[cr-india] How to Build a Portable Podcast Studio

Sat Sep 24 09:07:48 CDT 2016

You're most welcome, Max.

Now that we've got past (?) the licensing issues, in some ways, can we also
focus on (i) technology and (ii) content?

I feel that all of us need not immediately aspire to set up community radio
stations. I'm happy if I could manage some ultra low-cost recordings,
podcasts and oral history archiving in my own backyard (literally). Am
drafting Sajan to help with this tall task, and we are planning to visit my
ex-Deccan Herald colleague Hemant Babu in Dahanu (near Mumbai) sometime
soon.

Best, FN

On 24 September 2016 at 19:33, Max Graef <max at radioactive.org.uk> wrote:

> This is really useful. Thanks Frederick!
> On 23 Sep 2016 20:35, "Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك
> نورونيا" <fredericknoronha at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> http://www.tropicalmba.com/portable-podcast-studio/
>>
>> How to Build a Portable Podcast Studio31COMMENTS
>> <http://www.tropicalmba.com/portable-podcast-studio/#comments>
>> BY: Dan
>>
>>
>>
>> <http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php>
>> [image: How to Build a Portable Podcast Studio post image]
>> <http://www.tropicalmba.com/portable-podcast-studio/>
>>
>> Over the last few months, I’ve been working on building a portable
>> podcast studio. This process has involved ordering a lot of useless
>> equipment (sorry Bossman!) and lots of tinkering around. But, finally, I’ve
>> fixed on a set-up that I’m happy with.
>>
>> There’s plenty of info online, both about podcasting equipment and studio
>> set-ups, but little that is travel friendly. Below is an outline of the
>> problems I faced and the ways I’ve gone about overcoming them in a way that
>> works for me. I’d love to hear your suggestions and feedback.
>>
>> Our interview with Sophia Bera
>> <http://www.tropicalmba.com/10trueclients/> was the final straw. To set
>> the scene: 100 fascinating entrepreneurs are in Barcelona to attend a DC
>> <http://about.dynamitecircle.com/tmba/> event. Yet, somehow, we only
>> managed to get ONE – Sophia- on the podcast.
>>
>> Why? Well, partly, because of our equipment. To capture Sophia on tape,
>> we needed to invite her to the relatively controlled environment of our
>> rental apartment. She was then handed  a mic that plugged into IAN’s
>> computer. While Sophia concentrated on giving interesting and thoughtful
>> responses to our questions, Ian and I fought over the remaining mic that
>> was plugged into MY computer.
>>
>> At one point she shot me a look that plainly said, *“Seriously, you guys
>>  have been doing it this way for 300 episodes?”*
>>
>> No, Sophia. It used to be worse.
>>
>> In the past, I’d put my bulky Blue Yeti <http://www.bluemic.com/yeti/> mic
>> in the middle of the table and then implore my guests to lean in while they
>> were speaking.
>>
>> Not only is it uncomfortable and unnatural to hunch forward during a
>> conversation, but those episodes sounded terrible. The mic picked up each
>> and every echo, air conditioning hum, and lots of background noise.
>>
>> After capturing Sophia on tape that day, I realized that, if I wanted to
>> do more in-person conversations with interesting people (which I did), I
>> didn’t want to have to ask them to lean into the center of a table, sweat
>> for an hour because the AC had to be turned off for ‘aesthetic’ reasons, or
>>  have them to come across town to a quiet location.
>>
>> I wanted a set up that I could take to our events and record material
>> on-site, even in cafes. It turns out you can capture great episodes in
>> not-so-great environments – bars, at conference venues where there’s lots
>> of background noise and even in tiled rooms with air conditioners churning
>> away. It took me a while to figure out exactly how to do it, but I got
>> there in the end.
>>
>> *Here are the requirements I had:*
>>
>> *1) Must be able to record 3-4 person conversations.* If you only want
>> to do 1:1 interviews, or if you don’t mind putting a microphone in the
>> middle of a dining room table and have the voices sound a little ‘off mic’
>> or  ‘distant’ from the microphone, you’d probably make different decisions.
>> Since Ian and I often interview a third person together, and I love to do
>>  discussion podcasts, it was important that my setup allowed me to record 4
>> people at once (including me).
>>
>> *2) Must be as impervious as possible to noise from motorcycles, traffic,
>> air conditioners, crowing roosters, etc.* What this amounts to is that
>> the microphones need to be “dynamic” not “condenser” mics (as most lapel
>> mics are). Dynamic mics only pick up what is right in front of them,
>> whereas condenser mics pick up echo, AC, people closing doors in the
>> background, and all sorts of other irrelevant things.
>>
>> *3) Must be rugged.* I move around a lot and I don’t want to deal with
>> fragile stuff. My first rig included adapters, mics that require phantom
>> power, and other delicate bits. I ended up with something bulkier but
>> ultimately more robust and dependable in terms of getting great sound every
>> time.
>>
>> *4) Must be easy to use and set up. *If it takes me more than 5 minutes
>> to get set up, it’s too complicated.
>>
>> *5) Must fit into my personal hand luggage and not be too heavy. *I
>> ended up choosing a much bulkier set-up than I initially wanted, but I
>> decided to compromise for reliability and great sound quality.
>>
>> *6) Must allow podcasters to monitor their performance in real time.* The
>> importance of this was lost on me until I bought this set-up. Monitors are
>> just headphones that allow guests to listen to a ‘real-time’ mix of the
>> podcast. They help everyone involved in the recording to talk at more
>> appropriate levels rather than overly projecting their voices, which can
>> make them seem like they are dominating the conversation when they’re not.
>>
>> Imagine, for example, that you are in a  noisy cafe, sitting across a
>> wide table from your guest. With monitors they can speak softly and hear
>> you clearly. Without monitors they’d be straining to be heard. This dynamic
>> changes the quality of the recording more than I had expected and gives it
>> a more natural feel. It also allows you the added flexibility of being able
>> to record in less than ideal circumstances, since you don’t need a quiet
>> room.
>>
>> Here’s some real life examples.
>>
>> *Example 1: Very noisy cafe, I’m sitting 6 feet or 1.8 meters away from
>> my co-host (note how we aren’t projecting our voices).*
>>
>> This was recorded in ‘Medici cafe’ in Austin, Texas, a place so loud and
>> busy that I would never have imagined recording here in the past (I  should
>> have taken a “control” audio sample on my iPhone for comparison, but trust
>> me, it was a buzzing cafe during peak hours).
>>
>> Here’s what’s even crazier – my co-host Jessica and I were seated more
>> than 6 feet apart. Yet, despite conditions in which I could have never have
>> imagined recording, we put together a good audio at a nice conversational
>> level, rather than shouting over the noise. Using monitors also has the
>> benefit of putting you in your own little “podcast world,” so we didn’t get
>> distracted by the hectic environment around us. One curious onlooker even
>> stopped by to ask us what we were doing!
>>
>> *Example 2 : Relatively quiet room with wooden floors where we kept the
>> AC on. (Note these are our first few episodes, our editor noted that we
>> should have upped our levels here.)*
>>
>> *The setup that meets my requirements is as follows: (shown with only two
>> mics and **Bose QC 15’s*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Cancelling-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0054JJ0QW>* used
>> for monitoring):*
>>
>> [image: 12180198_899116353503077_1152518486_n]
>>
>> *EQUIPMENT LIST:*
>>
>> [image: Zoom-H6-Field-Recorder]
>>
>> *Zoom H6N.*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H6-Six-Track-Portable-Recorder/dp/B00DFU9BRK> This
>> is the device that really makes it all possible. Five years ago, the
>> equivalent technology might easily have cost over 10K and would, most
>> certainly, not have fit in your backpack.
>>
>> Zoom’s portable recorders have long been the ‘go-to’ work horses for
>> journalists and musicians.  This one takes up to 4 microphones with XLR
>> cables. The resulting 4 audio tracks are synced for easy editing but
>> separated in case you need to do any audio judo on one of the channels.
>>
>> This Zoom H6N is essentially a portable mixing board and handheld
>> recorder in one. The core unit is 10 oz. (280 g), but it comes with two
>> microphone attachments (one is pictured in silver above) that weigh 4.6 oz.
>> (130 g) and 3 oz. (85 g) respectively. If you don’t find them useful you
>> can lighten your overall load by leaving them at home.
>>
>> [image: Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 10.19.08 AM]
>>
>> *High Quality Memory Card.* <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NP63Y4K> The
>> Zoom H6N does not come with a large enough SD card for podcasters.
>> Apparently getting a high quality SD card is important because the
>> inexpensive ones often crap out without warning. You can purchase any size
>> based on your needs and budget.
>>
>> [image: Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 10.20.49 AM]
>>
>> *A/C Adapter.*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-AD-17-Adapter-Q2HD-Recorders/dp/B007723PJW> The
>> batteries on the H6N don’t last very long, so you’ll want to plug it in
>> whenever possible.
>>
>> *Extra AA batteries.* Have plenty on hand as the device really rips
>> through battery power.
>>
>> [image: Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 10.25.33 AM]
>>
>> *Audio Splitter.*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Rockstar-Multi-Headphone-Splitter/dp/B00904WS2K/> The
>> H6N has one headphone output, you’ll want to split it 4 ways so that each
>> of your guests can monitor the conversation in their own headphones.
>>
>> *4 Pairs of headphones.* Choose any that you like, you can always use
>> nice ones like Bose noise canceling. You probably won’t always need to set
>> up monitors, especially if you are in a relatively quiet room but, trust
>> me, they will come in handy when you are in cafes, busy lobbies, or
>> conferences.
>>
>> [image: Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 10.29.30 AM]
>>
>> *(**4) XLR cables* <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002GML68>*.* XLR
>> cables are big but reliable. Part of the virtue of this setup is that it’s
>> simple and robust. This link is to an entry-level 10′ cable. I don’t have
>> much experience on how upgrading the cables improves the sound.
>>
>> [image: MICS]
>>
>> *(4) Handheld Dynamic Microphones – **ATR 2100*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4>*‘s
>> or **SM58s*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM58-LC-Cardioid-Microphone-without/dp/B000CZ0R42/>
>> *.*
>>
>> These mics are what makes this set-up work – they only pick up sound
>> right in front of them. The trade-off is that they are somewhat bulky and
>> heavy (each mic is about 10 oz or 280g.). Part of the reason it took me so
>> long to settle on them is that I resisted the idea of carrying around 4
>> relatively heavy mics. I spent a lot of time trying to work out
>> alternatives, but in the end I decided my priority was to have high quality
>> sound. On this point in particular I’d love to hear your feedback and
>> alternatives. For example, I’ve seen the guys at Barbell Shrugged
>> <http://daily.barbellshrugged.com/>use headset mics. I’m sure there’s
>> many alternatives, but I found this setup simple without any compromise on
>> sound.
>>
>> Shure SM58’s (pictured on the right) are the mic of choice of live venues
>> world-wide. They are absolutely bulletproof. Relative to the ATR2100, their
>> sound quality is ever so slightly better (you can see a comparison here
>> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtVMJAPx8bA>) and I suspect they are
>> more durable. The ATR2100, however, has the added benefit of being USB
>> compatible, which means you can plug it right into your computer and get
>> great sound (you can’t plug XLR cables into a computer). This is useful for
>> recording high quality Skype interviews or quick voice overs, so, in any
>> set-up, it probably makes sense to have at least one. The SM58 is a
>> better choice if you are plugging directly into the Zoom H6N.
>>
>> One of my concerns about handheld mics was that my guests would have to
>> hold the mic to their mouth but, so far, nobody seems to have had a problem
>> with it (whereas with lapel mics I’ve noticed people often end up touching
>> them inadvertently).
>>
>> [image: Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 10.33.50 AM]
>>
>> *4+ Foam Pop Guards*
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Foam-Ball-Type-Windscreen-Black/dp/B0002GXF8Q/>
>> *.* This will prevent “popping” sounds when puffs of air come out of
>> your mouth. Since these are small and cheap, it might make sense to buy
>> some backups so you can keep your mics looking fresh.
>>
>> *WEIGHT:*
>>
>> This setup weighs approx 6lbs or 2.7kg. I could certainly have created a
>> rig with lighter equipment, but I made tradeoffs to get better recordings.
>> The handheld mics represent almost half of the weight (approx 40 oz. or
>> 1.1kg of 90 oz. or 2.5kg total).
>>
>> I initially started off by testing a variety of lapel mics, which are
>> obviously more portable, but I found they picked up a lot of background
>> noise and didn’t achieve the high quality sound I was seeking.
>>
>> *VOLUME:*
>>
>> If you have a standard ‘North Face’ backpack personal item, this
>> podcasting setup will take up about 33% of the pack.
>>
>> *COST:*
>>
>> As of October 2015 you can purchase this equipment on Amazon for less
>> than $1,000 USD.
>>
>> *Variations for one or two person shows:*
>>
>> If you only want to collect ‘sound bites’ or record one-on-one
>> interviews, you could save some money and weight by going with a similar
>> setup using the Zoom H4N
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-Handy-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B001QWBM62>.
>> If you only want to record Skype calls and voice overs, all you need is a
>> piece of software like Call Recorder
>> <http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/> and the ATR 2100
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4>,
>> which plugs directly into your computer with a USB cable.
>>
>> *Why not lapel mics?*
>>
>> My first thought was to save space by going with lapel mics but I ended
>> up having the following problems:
>>
>>    1. *Relatively poor sound quality.* Although I could get *decent* sound
>>    with the lapel mics I bought, once I heard the rich tone I could get from
>>    the handhelds, it was hard to go back to the more distant and ambient sound
>>    of most lapel mics.
>>    2. *Often require adapters and/or phantom power.*  This is fine, but
>>    just added a layer of complexity to the setup process.  I found myself
>>    having to tweak my settings for every new environment rather than plugging
>>    the mics in, setting levels, and focusing on the conversation. “Pinning”
>>    the mic to people’s shirts is also more troublesome than just handing
>>    somebody a mic.
>>
>> *Final thoughts:*
>>
>> I hope this is of some help for those of you looking to make great shows
>> from home or the road! This setup works well for me, but I’m sure there are
>> tons  of improvements I could make and I’m sure I’ll adapt it over time and
>> keep you posted. Your suggestions and/or variations are much appreciated!
>>
>> *UPDATE MARCH 16th, 2016*. Been using this setup now since I wrote this
>> article. The audio quality of our recordings has been excellent in my
>> opinion.
>>
>> A few updates:
>>
>> 1) This Lowpro camera bag fits
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Format-160-Camera-Black/dp/B00CNIL3EE> *very
>> snuggly* everything mentioned in this post.
>>
>> [image: Screen Shot 2016-03-16 at 5.43.41 PM]
>>
>> 2) Unfortunately our original 2 ATR2100’s have both broken, at one point
>> they just stopped recording through the USB setting. These mics were not
>> bought when I wrote this post. We’d both been traveling frequently with
>> them for well over a year. That said, they are very clearly nowhere near as
>> durable as the SM58’s so our concerns there are very real. Since USB
>> adapters for SM58’s are still very expensive, however, we re-bought the
>> affordable ATR2100’s and are taking a gamble that our new ones will last
>> longer than a year.
>>
>> *We’re back on the air this Thursday.*
>>
>> Have any ideas for stories or topics we could cover on our show? We’d
>> love to hear from you. We’ve got a new producer who says her inbox is
>> always open at jane at tropicalmba.com.
>>
>> --
>> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>> _/
>> _/  Frederick Noronha  http://about.me/noronhafrederick http://goa1556.in
>> _/  P +91-832-2409490 M 9822122436 Twitter @fn Fcbk:fredericknoronha
>> _/  Hear Goa,1556 shared audio content at https://archive.org/details/go
>> a1556
>> _/
>> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
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>>
>> Join the Community Radio Forum.
>>
>

-- 
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_/
_/  Frederick Noronha  http://about.me/noronhafrederick http://goa1556.in
_/  P +91-832-2409490 M 9822122436 Twitter @fn Fcbk:fredericknoronha
_/  Hear Goa,1556 shared audio content at
https://archive.org/details/goa1556
_/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
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