Recording Your Podcast

Recording Your Podcast

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Step 1: 

Setting up your Recording space 

The first key thing you should consider when recording your podcast is what space to record it in, where possible try to avoid rooms with 2 parallel walls and little furniture.

If you are worried about your recording being disturbed consider putting up a sign to warn others that you are recording.

Recording Space Checklist

• Somewhere where you won’t be disturbed.
• A room with plenty of soft furniture and carpets where possible

Step 2: 
Setting up your Equipment

1.)    Setup your chosen recording device & microphones and get them to the stage where you can start the recording.

2.)    Check to ensure that you have enough free storage space on your recording device to ensure that you don’t run out of space and cut your recording short.

3.)    Set your recording levels using the monitor function on your recording device aim for a level of around -10dB to ensure that you avoid any distortion.

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Step 3:  Complete a Test Recording

 

It is vital to complete at least one test recording to ensure that all of your equipment is working as intended and that your recording is free from distortion.

Start your recording and aim to have a conversation with your interviewee(s)/guest(s) as loudly as you think you will get in the real recording. A good trick for this is to bring up something you and your guests are passionate about!

If at this stage your audio is sounding quite boomy a good tip is to hang up blankets and close curtains to reduce unwanted noise from audio reflections in the room.
If your audio sounds distorted you should turn down the recording level of your microphones and complete a second test recording to test if this has resolved your issue.

Step 4: 

Follow Recording Best Practices, Tips, and Tricks.

·        Try not to rush into the actual recording, take as much time as you need to test that your equipment is working as intended as there is nothing worse than having to re-record due to poor quality or missing audio!

• Don’t forget to turn off/silence your devices, a poorly timed phone call or loud notifications can be enough to disrupt an otherwise excellent recording.
• If you see your audio is clipping (distorting) part way through a recording don’t be afraid to reduce the recording level mid-recording, this can be resolved in the editing phase.
• Try not to change your position relative to the microphone too much throughout the recording as this will affect the recording level and clarity.