Audio Podcasts thought

[Captain Video]

I listen to the audio podcasts regularly as I have a 60 minute drive to work and home. One of the things that frustrate me is the varying audio levels from people speaking . I might suggest you encourage everyone to speak close to the microphones. if some one speaks quietly you can "massage" the audio so it can be leveled "in post" so each voice is equally loud. Adobe makes "Audition" which could be a benefit.

 

[willsonman]

Audacity has many options to help with volume leveling... "normalization" is a key word you should search for. I agree that this is a peeve of mine but I understand that the vast majority of hobby podcasts are done by hobbyists, not sound engineers.

 

[sprzout]

I know when I record my own podcast (shameless plug - http://mygenerationpodcast.com) that I try to keep myself on the mic. I also monitor through a pair of headphones my output or my co-host's output, so I'm hearing almost exactly what my listeners would hear.

The problem is that a lot of hobbyists don't know how to set up a monitor out channel, or think that they need to, and so you get a lot of them that are speaking "off mic", i.e., they're directing it across the top of the mic, rather than into the pickup, or off to the side, or they're holding the mic too far away from their mouths, or whatever.

Best recommendations I have, if you are doing your own, are to set up a monitor out into a pair of headphones, so you can hear yourself; and, in addition, know how your mic picks up, as not everything is omnidirectional (nor do you WANT it to be if you're recording a podcast and don't want the ambient noise!)