If one were to make a podcast
I’m considering making a podcast with a classmate of mine. We’re both finishing up a master’s program with this last class yet to finish. We have great conversations, and see this as a way at dabbling at continuing them.
So, no one’s going to listen to it—I know that. There’s a lot, and this will be just one more. But what would be involved in making a serviceable podcast that doesn’t sound horrible. This is a beginning, if we do it, I don’t want to spend a truck load of $ but I also don’t want it to sound horrible.
So, microphones, how crucial is the quality and what should we look at? I have a headset mic I use to play games (Sennheiser) but what is the minimum type of mic I should consider and what is the cost range?
Programs—I know Garage Band is popular, he says that he currently tools around with audacity.
We would not be in the same room—what does the conference room use? Skype? I know that there is also a video cam component as well.
Any advice would be appreciated. I don’t know that we’ll make a go of it, but it’s been something I’ve tooled around with and suggested to friends for a while.
PS, it won’t be game related—so it’s not a conflict of interest to ask on here (as if it would be anyway).
Thanks.
Everything that starts out as a cultural revolution ends up as capitalist routine.
-David Brooks
I can talk quickly about the setup that Asz and I use for Partners in Lag:
* Microphones: I record other stuff, so I have a Rode NT1-A studio condenser mic running through a mixer in to an M-Audio PCI card, and I think that sounds pretty decent (really, to get any better, I'd have to sort out my room acoustics). On the other hand, Asz uses the built-in mic on his Macbook Pro. You can tell the difference on the podcast, but Asz still sounds fine to me. The moral, then: if you have something now, give it a go and see if you're happy enough with the results. If you want something better, there are some nice, affordable USB mics out there aimed specifically at podcasting.
* Software: I use Ardour, an excellent free DAW for Linux and OS X. Ardour is what Audacity wishes it was. Audacity might do in a pinch, but it's nowhere near as easy to work with, in terms of both editing and effects, as a proper DAW. If you're on OS X (you mentioned Garageband), check it out. If you're on Windows, check out Reaper -- it's not free, but it's cheap, and again, far better than Audacity for the job.
* Conferencing/workflow: We use Skype when we're recording to talk to each other, and I record the Skype call, but just as a backup. Both Asz and I record our local mics in high quality, and then he ships me his mic recording. I then edit that together with mine to create the final result.
A few other random hints:
* Audio processing: a few effects in your DAW can make a big difference to the quality of your final podcast. Definitely look at noise gating, which can eliminate background noise from whoever's not talking at the time, and compression (this kind, not this kind), which will help you keep consistent volume levels.
* Hosting: you can use a webhost at first, but if you outgrow that, there are podcast-specific hosts like libsyn that are worth checking out
Hope that helps!
XBL: pneuman | PSN: pneuman | music | blog | twitter | podcast!
Been awhile since I ran a podcast.
I have always used Skype paired with Powergrammo pro. Powergrammo is a cheap tool you can use to record skype calls, use as a skype voicemail. You can record in a high bit rate for later editing and compression. Bonus, you can pause recording at any time. If you plan to stick with it, buy a skype phone plan to afford greater freedom for interviews and such.
I edit with Audacity. You need the lame plug-in to export in MP3.
Lastly check out some of the pod safe music websites. There are good sources of bumper music, and theme songs, just be sure you give credit where credit is due.
As for equipment, if you have a decent sound card, or USB mic, you will sound fine. If you sound OK in Vent, you will be OK on a podcast.
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Before you ask *too late*, here is how the conference call is made.
Do you ever walk alone like a drifter in the dark?
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about to finish a masters degree and cant figure out how to make a podcast? lemme guess...MBA's?
(sorry couldn't resist
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I may be going to hell in a bucket, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride
Someone posted what looked like a pretty kickass little microphone a few months ago... it was like $99, and on Amazon, but I can't find it now. It was USB, round, looked to be about an inch in diameter, and came in a little travel case for protection when you weren't using it. It would lift right up out of the travel case on little legs, IIRC. Whoever it was said it was a very good mike.
Elewis17 wrote:
The Blue Snowball? It definitely looks like a very easy way to get a better-than-average mic hooked up to your PC. It seems cheap for a condenser mic, but that's probably not a bad thing
Mics can very quickly lead one down the same rabbit-hole as headphones and speakers, where you can soon find yourself spending $1k+ on a mic and then being told that you need to spend twice that on a preamp to get the best from it, so it's definitely wise to know when near enough is good enough.
XBL: pneuman | PSN: pneuman | music | blog | twitter | podcast!
Also something to learn about a 'good podcast' - ducking. Do not, under any circumstances, play music back at full-volume while talking over it. Ducking automates the process by attenuating one track (music) based on the input of another track (your dialog). Garageband has a built-in dialog ducking setting, to make this really easy.
Other comments here are good so far. My only other suggestion is to work from a script. Nothing is worse than listening to a podcast full of "uh", "um" and "..."
Good luck!
Malor wrote:
You might also want to get some advice from someone who knows what they're talking about / has some experience (i.e.,not me) about:
hosting services and costs.
Even if only a small number of people become regular listeners, the bandwidth costs to distribute those downloads might jump unexpectedly if you aren't prepared for it.
I have _heard of_ but never personally used Cache Fly, but that may be completely out-dated by now.
Just something you might want to think about in advance, like before that first big unexpected ISP bill arrives.
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ragin_redneck wrote:
Hyetal wrote:
Or editing out long pauses and nonsensical stammering. Probably my biggest headache is Skype and telephone podcasting creates delays just from natural latency. Someone taking 2-3 seconds to think and then reply to a question or comment could translate to 6-10 seconds of dead air from latency. It is usually easy to find and remove those from the wave form in a program like Garage Band or Audacity, but tedious, like picking up a pocket full of change.
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No, that one is way too big. The one that someone here recommended was much smaller. It was circular but flattish, kind of like taking two saucers and putting them together face-to-face. It looked like it was about an inch in diameter, and it cost about $100.
Elewis17 wrote:
Hmm... not sure, then. TBH when I was lookiing at mics, I very quickly skipped over the USB ones, just because they're not as flexible as a traditional mic with an XLR connection, so I don't know that market very well. They're certainly very convenient for applications like podcasting, though, since it frees you from needing appropriate preamps/audio inputs, and you're next to the PC all the time anyways.
XBL: pneuman | PSN: pneuman | music | blog | twitter | podcast!
Awesome, awesome info. Thanks guys (and sorry it took so long to respond-- my busy, busy life is almost to the point of becoming normal again). I have no idea if what we will do will ever be interesting enough for others to listen to (the purpose of a podcast, really) but I can see the fear of bandwidth costs being very real-- so thanks for including that as well.
Everything that starts out as a cultural revolution ends up as capitalist routine.
-David Brooks