Jey's Podcasting Journal

It is now possible to connect multiple USB mics directly to your computer. But is this useful in practice. Let's explore. 

But I'll have to leave you to search on how to install these apps for your setup. You will need:

For Apple: Go into your system tools and create an Aggregate Device. Lot's of instructional videos out there to guide you. 

For Windows you can install: Asio4all at https://asio4all.org/ ,  and a DAW that can handle ASIO, like Reaper or Audition. Note that Audacity will not handle Asio4all out of the box. You have to build a new version of Audacity from the source code to get it to work. I mean, really??!! Just switch to Reaper. 

or Voicemeeter at https://vb-audio.com/Voicemeeter/ But note this ouputs to a stereo mix. This is to say the mics will not come on their own tracks but mixed together. However Voicemeeter handles virtual inputs so it can record your system sound as part of the mix. 

PRODUCTION NOTES

I used a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone to record, edit and publish this episode.

Recording location: My car. It's black. Black cars have better noise rejection - just kidding. 

Microphone: phone mic (hand-held)  with a foam wind cover over the mic

Headphones: None

Recording app: Auphonic Edit for Android.

Recording format: WAV

Sample rate: 48000Hz

Editing app: Auphonic Edit for Android.

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto)

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

USB mics and XLR mics have strengths and weaknesses. So which one should you choose. Guess, what? You can have both!

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mic: Samson Q2U

Mic position: Mounted on the Samson supplied small desk stand (you can hear the noise of me leaning on the table, a couple of times)

Recording Device: Zoom H6 Digital Recorder connected via XLR cable to the mic. 

Recording Software: Audacity

Recording location: Dining table (pillow-fort surrounding the mic)

Recording format: 24 bit WAV file

Sample rate: 44100Hz

Editing app: Audacity

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Episode art created in Canva

Condenser mics are awesome but you need the right recording space, free of noise, to exploit the benefits.

I don't recommend them for home podcasters starting out. But I'd love a shotgun condenser mic. 

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mic: Samson Q2U

Mic position: Mounted on the Samson supplied small desk stand

Recording Device: Dell G7 Laptop

Recording Software: Audacity

Recording location: Dining table (no pillowfort) 

Recording format: 24 bit WAV file

Sample rate: 44100Hz

Editing app: Audacity

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Episode art created in Canva

Unpowered mics (otherwise known as Dynamic mics) are a great choice for podcasters without access to a sound proof studio. Find out why. 

I recommend 

Samson Q2U dynamic microphone

Audio Technica AT2005 dynamic microphone

Audio Technica ATR2100x dynamic microphone

But check them out yourself before buying. See other reviews elsewhere, please!!

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mic: Samson Q2U 

Mic position: Handheld (bad, bad, idea especially for a Q2U which picks up hand sounds - but circumstances forced me!)

Recording Device: Zoom H6 Digital Recorder

Recording Software: Audacity

Recording location: Sitting on my bed. 

Recording format: 24 bit WAV file

Sample rate: 44100Hz

Editing app: Audacity

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Episode art created in Canva

What's the first question you need to ask when before choosing and external mic? 

This is going to take a while..so strap in and let's start our adventure to find the perfect mic for your set-up.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mic: Samson Q2U with USB connection. Foam windshield covering the mic. 

Mic position: supplied tripod. The mic is angled 45 degrees on to my mouth to avoid popping and sibilance. No pop shield. Distance from my mouth is my palm's width (approx 3-4 inches)

Recording Device: Dell G7 Laptop

Recording Software: Audacity

Recording location: Dining room at my dining table. With my laptop behind my mic to minimize the noise from my hard-drive and laptop fan.

Recording format: 16 bit WAV file

Sample rate: 44100Hz

Editing app: Audacity

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Episode art created in Canva

Zoom is the most versatile free tool to record multi-track interviews. Listen to find out why and how to get the most out of it. 

I mentioned that Audacity may need you to install the FFmpeg plugin before it can open Zoom's .m4a audio files. Here's the entry from the manual: FAQ:Installing the FFmpeg Import/Export Library (https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/faq_installing_the_ffmpeg_import_export_library.html). But it's probably easier to find a tutorial from Youtube. 

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mic: Samson Q2U with USB connection

Recording Device: Dell G7 Laptop

Recording Software: Audacity

Recording location: Dining room at my dining table. With my laptop behind my mic to minimize the noise from my hard-drive and laptop fan.

Recording format: 16 bit WAV file

Sample rate: 44100Hz

Editing app: Audacity

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Recording with each voice on a seperate audio track makes your life so much easier when editing your show. Find out why. 

I used a new recording setup today. My first recording (for this show) using a laptop and external mic. It turned out a little to much bass. I've been recording with a phone for so long that my mic skills are rusty!

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mic: Samson Q2U with USB connection

Recording Device: Dell G7 Laptop

Recording Software: Audacity

Recording location: Dining room at my dining table. With my laptop behind my mic to minimize the noise from my hard-drive and laptop fan. 

Recording format: 16 bit WAV file

Samplerate: 44100Hz

Editing app: Audacity

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Audius.co and Audiomack.com are two free music hosting sites that you can use to upload your episodes for testing and/or archiving your show. They are both free and have virtually no upload limits. Join me to hear how you can make the most out of these services. 

PRODUCTION NOTES

I used a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone to record, edit and publish this episode.

Recording location: My bedroom, sitting on my bed facing my cloth covered headboard with a quit and pillows surrounding me.

My mic: I hand-head my Galaxy Note 4 on speaker mode (no headphones) I had a foam windshield covering the mic end of the phone.

Recording app: Auphonic Edit for Android

Recording format: AAC (I used the wrong setting - I meant to record as a WAV!)

Bit rate: 128kbps

Editing app: Auphonic Edit for Android.

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Two simple ways to review your show before publication by uploading your show to the cloud. 

First we look and the pro's and con's of on-line storage sites like Dropbox or Google Drive. 

Then we explore Soundcloud and a way of listening to your show. Or perhaps your experiments in podcasting before committing to a podcasting host. 

PRODUCTION NOTES

I used a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone to record, edit and publish this episode.

Recording location: My bedroom, standing very close to my curtains. 

My mic: I hand-head my Galaxy Note 4 on speaker mode (no headphones) I had a foam windshield covering the mic end of the phone.

Recording app: Auphonic Edit for Android

Recording format: WAV (16 bit mono)

Sample rate: 48kHz

Editing app: Auphonic Edit for Android.

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file

Today I explain how carving out time in my calendar to hold a weekly planning and review session is transforming my ability to ship this podcast. And I'm less stressed too!

PRODUCTION NOTES

I used a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone to record, edit and publish this episode.

Recording location: My bedroom, sitting on my bed facing a cloth covered head-board with my quilt and pillows around me.

My mic: I hand-head my Galaxy Note 4 on speaker mode (no headphones) I had a foam windshield covering the mic end of the phone. 

Recording app: Auphonic Edit for Android

Recording format: WAV (16 bit mono)

Sample rate: 48kHz

Editing app: Auphonic Edit for Android.

Sound Treatment: Auphonic Productions at Auphonic.com

Auphonic.com settings [to output as a 16bit mono WAV file]: Adaptive Leveler (on), Loudness Normalization (Loudness Target -19 LUFS ), Filtering (on), Noise and Hum Reduction (Reduction Amount: Auto), Sample rate: 44.1kHz

I uploaded the resulting WAV file to Anchor.fm to host the file and added the music from their free music stock.

Anchor automatically converts the WAV file into a 128kbps .m4a file