Once you’ve planned out your show, you can begin recording audio.
Podcasts can be made with the simple set-up of a computer with a built-in microphone and access to the internet. But you will produce a much higher quality podcast if you use better recording equipment.
One option is to record in an audio studio, like the one located in The Workshop. Studios are generally well sound-proofed and the studio in The Workshop has excellent equipment that is already largely set up. To use the studio, attend an orientation to become an authorized user and reserve the audio studio in advance.
Another option is to borrow equipment from The Workshop. This is a good option if you want to record interviews at an event or record sounds that you can’t get in the studio. Equipment is available first come, first served for a three day loan, with one renewal allowed, for a total of six days.
| Choose a quiet setting Ideally you want to be in a quiet, secluded, and sound-proof room. If you have to be outside, stay away from roads, dogs, mowers, etc. Record all audio in the same room - elements in rooms like carpet, ceiling height, and windows will make each room sound unique. |
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| Wear headphones Headphones help isolate the audio, helping you catch any problems in your narration or audio. |
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| Place your microphone strategically Don't be too close or too far away from the microphone. The appropriate distance between your mouth and the microphone is 6 to 12 inches. This prevents "popping" noises and heavy breathing in your recording. If you sound thin and distant, get closer to the microphone. |
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| Check your levels Your microphone levels should never peak into the red during your test. The optimal point for your microphone levels is just below the red. |
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Speak clearly and articulate your words |
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Listen to the audio playback |
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Record high audio quality |
The Workshop contains an audio studio equipped with sophisticated microphones and software. Attend an orientation to become an authorized user and reserve the audio studio in advance.
For help setting up and using the equipment in the audio studio, refer to the audio studio start-up guide.
Recommended equipment includes:
The Workshop has a variety of microphones available to help record an audio project at home. Equipment is available to anyone in the VCU community and is checked out from the lower level of the VCU library. It is loaned for three days and can be renewed once for another three days, for a total of six days loan.
You can browse all of the equipment available at the Workshop here. Recommended equipment is a Sennheiser e835 microphone, Zoom H4n recorder, XLR cable and microphone stand.
Recommended equipment is a Sennheiser e835 microphone, Zoom H4n recorder, XLR cable and microphone stand.
For help setting up the equipment, refer to setting up audio equipment guide.
The Zoom H4n is an audio recorder with built-in stereo microphones, which do a good job of picking up all sounds near by. They are not the most ideal microphones for vocal recordings but will work if the Sennheiser microphones are unavailable or if you’re worried about a complicated set-up.
A Zoom H1 audio recorder is alternative option. The Zoom H1 does not have a way to attach external microphones, but otherwise is similar quality.
For help using the Zoom H4n or Zoom H1, refer to audio equipment set-up guide.
Most podcasters use Skype to record their sessions if the co-host or interviewee is not in the same location. Skype lets you have audio conversations with quality beyond what you'll find on a regular phone call and you can have calls with multiple people at once. Most podcasters use Ecamm's Call Recorder for Skype, which is a Skype plug-in that records your own microphone input and the output of your Skype call as separate tracks. Unfortunately there are not good free options, as most of the free programs have timing limitations. Ecamm's Call Recorder is available on computer in The Workshop's audio studio.
There are two basic approaches to recording with Skype: you can record the conversation as you receive it over the Internet from Skype, or everyone on the podcast can record their own end of the conversation, which is called a multiender.
When Skype is working well, the audio quality is good and Skype's audio algorithm suppresses background noise and levels out the volume. If your connection is solid and you're recording a two-person conversation, just recording the audio from Skype and using that as a basis for your podcast is fine. But if your Skype connection falters, which it has a tendency to do, you can end up with silent patches, artifacts and other bad sound. If you can't get a clear, reliable Skype connection or if you're recording more than two people, don't use this method.
Recording a multiender requires each podcast participant to record their own microphone and send the editor the files after the fact. While this method ups the difficulty level, it's usually worth it in the flexibility in editing and higher audio quality. Mac users can use QuickTime Player app to record their own audio for free. After launching QuickTime Player, choose New Audio Recording from the File Menu, then hit the drop-down triangle next to the big red button and select your microphone. Windows users have a slightly more complicated workflow and probably need to download Reaper or Audacity.
When the podcast is over, have all of the participants send their audio recordings to the podcast editor. The editor can match up the tracks with the master recording from the host's Ecamm recording.
This is a helpful page to send to your new podcast guest to help them get set up to set up their end of the recording.
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