Which apps to record with

Steve Hart. Journalist and podcaster based in Melbourne.

In this short-and-sweet episode I suggest two apps to record and edit your podcast. One is completely free and the other has a generous free trial period that will give you plenty of time to experiment and try it out.

OcenAudio is a superb free app and Reaper provides a fully-featured and robust alternative to Audition and ProTools (at a fraction of the price).

Your feedback is always welcome. So do please visit my new website at www.SteveHartMedia.com

All the best, Steve.

Three microphone suggestions for podcasters

This week I am looking at three mic suggestions you might find interesting (along with a suggestion on using the mic in your pocket – give it a go).

I look at a tried and trusted mic used by many podcasters, a new Rode and a high end mic that I really like the sound of. And the good thing is, they are all dynamic microphones – which I prefer for home and office use over the more sensitive condenser mics.

Your feedback is always welcome. So do please visit my new website at www.SteveHartMedia.com

All the best, Steve.

Beware of dual mono music on the RodecasterPro 2

I recorded a music show and while it sounded okay, I felt something was a bit off – but couldn’t put my finger on it. The music seemed to be stereo, but it wasn’t. There was something up and I had no idea what it could be. Was it just that I was listening to the output of a different mixer after all these years…? No, it was more than that.

A few days ago, I had time to delve deeper into the settings of the channels I use for music, and as I went through the processing options to turn each one off, right at the end, the final option was the stereo balance – or panning as Rode calls it.

Read the rest “Beware of dual mono music on the RodecasterPro 2”

Get to know your microphone

Steve Hart. Journalist and podcaster based in Melbourne.

No matter how much you spend on a microphone the key to getting the best from it is for you to get to know it. To treat it like a friend.

Only rarely can you just plug a mic in expect it to record a great performance. Every microphone has its own personality, it will like some things and not others.

It might pop a plosive at one angle and not another. It might sound great if you speak into in one direction, but not another.

Al mics have their sweet spot for your voice, and your environment also plays a part too.

So to record the best podcast, to get the best quality recording, means you have to understand what your mic likes and … Read the rest “Get to know your microphone”

Turn your podcast show notes into a book

Creating added value for your podcast subscribers is a great way to raise or boost your profile.

One way to do this is to create a PDF or digital book made up of the key points of your podcasts, collated show notes, or with extra information that will be of interest to your subscribers.

You can keep it simple with a small PDF of a few thousand words that you give away to new subscribers to your mailing list, give it away as a free-be to all, or go further and write a far more in-depth book that can be sold via print-on-demand sites such as IngramSpark – and offered as both a digital and hard copy publication worldwide.

If you enjoy writing then producing … Read the rest “Turn your podcast show notes into a book”

How to juice up your interviews

Sure, we all know to remove unwanted noises and mistakes from our podcasts, but audio editing can involve a lot more than the obvious. There’s an art to it that can really improve the impact your interviews have on your audience.

Get the inside track on editing interviews in this edition (37) of Podcasting Made Easy.

Who’s your biggest competition?

It’s old advice, but well worth repeating. After you have a good number of podcasts under your belt it’s a good idea to listen back to older shows to see what you can learn from your mistakes.

Well, perhaps mistakes is the wrong word. Listen back to decide what you can learn from your previous performances, your interviewing technique, and decide what you can do better next time.

Could you have asked your guest more interesting and relevant questions? Does your microphone technique need some work? Perhaps you went overboard on post production and audio processing?

No matter how much experience you have as a podcaster, you will always learn something about yourself by listening back to older shows. And by doing this you will … Read the rest “Who’s your biggest competition?”