Michael Potorti is a form CPA by trade, turned Craft Brewer. After visiting Ireland and tasting their bread, he got the idea to start brewing beer from their barley in the US. In this first episode of “Craft Beer Storm”, Michael outlines why he’s doing this podcast: to help promote local Craft Beer and to educate people that they don’t have to settle for mass-produced beer.

“I opened Bear Brewing Company in Portsmouth, NH in 2014. It came from an idea while I was living in England for several years and I went to Ireland frequently and I had the Irish bread there and the bread was delicious. So, I got the idea: Why doesn’t somebody use this grain to make a great beer in the U.S.? The Irish beers here are really not quality craft brews… I took the idea… got barley, went into the basement, home brewed and people liked it! So, I said: Well, you know, we may be on to something here…So, I did a Kickstarter and we raised approximately $11,000!”

Learn More about Michael and his Brewery at BearaIrishBrew.com

We discuss this and more in this latest episode of Insights From The Studio with Mike & Steve. You may be thinking, “Why would I overcomplicate things by recording my podcast to a hardware recorder?” but we’ve found a number of issues when recording directly to a computer vs a dedicated recording device.

First, let’s talk about recording directly to your computer. There’s a number of different ways to do this, with some of the most popular being using a USB mic to record straight into an app like Garageband or Audacity. One of the primary challenges with this method of recording is that your computer isn’t ONLY recording, it’s also doing a multitude of other tasks simultaneously such as checking your email, checking for updates, running diagnostics etc. Sure, it can be nice to see the waveforms printing out on your screen while you record, but it’s not always the most stable method for getting the job done. Our preference is to preserve these software platforms for editing once your podcast has been recorded.

So, what about these dedicated hardware recorders? These are recorders who have one job and one job only: to record audio. Because of this singular focus, they tend to be much more reliable and much less distracting – you can usually just set them and leave them while you do what you do best – talking!

In the end, the method of recording that’s right for you entirely depends on what you are trying to accomplish, but here at PCLA, we believe using a hardware recorder is the way to go!

“I learned a long time ago to never trust a computer!”

“It’s really simple to record into one of these recording devices.”

At this point, you’re probably wondering which method of recording is the best for you. And while multitrack and single track stereo recordings both have their individual pros & cons, At PCLA, we record each podcast to a stereo mix, enabling us to make high-quality recordings without adding tons of unnecessary extra work.

Are you interested in learning more about Multitrack Recording? Click Here For More Info

Are you interested in learning more about Stereo Recording? Click Here For More Info