1. Speak with confidence! This is definitely not a mic technique, but a vocal technique. Make sure that you don’t sit and mumble for yourself. I think this is a common mistake, especially by people who sit and record by themselves.

2. Think about the distance to the mic. Depending on the microphone you use, and depending on what sound you’re going for, you should have it at different distances. And perhaps more importantly when recording spoken word, you should keep it at a constant distance. A major flaw I hear in amateur podcasts is the typical change in sound that you get when the speaker suddenly leans backwards in his chair, thus getting an additional meter to the mic. The change that occurs there is not only volume either. No, the change is also in the character of the sound, because the sound being picked up (you) have moved from one place in the room to another. This is especially apparent when recording with condenser microphones as they pick up more of the sound than dynamic microphones do.

What distance should you have then? Record a few words at a a couple of different distances to hear the differences, then choose the one you like best. Generally, though, with a condenser mic you should be a bit farther away (a few decimeters is certainly no problem) than with a dynamic mic, the latter which you can almost let your lips touch the membrane (don’t do that however).

3. Think about the angle. If you’re reading from a paper, script or whatever, it’s a good chance that you will turn your face and mouth a little from the mic from time to time. This can also result in poor sound, so make sure that you’re aiming well. It’s especially important when using dynamic microphones.

4. Kill the sibilants. Sometimes, depending on the vocalist and the mic, a lot of s- and p-sounds will be present. This doesn’t sound good at all. While actions against it usually takes place in the editing and mixing phase as well, there’s no need to hold back against it at this point. There are pop shields available that helps to deal with these types of sounds (they’re also good for reminding you of the distance to the mic!).

The poor mans solution is making your own with a pair of stockings, or using the pen trick. As you can see on this crappy quality picture, just attach a pen to the mic so that it splits the sounds. I only use pop shields and the likes on condenser microphones.

5. If you record digital, red is a no-no. Back in the day, when analog ruled the world, it really didn’t matter if your input meters hit red when you recorded. In fact, it was often used for effect because it creates analog distortion which is pleasant to the ear. When you do this in the digital domain, however, it creates digital distortion which sounds awful. Because of that I make a habit of recording with the meters around -12dB, but some go as low as -20dB. You don’t have to be as exact, just keep in mind that louder in-signal isn’t necessarily the best or the loudest out-signal. Raising the volume fader after you’ve recorded isn’t hard, but getting rid of digital distortion can sometimes be impossible once it’s there.

Keep in mind that depending on which software you use the metering will be different. For instance, some applications will show meters going as high as +12dB, which in most cases mean that +12dB should be considered the zero point. The most common metering seems to +6dB. Consult the software manuals for details on this.

Unfortunately, because the big companies never can agree on anything, there are a lot of different plug-in formats available for the different applications, which has lead to that you can’t get it all unless you run almost every application.

The major plug-in formats

VST: Developed by Steinberg, the creators of the audio applications Cubase and Nuendo. This is an open format so anyone can code VST plug-ins. This has had two major consequences: 1) There are a lot of VST plug-ins on the market 2) There are a lot of poorly written VST plug-ins on the market. The VST format is used by a lot of applications running on both Mac and PC.

AU (audio units): Apple-based format and thus only available for Mac users. It’s used by Apple Logic Pro and Logic Express for instance, as well as a couple of other applications running on Mac, like Ableton Live.

RTAS: This is the native format (I.E. running of the computers CPU) used by Digidesign Pro Tools, the industry standard in audio production. It’s a closed format and companies need to be certified developers to make plug-ins for Pro Tools. This is almost the opposite of VST, so the consequences here are therefore: 1) There aren’t as many plug-ins available in RTAS format and 2) they are generally of good quality (in my opinion).

TDM: This is also a Pro Tools format but unlike RTAS it doesn’t run off native processing but off DSP hardware cards manufactured by Digidesign.

DX (direct x): Windows only format.

MAS: A format used by the Mac application MOTU Digital Performer.

LADSPA: Linux format plug-in, used by Linux applications such as Ardour among others.

It might seem like a hassle to remember what is what, but don’t worry, just look for what format your application uses, keep it in mind and and forget about the rest.

Today we’ll discuss the EQs practical use. While it might not be as important for general podcasting purposes as it is for music, there really isn’t any reason for you to not at least try it out. If you’re unsure on the terms used in this post, then read my previous post on EQs.

As I said in the previous post, you should treat the EQ as a volume control for different parts of a sound itself. For instance, you could boost the volume of the bass sounds that a guitar produces and at the same time lower the volume of the higher (“brighter”) tones. But why would you need this for podcasts which many times is just a little more than a simple voice? To make the overall listening pleasure easier and to make a voice more clear.

You could apply equalization to the entire mix (that is, the same EQ curve to all the tracks) but you should be careful doing so. For instance, if you have a jingle in the beginning of your podcast then that will be affected as well. Also note that different speakers sounds different, meaning that while you might think bumping up the higher frequencies on your computer speakers is a great idea, it might result in a lot of hiss and horrible s-sounds on your other listeners speakers. Generally you should apply EQ carefully, don’t go boosting 12dB or anything like that.

First of all, there are a whole lot of different EQ:s on the market and the price ranges from free to insanely expensive. And yes, they are different in quality, because the price is usually not set by features alone, but by how the EQ “sounds”. These days many prefer analog or analog sounding EQ:s as opposed to digital dittos. Personally I don’t care, I use those that I like, not analog or digital in particular.

URS makes software EQ:s that emulate old hardware while Flux has a completely new digital and great sounding EQ called Epure. Sonnox (previously Sony Oxford) has the Oxford EQ, one of my favorites, that emulates the EQ in the old Oxford console. Roger Nichols Digital has the Frequel-izer which actually let’s you free-hand draw the EQ curve. These are all pretty expensive and for podcasting they perhaps simply won’t be worth the money, at least not for starters. If you have any type of audio editing software (such as GarageBand for Mac users) then you most likely have EQ:s. Start with using these. And as always, consult the manual for description of practical use.

The Oxford is an ugly bugger, but it sounds fantastic.

So how do you know which frequency to cut or boost? LISTEN! That’s it!

Alright, you want some meaty tips? If you use a graphical EQ, set the Q to a narrow value and drag it across the spectrum field until you find a frequency that you like or dislike, then boost it or cut it accordingly. If the recording isn’t all messed up, your changes should be very light, as I said don’t go boosting or cutting no 12-24 dB.

For more on EQs you can check out the five part Spotlight on www.protoolerblog.com.

In music production the EQ, or the equalizer, is perhaps the most important element besides the tools producing the sounds themselves. If you’re doing spoken word for podcasting you won’t have to deal with the same issues someone mixing an entire song has to however, that is, to adjust the frequencies of the separate sounds to make them all fit together in the spectrum. But it’s still a useful tool.

This is the purpose of the EQ – to adjust frequencies. Most likely you will already have dealt with EQ:s on your home- or car stereo. Consider it a volume control for different parts of a sound itself.

In the past graphical EQs were a couple of sliders next to each other, while they still exist, in the digital world it’s much more common to have a proper display of the spectrum today. Non-graphical EQs lack this, and usually only have knobs to turn. Both will do the job, both will force you to listen if you want to achieve good results. The lesson to be learned in any audio work is that you should never rely solely on your eyes.

Most EQs have a fixed amount of bands. This could be described as the areas of which you can raise or lower the volume. On some EQ:s they are static, which means they operate within a fixed spectrum, such as 350Hz-1kHz. Sometimes they are sweepable, meaning that you can change the spectrum. Going with the above example, you could choose to move it to 450Hz-1.1kHz. 3-band, 5-band and 7-band EQ:s are all common, though for instance Roger Nichols Digitals Uniquel-izer let’s you add as many bands as you want.

Most EQs features a couple of ways to set the curve. Look at the picture above, the Roger Nichols Digital Uniquel-izer may look frightening with all the controls but is wonderful to work with once you get used to it. There is another reason for the picture though. Look at the top left, it features all kinds of curves to apply. I thought it would be easier to understand if you actually see representations of them. Note that most of them can also be inverted. For instance, the “valley” in the graph (where the pointer is) is made with the use of a parametric band that have cut a lot of dBs. The small “carvings” to the left in the graph was made with a special type of band usually not found in EQs that’s called “harmonic” on the Uniquel-izer, but you could do the same by using several parametrics. Other common types are high pass and low pass filters. These cut out the high or low frequencies below or above the setting. For instance, you can often cut out frequencies under 20Hz because it is bass sounds that you often won’t need. The high- and low shelves are similar but not identical, they can both cut and boost.

The Q value sets the width of the band. So for instance, one band could by default be set to operate on 350Hz-1kHz, but with a change of the Q value it could be set to operate only on 350Hz-400Hz or 350Hz-2kHz. Look at the Uniquel-izer again, the “valley” is made with a low Q value, while the “carvings”, if they would’ve been made with parametric bands, would be made with a very high Q value.

Boosting or cutting a frequency refers to raising or lowering the volume of a frequency.

For more on EQs you can check out the five part Spotlight on www.protoolerblog.com.

Look around the room where you record your podcasts. Most likely you will identify things inside the room that produce noise that can be picked up by your microphone. For example, the air conditioner emits a hum that can be an annoying background noise. Turn it off when recording and just turn it back on when you’ve finished recording your take.

Refrigerators are another appliance that produce noise. Make sure that the room that you record in doesn’t have one inside. The hum of some refrigerators are not particularly loud but it can still be heard by people who have sensitive ears so give them a break and don’t record near a refrigerator.

One of the things that you should do is to answer some questions yourself. How long do you plan to hold the interview? Are you going to let the interview play out or are you going to edit it? How will you edit it? You should also be ready to give your interviewee information — like who the audience will be and what are the expectations for the interview. You should also provide this information in the pitch letter that you will send your potential interviewee.

There are interviewees who may ask for some of the questions beforehand. This is a perfectly safe request for most “friendly” interviews.  A good tip is to start off the interview with a killer question — one that immediately grabs hold of the audience’s interest. After a couple of intriguing questions you can ease back and ask background questions afterwards.

You can still use the phone interview if you like by recording your phone call. Unfortunately, phone call interviews can be hard because you have to be constantly vigilant to keep your interview focused. After this you have to edit the conversation to reduce the amount of gaps.

One of the simplest ways of recording is to just record the speakerphone using your mic. It may sound crude but surprisingly, the quality can be quite good. Take note to mute the speaker of your computer in order to reduce or eliminate feedback.

Unfortunately, even if you record your podcast in a studio, noise can still creep into your podcast if you do not take care about how the recording is set up. For example, background noise can be caused by something as small as the computer fan.In fact, it’s the most common source of background noise in podcasts — almost 20 percent of podcasts suffer from computer fan background noise. The solution for this is as simple as moving the microphone away from the computer. A distance of six feet is sufficient enough to prevent the microphone from picking up computer fan noise. Another good tip is to use a directional mic and then point it away from the computer so that it won’t pick up any sound or noise that the PC produces. Of course, the most radical solution is to use fan-less computers or laptops. If you’re planning to upgrade your hardware then you can go this route to eliminate noise while recording your podcasts.

Beercasts are gaining a lot of fans in the podcasting community because it is a lot of fun and a relatively easy way of making a podcast. the setup for a beercast is quite simple. All one needs is a few microphones, a Behringer mixer and an MP3 recorder.

A beercast is actually  round table discussion. A topic is presented to the participants and the discussions begin. It’s an easy setup and when it gets going, it is so much fun. A discussion like this will be energetic, free-flowing and, if the participants are witty and eloquent, quite a great show of verbal repartee. Of course, introducing some alcohol into the mix could result in even more free spirited discussions.

Beercasting is a great way to get your feet wet in the world of podcasting simply because conversations come naturally, unlike a monologue. A podcaster is more likely to feel more comfortable when he’s talking with other people rather than just talking on his own while on the microphone. Conversations will allow you to actually think about what you will say next when the other participants in the beercast are talking. Beercasts and multiple host types of podcast are so popular and more engaging to audiences that you will notice that in any ranking of podcasts, there’s more multiple-host formats in the list.

If you’re interested in trying out a podcast, try to read the excellent resource Podcasting Hacks.

One of the most common pitfalls of beginner podcasters is talking too quickly. You should watch how you pace your talk when you do your podcast. Talking at a fast pace usually happens when you’ve done a run through of your material a few times. The familiarity with what you’re going to say may result in you trying to “breeze” through the whole show. Slow down. Give yourself the opportunity to actually take a breath and check how fast you’re going.

You will also have a tendency to speed up when you are tense. The whole podcasting setup with the microphone, headphones and hearing yourself talk is quite a strange experience that not everyone will be immediately used to. Try to do relaxation exercises before recording. Avoid caffeine which can make you more tense. You will also usually get tense when you put such high expectations on your performance. Remember that practice makes perfect and it is the rare person who takes to podcasting like duck to water. Take comfort in the fact that there is also a learning curve here and that you will continually improve as long as you take note of what aspects you should improve on.