How to Use a Podcast Microphone
In his book Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss talks about his experience as an FBI hostage negotiator on the value of the “late night FM DJ” voice when talking with the bad guys. That “late night FM DJ” voice is exactly what all of us want to have when recording our podcasts. No one wants to sound like an amateur, and while we will probably never deal with a hostage situation, having the best quality sound goes a long way to representing yourself and your business well.
There are three basics you want to keep in mind when using your microphone. Don’t worry, they aren’t technical audiophile hacks!
Make Sure Your Software Is Using Your Microphone
At Content Allies, we often see a common mistake among our newest clients. Despite our admonitions, they have forgotten to see if their microphone was selected in the audio program they were using, be it Riverside, Zoom, or Zencastr.
Unless you tell it otherwise, software programs often default to your computer microphone. Make sure that your microphone is selected before you start recording.
Turn Down That Gain
Most high-quality microphones will have a gain knob. The purpose of this knob is to control the input volume. You want to make sure that this is turned down. If it’s turned up high, it can lead to really distorted audio. It’s possible in post production to increase volume levels, but if we start with high-gain audio, we can’t “turn it down.”
A good way to test this is to go to Webcam Mic Test. They offer free testing of the sound quality and level of your microphone. Again, remember to select the right one!
There’s No Such Thing As Too Close
Finally, you want to be about three to five inches from your microphone. A rookie mistake is having a microphone on a surface and then being a foot or two away from it. People are worried about being “too close” to the mic, but the truth is that speaking at a normal level, you can’t really be “too close” to the mic.
When you’re a foot or two away, not only is the volume of what you’re saying affected, but we start to pick up background noise and sometimes echo from the rest of the room. Don’t be far away! Get close.
As long as you follow these basic tips, the next time you record on even a standard quality microphone you’re going to be well on your way to that “late night FM DJ” sound.
Have a topic you want to see us cover on the podcast? Write to our host at hello@contentallies.com.
This episode is brought to you by Content Allies.
Content Allies helps B2B companies launch revenue-generating podcasts. From startups to Fortune 500s, we have helped some of the world's leading companies build and run profitable podcasts. Contact us for your free podcast consultation at ContentAllies.com