting noise • Sounds like recorded in a garage Twitter: @Tibbon 15

Where do consumers listen? • Mostly on headphones (65%) • Often on laptops (15%) • Sometimes on full range speakers (~10%) • Occasionally in the car (~10%) • All numbers are estimates* 16

1) Quality Mics last a Lifetime • Mostly Condenser Mics • Dynamic Mics to Consider; SM-7B, RE-20 • Some bargains, but you get what you pay for • Beware of cheap ‘tube’ mics • Use Proper Technique, be mindful of proximity effect Twitter: @Tibbon 17

1a) “Other” Mics • Shotgun Mics- Capture sound from a distance • Lavilier (Lav) mics- Often with wireless packs • Combine well together Twitter: @Tibbon 18

Shotgun Mics 19

2) Use a Hardware Compressor • Optional! Software works too • Control Dynamics, Makes Sound Fuller • Does it right the first time, better workflow • As a downside, difficult to use in the field Twitter: @Tibbon 20

2a) Channel Strips are cool • Combine hardware preamp, EQ and compressor • All-in-one package • Great values, again you get what you pay for Twitter: @Tibbon 21

2b) Lunchboxes are cooler! • Modular chassis that allow you to insert module units such as a preamp, compressor, eq, etc. • Power connections/Chassis all in one • Save money, space, and ease of portability • Downside: No low end setup. Expensive but great value Twitter: @Tibbon 22

3) Preamps Matter • Preamps amplify the signal level of the microphone to line level • Built in preamps are sometimes ﬁne, but high quality external preamps are great! • All do the same thing, but like different methods of heating food all yield slightly different results • Don’t go overboard • In short: Most sound cards are insufﬁcient Twitter: @Tibbon 23

4) Treat a room • Acoustic treatment doesn’t make a room quieter or eliminate noise. • Do not over-deaden • Listen to this room. • Close Mic’ing technique will help overcome some room issues Twitter: @Tibbon 24

Takeaway #2: Two cool forums: Gearslutz (http://gearslutz.com) & Harmony-Central (http://acapella.harmony-central.com) 25

5) Workflow is King • Use a Patchbay!!! • Do it right the first time • Have extras of common items onhand (microphones, cables, pop filters, mic stands, headphones) • Software only matters for workflow • Keep your workspace clean Twitter: @Tibbon 26

6) Get a second set of Monitors • One ‘full range’ set (Mackie, Genelec, Dynaudio, Yamaha) • One ‘consumer’ set (NS-10, Auratone, Computer speakers) • One high quality set of headphones, use while recording. • Monitor controller/switch, headphone distribution Twitter: @Tibbon 27

7) Use Popﬁlters • Helps with spacing from the microphone • Helps with Plosives • Clean them after sessions • The metal ones work better (Inside tip: can be found cheap if you look around) Twitter: @Tibbon 28

8) Do Not Overdo Anything • Excessive level line gain (normally means bad gain staging) • Never Over-EQ (generally indicative of another problem) • Excessive gating and compression also is bad. • If anything is turned all the way up, you’re likely doing something wrong Twitter: @Tibbon 29

9) Use Room Tone • Record room tone with all mics open, but no audio for 45 seconds • When you cut out a mic, replace it with its room tone. • Do not “Gate” audio. It makes things sound choppy. Replace with roomtone if you do this • Use Noise Reduction only if needed. Quiet the room, not the recording Twitter: @Tibbon 30

10) Mix into a compressor • Use a high threshold, low gain makeup, fast attack, slow release, high ratio compressor (20:1) to mix into • You can even use two compressors (one more as a high ratio limiter, one as a low ratio compressor) • There are some good plugins for this, such as the Sony Oxford Inﬂator or the L2. Just don’t overuse it Twitter: @Tibbon 31

11) Don’t Re-Compress Mastered Audio • When ﬂying in audio for intros, do not re-compress/limit/eq the pre-mastered audio • It’s like cooking your food twice and simply makes it sound bad • This applies speciﬁcally to the compressors mentioned in step 10! Twitter: @Tibbon 32

12) Find a good Audio Equipment Dealer! • Allows borrows/returns easily and without issues • Provides helpful problem solving • Truthful and doesn’t oversell • All equipment costs the same; Do not shop on price! Twitter: @Tibbon 33

Do Not: • Clip the signal • Record from a built in computer/camera microphone • Record unprepared 34

Takeaway #3: Tour a studio 35

Questions and Answers Time! • David Fisher • tibbon@gmail.com • Twitter: http://twitter.com/tibbon 36

Thank You 37

Podcamp Pittsburgh 3- Audio Techniques

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