Podvox: Practical Voice Recording Tips & Online Help for Podcasters

Podvox is...

A podcasting resource center sharing advice and techniques for creating good quality podcasts. Subjects are approached in easy to read bite-sized chunks, suitable for people of all experience levels, from basic home recording to advanced podcasting situations.

Part One begins with a general look at mic positioning and voice recording in a controlled environment. It offers practical advice and simple solutions to common problems experienced during the recording process.

Part Two progresses into real-world podcasting projects with links to online tutorials, news, legal resources, products and streaming videos, useful to both beginners and advanced podcasters.

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Part One

voice recording tips

Practical Voice Recording Tips

This is a short primer on preparing to record a solo voice for a podcast. The simple five step guide provides non-technical information for complete beginners and shows how to avoid common problems when recording vocals.

1: Getting Set
2: Microphone Positioning
3: Microphone Distance
4: Eliminating Noise
5: Speech Synthesis & Text-to-Speech Solutions.

These are general guidlines that apply to a range of recording situations and microphones. Step 5 suggests an alternative voice option using speech synthesis software.

1: Getting Set - Initial Preparations

Firstly, there is no single correct way to record vocals and the following advice is meant to foster an awareness of things that may otherwise go unnoticed. These are not fixed rules that you must adhere to at all cost. Good comfortable posture and flexibility in your working environment are most important.

The recording process involves many variables and if you manage to reproduce a good sound then fine. However, a little common sense and experimentation can pay dividends later, often saving valuable editing time or even having to retake performances. Here are some things to bear in mind when preparing to make the podcast recording.

Being able to recall your setup is an advantage especially when looking for continuity between podcast episodes. Even if you save all of your computer and digital audio settings it will all sound different if you cannot remember the key physical positioning of yourself in relation to the microphone and room.

The sound starts at the source, that's you, the mic and the room. Once you have the optimum positions for the vocal sound make a note of it and add it to your repertoire of production techniques. No amount of adjusting later will correct a poor source signal. Next we'll take a look at some practical things you can do to improve the recording process.

2: Microphone Positioning

Try placing the mic in front, just above and parallel to your mouth. The throat tends to open with the head tilted slightly back and if the mic is too low you'll choke your own voice. If this feels unnatural just make adjustments for a more comfortable position, the main thing is to be aware of any restrictions your posture may cause to your vocal sound.

You may need to read from a script which should be positioned in such a way that you don't turn your head away from the direction of the mic to read it. Doing so will cause a drop in level and a drastic change in tone quality. Avoid turning pages close to the mic as the noise may be loud and difficult to eliminate later.

Once you find the best position for overall sound quality keep your position fixed.

Don't handle the mic as this can cause problems like low frequency rumbling. You should mount the mic on a stable microphone stand instead. If the mic's going to be table mounted you can place it on top of a good quality mouse mat to help decouple the stand from vibrations travelling through the table. Ensure the mic and stand are isolated from common noise sources such as tapping feet or other moving objects nearby.

Try to point the mic away from problem sound sources such as doors, windows, air conditioning, speakers, computer noise etc. If necessary use a baffle to prevent unwanted sound travelling to the mic. You can use everyday objects like bedding, pillows, curtains, carpeting, soft furnishings or board. Remember these materials may also modify the direct/ambient sound entering the mic from the room. It's usually more practical to go for a "dry" sound rather than a "roomy/boxy/ringy" sound. A dry sound is easier to control and will give the voice more presence in the podcast, ambience can always be added later electronically.

The Auralex traps and wedges shown below are a good off-the-shelf solution for acoustic treatments. Auralex have a wide range of flexible DIY sound control products available.

The further you are from the mic the more room and background sound will be heard and the more gain will be necessary on the mic input. This can introduce other forms of unwanted noise like distortion and ambient background hiss which can muddy the sound. It's a good idea to spend some time experimenting with various combinations to hear the effect produced. This usually means doing some trial recordings first. You need to find a happy compromise having taken all things into consideration

3: Microphone Distance

Avoid getting too close to the microphone. This will only introduce a bass tilt known as the "Proximity Effect". This effect is a continual build-up around the 200Hz range which detracts from the clarity of the recording. Unless you're deliberately going for this effect you'll find it more practical and safer to maintain a distance of 6 to 8 inches or more. The quality and type of microphone will also determine how close you need to be.

Microphones are more sensitive at close range which means even a slight increase in the volume of your voice can become greatly magnified. This can cause many unwanted distortions such as "popping", mouth clicking, breath noise and sibilance (heavy consonants). To feel the effect of this just hold your hand in front of your mouth and vary the distance as you push out some explosive Ps and other sounds.

Putting some distance between you and the microphone allows for small movements of the head off axis which are otherwise very noticeable at close range. The goal is to achieve an even level and balanced tone. Be conscious of your vocal level, too soft will leave a large margin for volume fluctuations whereas a moderate volume is easier to sustain and reproduce at a later time.

The need for a consistent level and tone becomes even more apparent when speech is combined with music. When talking over background sound like music just a slight drop in your vocal level will make it hard to hear what's being said because the voice has become fainter while the music level remains constant. That's why it's common to drop the music volume to a background level during the voice-over.

4: Eliminating Noise

One of the most consistent problems associated with being too close to the mike is "popping". This is the name given to explosive bangs that occur when air enters the microphone. You can eliminate it by using a combination of the following:

1) Increase the distance between you and the microphone.

2) Angle the microphone so that you are talking across rather than directly into it.

3) Create a pop-shield by forming a wire coat hanger into a circle and stretching a layer of nylon stocking or tights across it. This can be placed between you and the mic to filter the wind. (See How-To below)

4) Carefully tape a pen or pencil to the front of the microphone to block the wind.

Many podcasters like to get close to the mic for a bigger sound with more presence. In practice the reverse can happen for the following reasons:

1) Magnified unwanted noises like sibilance and popping will make it impossible to add EQ and other types of signal processing later. Some sounds will become too harsh when adding treble and pops will become thumps when boosting bass. Adding special effects like reverb or delays will further compound the problems. This can sound much worse when listening to the podcast on headphones.

When using headphones to record there is a risk of feedback if the mic is close to an open earpiece. A clean sound at the source can always be made warmer or given presence later far easier and without recourse to corrective processing.

2) If the annoying sounds happen frequently the user will modify the sound accordingly at their end. This can involve anything from changing the tone settings, turning the volume down or even switching it off.

Always check your connections and optimise your record levels with a trial run first. Ensure the levels are not clipping on the loudest parts of your vocal performance. Check that the softer parts are not reading too low as you may run into signal to noise problems with poorer quality equipment. Even up your spoken dynamic range where possible to make the recording safer. When making a recording check for the possibility of interruptions first such as people entering the room or ringing telephones.

5: Speech Synthesis & Text-to-Speech Solutions.

In extreme cases it may be impossible to record vocals. If you must have some form of speech in the podcast you can always generate it artificially. Speech synthesis software has become much more sophisticated recently although it still sounds mechanical. However there are some advantages to this technique that in certain circumstances may be preferable. For one, the recording process is greatly simplified, requiring no microphone or audio recorder. The user simply types in the required text and generates a digital audio file that can be imported into audio editing software. It's possible to assign a variety of male or female personas for the speech generation and even to translate the text into other languages.

Having multiple vocal characteristics allows for the creation of completely different productions, even if it is for demonstration purposes only. Podcasts may be used as transcriptions or multiple language education tools.

Perhaps an easily manageable form of text to audio recording will lead to a form of linguistic hyperaudio where anchors in clips and podcasts can be linked between web pages. Effectively, sections of audio could be pulled down and appended to other sections to create new audio/video documents and translations. At which point I'll leave you to imagine the possibilities.

See the module on Speech Synthesis below for a selection of free tools.

Speech Synthesis and Text-to-Speech Tools

Text-to-Speech Tools & Resources: A linked guide to free TTS solutions for Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and various podcasting applications.
Wikipedia Speech Synthesis: Provides general knowledge and links for the artificial production of human speech.

Part Two

podcasting products & resources

Practical Podcasting Help

The modules below provide links to real world podcasting solutions and tools. The resources cover all aspects of podcasting including microphones, software, podcast hosting, acoustic treatments, media distribution, marketing, legal issues, podsafe content, news and recently published podcasts.

Help Choosing Microphones

What Microphone Do I Get?: Finding the right microphone for radio applications is a specialized topic. In this article for Transom, Jeff Towne narrows it down in a concise overview of the types of microphones most suitable and widely used in radio productions.
Wikipedia: Microphone: Shared knowledge about microphones and links to important resources.
Video: Choosing a Microphone for Podcasting: A short video from Pennsylvania State University describing different mics and how they are used.

Mics & Accesories on Amazon

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Podvox: Practical Voice Recording Tips & Online Help for Podcasters

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Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

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Part One

Practical Voice Recording Tips

1: Getting Set - Initial Preparations

2: Microphone Positioning

3: Microphone Distance

4: Eliminating Noise

5: Speech Synthesis & Text-to-Speech Solutions.

Speech Synthesis and Text-to-Speech Tools

Part Two

Practical Podcasting Help

Help Choosing Microphones

Mics & Accesories on Amazon

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DIY Acoustic Treatments & Soundproofing

Auralex Acoustical Treatment

Podcasting Legal Guides & Podsafe Media

About Creative Commons

Using an open licence

Books on Podcasting

Portable Recording Devices

Media Tools & Gadgets

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