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The Podcast Engineering Show

Chris Curran | Podcast Engineering School

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This show focuses on the technical production of audio podcasts. Chris Curran chats with podcasters about their audio equipment, software and workflow to help you learn how to produce better sounding podcasts. You’ll also learn solutions to common audio issues as well as plenty of tips and tricks. By listening to this show you will gain a TON of knowledge and skills that will make a HUGE difference in your sound quality _and_ save you time! Subscribe/Follow today and start listening! Your host Chris Curran has a background in podcast production (Forbes, Dun & Bradstreet, J&J, etc) as well as music production (Sarah McLachlan, Jeff Buckley, Foreigner, etc). When he entered podcasting in 2012, he noticed that most podcasters (and producers) do not have a good understanding of fundamental audio engineering concepts, which sabotages the quality of their sound from the very beginning. This show, as well as Podcast Engineering School, helps podcasters and producers reach professional levels of podcast audio production.
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PES 207: Michelle Levitt from Heil Sound

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12/10/20 • 61 min

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My guest is Michelle Levitt - Creative Marketing Director at Heil Sound and podcast producer. She has performed many roles in podcasting over the years including being CEO of her own podcast studio in Buffalo, NY.

NOTE: Post-production on this episode was done by PES graduate Jesse McCune! Great job, Jesse!

NOTE-2: On next week's Daily Goody episode, I’ll be demonstrating and comparing the Heil PR30 and PR40!

We discussed SO MUCH, including:
  • In-ear monitors: “Ultimate Ears” Capital Studio Reference
  • Allen and Heath ZED-10 mixer (uses no EQ, effects or pre-processing when recording)
  • iMac computer
  • Adobe Audition
  • Various Heil microphones including the PR30 and PR40
  • Pop filter: BSW Re-pop (fits the PR40 and PR30 nicely)
  • When demoing microphones at shows or online she doesn't use any EQ or compression because she wants people to hear each microphones individual character.
  • Check out the presentation Michelle did titled Microphone Technology: Understanding Your Sound
  • Her advice to hosts who move around too much demonstrating bad mic technique: Put your chin or nose on the windscreen to always keep close to the mic. Also wear headphones so you can hear your volume change if/when you drift off-mic which will remind you to get back on mic.
  • Recently launched PR37 microphone -- a dynamic mic for Live sound
  • Bob Heil doing Live sound for the Grateful Dead, The Who, early ZZ Top, etc. even though he came from a broadcast background.
  • Heil Sound started in the 60s as a music store -- Ye Olde Music Shoppe (sp?)
  • Sony HD camera and running her local audio through Cam Link 4k thru HDMI cable
Thanks for being a great guest and sharing so much with us, Michelle!

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NOTE: In this episode I’m using a Sennheiser e835 microphone into my Portico 2 channel strip and using these plugins in post: KIT BB N105, Shadow Hills Class A Mastering Compressor, Saturn 2, and Aquamarine 4.

Here's the summary of what I discuss on How To Handle Loudness Properly in All Stages of Your Podcast Production Workflow:
  • Record all raw tracks at a healthy level (not too low or too hot)
  • Set all raw tracks to the same LUFS before bringing them into your DAW. (I do this at the end of my cleanup phase after I remove background noise, plosives, hums, and other blemishes)
  • Use Compression and/or MaxxVolume/Vocal Rider to compress/tame the loud parts as well as boost the lower volume parts. (NOTE: This step will effectively amplify any background noise, so be sure to absolutely minimize the background noise before pressing record!)
  • Adjust the overall level of each participant so they all sound good compared to each other. (as part of your mixing phase, where you can also use other processing like EQ, saturation, etc.)
  • After rendering the final episode audio, process this file so it adheres to the “unofficial” loudness standards of podcasting: -19 LUFS for mono episodes, or -16 LUFS for stereo episodes.
Other Notes:
  • If you ever have questions please reach out!
  • You can sign up to receive Daily Goody’s in your email a few times per week or a weekly roundup. Sign up here.
  • The start date for the next PES semester is January 10, 2023! (fyi, the course is delivered once per quarter)
  • If you’d like to share this show with any of your podcaster friends, feel free to send them a message saying, “Btw, here’s a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful” with this link: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/subscribe/)

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris

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08/09/22 • 81 min

Returning all-star guest Max Flight helps me cover 17 ways to re-evaluate your podcast this summer, and we also discuss Max's latest podcast production workflow, equipment, software and more.

Max has been producing aviation podcasts since 2008:

We discuss these 17 ways in which you can re-evaluate and improve your show this summer:
  1. Update your goals
  2. Change the format
  3. Start using chapters
  4. Personal focus on eliminating verbal crutches. (A short duration of intense focus will provide years of good results)
  5. Change and/or add equipment
  6. Sell old equipment
  7. Treat yourself to that mic you've always wanted
  8. Sound absorption and diffusers
  9. Add a new segment
  10. Cover new yet pertinent subject matter topics
  11. Publish in video format as well
  12. Publish better shownotes
  13. Revamp your marketing
  14. Evaluate the shows overall effectiveness
  15. Hire a VA
  16. Bring on a cohost
  17. Decide to end your show???
  18. Perhaps decide you want to become a professional podcast engineer/producer and earn a great living producing podcasts for clients - from home?!
And here's a lot more detail on Max's production:

Big changes since PES 20 and PES 39 mostly involve a simplification of the signal path:

  • Skype and cohost multi-enders replaced by Riverside.fm
  • Behringer mixer (still going strong since 2009!) replaced with MixPre
  • The MixPre handles all mic pre-amplification
  • Sound clips and pre-recorded segments played through Riverside, replacing an iOS soundboard
  • Backup recording is handled by the MixPre

Current equipment:

  • Sound Devices MixPre-6
  • Also use a MixPre-3 Gen 2 for field recordings
  • Zoom H5 for field recordings, too
  • Heil PR40
  • Sennheiser MD46 interview mic
  • Dell XPS 16 and MacBook Pro 15-inch, 2018 model, 2.9GHz i9 32 GB laptops
  • Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones
  • Yamaha HS5 monitors

Software:

  • Riverside.fm (was Skype then Squadcast)
  • Hindenburg Journalist Pro
  • Audacity (yep!)
  • iZotope RX 8 Advanced
  • ID3 Editor for tagging

Services:

  • Media hosting: Blubrry and Libsyn
  • Website hosting: Bluehost and SiteGround

Notes from Max:

  • I'm retired and traveling more which makes weekly podcast production a bit more difficult.
  • Biggest current problem: At the home studio I mix/master with my Yamaha monitors, which I love. I can't master properly with the Audio Technica headphones when traveling.
Other Notes:
  • If you ever have questions please reach out!
  • You can sign up to receive Daily Goody’s in your email a few times per week or a weekly roundup. Sign up here.
  • The start date for the next PES semester is Sep. 13, 2022! (fyi, the course is delivered once per quarter)
  • If you’d like to share this show with any of your podcaster friends, feel free to send them a message saying, “Btw, here’s a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful” with this link: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/subscribe/)

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris

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Returning guest Barry Gary shares so many excellent tips for producing podcasts for companies and organizations. Barry is the host of The Louisville Cycling Podcast. He also produces other podcasts including Medchat and Parenting With You. Also, here is Barry’s first appearance on this show.

Barry and I discussed many things including:

  • Equipment: Shure SM7b, Cloudlifter, dbx 286s, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, Yamaha monitors
  • Apps: Adobe Audition, Riverside
  • Processing: Compression, EQ
  • Show development for clients
  • Internal podcasts for clients
  • Workflow changes: Stopped going on-site to record, and now does most of his editing in Adobe Audition now.

NEWS: In case you missed it, I'm now publishing a YouTube video everyday here on the PES channel. Please consider subscribing.

Other Notes:
  • If you ever have questions please reach out!
  • You can sign up to receive Daily Goody’s in your email a few times per week or a weekly roundup. Sign up here.
  • The start date for the next PES semester is January 10, 2023! (fyi, the course is delivered once per quarter)
  • If you’d like to share this show with any of your podcaster friends, feel free to send them a message saying, “Btw, here’s a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful” with this link: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/subscribe/)

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris

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243: Ten Advanced Podcast Production Tips

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12/20/22 • 28 min

I overview 9 podcast production tips and techniques from recent Daily Goody posts Jan. 19 thru Feb. 11, 2022 (see list below). You can sign up to receive Daily Goody’s in your email every day or a weekly roundup. Sign up here.

Daily Goody posts that I discussed in this episode: Other Notes:
  • If you ever have questions please reach out!
  • The start date for the next PES semester is January 10, 2023! (fyi, the course is delivered once per quarter)
  • If you’d like to share this show with any of your podcaster friends, feel free to send them a message saying, “Btw, here’s a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful” with this link: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/subscribe/
  • My smaller course for editors/producers who want more good clients: Getting New Clients at Higher Rates

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris

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06/30/22 • 30 min

I overview 9 podcast production tips and techniques from recent Daily Goody posts Oct. 25 - Dec. 10, 2021 (see list below). You can sign up to receive Daily Goody’s in your email every day or a weekly roundup. Sign up here.

Daily Goody posts that I discussed in this episode: Other Notes:
  • Podcast Services Mastermind Workshop ($199) - A one day immersive and collaborative in-person event designed to build & grow your service based business! Full explanation of the program HERE.
  • If you ever have questions please reach out!
  • The start date for the next PES semester is Sep. 13, 2022! (fyi, the course is delivered once per quarter)
  • If you’d like to share this show with any of your podcaster friends, feel free to send them a message saying, “Btw, here’s a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful” with this link: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/subscribe/)
  • My smaller course that I mentioned: Getting New Clients at Higher Rates

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris

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PES 183: Into the Goody Bag

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05/21/20 • 19 min

I overview recent Daily Goody's (from Mar.27 - April 9). Here's the link to view all those blog posts. And don't forget that you can sign up to receive the Daily Goody in your email every day or once per week. Sign up here.

*This episode was recorded while I was streaming LIVE on Twitch! Follow me there if you're a "Twitcher" ;)

Announcements:

  • Regarding all the stress caused by this virus, you may want to check out my Mystic Show which explores spirituality, mindfulness and meditation.
  • My lack of marketing skills - please share this Podcast Engineering Show with any podcasters you know - you could send them a note saying, “Btw, here’s a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful.”
  • You are welcome to support my content creation if you so desire.
  • The start date for the next PES will be July 7, 2020

What did you learn in this episode? Let me know by commenting below.

I appreciate you listening, and if you have any questions please let me know :)

If you know anyone who would like to learn more about the technical production of podcasts, please share this show with them.

DID YOU KNOW........We exist for the purpose of helping you, so please comment below with any questions or remarks. We appreciate you listening.

Want to Start a Business or Have a Career as a Podcast Producer/Engineer?

Listen and Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, Android, RSS, Email

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05/28/20 • 58 min

My guest is Ray A. Rayburn - Audio and Acoustic Consultant, Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society, and Member of the Acoustical Society of America. His audio "specialties" include legislative sound systems, church sound & acoustics, acoustic measurements, audio DSP programming, standards development for the AES and InfoComm.

Check out Ray's articles, resume, and business selling mics and such: Superlux Microphones.

We discussed a TON including:

  • Attending monthly AES meetings in NYC early in his career.
  • In 1984, Ray's involvement in upgrading Saturday Night Live's control room from mono to stereo.
  • In 1992, Ray's involvement in installing the first all digital sound system in the world in the US Senate Chamber!
  • A huge mix-minus setup with 100+ inputs and 100+ outputs!
  • Settings drift - due to temperature and age.
  • What should new podcasters know? Minimize the sound of your room's noise and reflections. Get the mic close to your mouth. Use pop filters/windscreens.
  • Speech intelligibility is dependent on 2 things - BG Noise and Reverb.
  • Wireless mics - mic, transmitter (limited power), receiver
  • Tiny microphones

Thanks for being a great guest, Ray!

DID YOU KNOW........We exist for the purpose of helping you, so please comment below with any questions or remarks. We appreciate you listening.

Want to Start a Business or Have a Career as a Podcast Producer/Engineer?

Listen and Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, Android, RSS, Email

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06/18/20 • 5 min

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04/30/20 • 64 min

My guest is Martins Popelis, Co-Founder of Sonarworks! Having achieved success with delivering reliable reference sound to over 30,000 music creators worldwide with Sonarworks Reference product, Martins is now a firm believer of delivering individually perfected sound to all music listeners, thus eliminating sound translation problem at its core.

Note: I'm a proud user of Reference 4 and I also bought Sennheiser HD650 headphones from Sonarworks which included a customized calibration profile ;)

Martins and I discussed:

  • Sonarworks Reference 4 (How Reference 4 works, various ways it helps production, various use cases and equipment setups)
  • Speakers, headphones and the room you're listening in effectively "EQ" the sound.
  • Measurement microphones (37 measurement points)
  • Re-measure after moving furniture, etc.? Yes.
  • Headphone profiles - Sonarworks has calibrated hundreds of headphone makes and models to create profiles for each.
  • Using Reference 4 Systemwide vs. within your DAW
  • Systemwide: Virtual instrument, ~20 ms latency
  • Sound ID - Research in consumer sound preferences. Machine learning asks user what sounds they like, then creates a profile for them.
  • Audio perception

Thanks for being a great guest, Martins!

DID YOU KNOW........We exist for the purpose of helping you, so please comment below with any questions or remarks. We appreciate you listening.

Want to Start a Business or Have a Career as a Podcast Producer/Engineer?

Listen and Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, Android, RSS, Email

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