Record Pro Audio On Your Computer - We Make It Easy

I mentioned putting a link to the video on the Home Brew Audio YouTube Channel here in the notes. Here that is: https://youtu.be/kYkbArXHKCE The Limiter tool changed in recent version of Audacity and it looks totally different from the video. So much so that you cannot follow the video's instructions. Fear not though! You can still find the old Limiter in newer versions of Audacity by picking "Legacy Limiter" instead of just "Limiter.

As I mentioned in the episode, there is a video and an article showing you a walk-through of the settings and stuff I mentioned for using the ACX Check plugin for Audacity (regardless of what program you use to actually record and edit your audio). Here they are: Home Brew Audio website: https://www.homebrewaudio.com/27097/acx-audio-submission-requirements-what-the-heck-do-they-mean/ Home Brew Audio YouTube video: https://youtu.be/kYkbArXHKCE?si=kaPOR4SsGz3UeRPg 

I talk a lot about making your audio sound professional. But it helps to know what the heck that even means. This episode gives several audio samples of what I consider to be NOT pro audio, and then several samples that I DO think are professional sounding. This should help nail down the answer to the question..."what even IS professional quality anyway?"   I mention in the episode that this comes from a new mini-course called Pro Podcast Recording Kickstarter. You can find that at https://www.homebrewaudio.com at the top of the page. Normally you can just go to the Courses link up at the top menu. But for now (and a few more weeks at least) there is a link at the very tippy top of the page where you can get a free pdf and the option to get the mini-course for $7 (normally $49).

We started moving in November 2023 and we are STILL MOVING! I don't think we know how moving works :-P. Anyway, that is my excuse as to where I've been. And since I'm in this new house and have not been able to get the studio set up yet, I had to record this episode with bare walls. I know!! But rather than try to fix the room reverb issue that resulted, I left it in the recording and made the topic of room sound (room reverb/echo) the topic of this episode.

My review of the Samson Q9U USB/XLR microphone. I actually used this mic to record this podcast episode. so you can hear how it sounds. 

This episode shows you how to quickly and easily improve the audio quality of your podcast, voiceover, audiobook, videos, and even singing.  And while you can do this like right now - no mater what microphone you have - doing this solves one large problem (audio quality) while creating a few new MINOR issues.  Also, doing this is free! Or at least it CAN be. Especially for short recordings. But if you plan to regularly record like this, you'll want to make some changes. And I lay out the recommended "things" in the episode.  You'll need to learn SOME editing. But you can likely do it with whatever audio recording program you already use. If you DON'T already use recording software (some podcasters record only on web applications), you can do the things I talk about in Audacity, which is free and easy to use.

I spent about a month playing with and testing a different kind of microphone for review. It's called the SP15 binaural microphone by SonicPresence. The purpose of this mic is not to record yourself (typically), but rather to record what YOU are hearing. It records your surroundings in sometimes startlingly accurate surround sound type audio.  The idea is that you would go out to an event, a party, a pub with live music, or just outside in nature. And whoever listens to the audio you recorded will hear what you heard in the way that you heard it. I have several examples in this episode for you to listen to. But make sure you use headphones! If you don't, it might sort of be like trying to watch a 3D movie without the special 3D glasses. I recorded my trip to a pub with live music and lots of people having a good time. I also tested how well the SP15 would pick up stereo music versus mono with a test in my studio with mono and stereo acoustic guitar. And finally, I used it for a selfie video and compared that to the audio quality with just an iPhone and also with a RODE Wireless Go II mic, which is designed for that purpose. I think the SP15 sounded the best of all of those. But you can listen and be the judge. If you want to find out more or buy one from B&H, here are a couple of links (they are affiliate links to help fund this podcast): For the SP15C - for mobile devices - https://homerecording.click/sp15c For the SP15V - for DSLR type cameras or camcorders - https://homerecording.click/sp15v  

I spent a couple of weeks really testing out the RODE NT1 5th Generation Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone. There is a lot to love. But I have a few quibbles as well. Unlike previous versions of the well-known NT1, the 5th generation is a "hybrid" mic. That means it is BOTH/EITHER a standard XLR mic OR a USB mic!  Pretty much every quibble I had was with the USB mode, like not having a headphone jack on the mic, and having issues getting Windows 11 to recognize it while also being able to use the RODE Connect software. This podcast episode was primarily about the highlights - how it sounds, and my personal favorite thing about it - 32-Bit Float!  But I do go into more details about my quibbles, plus the use of the on-board effects that you can use in USB mode, controlled by RODE Connect software (free) in the YouTube video I did on the mic, which you can find here: https://youtu.be/tn0IxGA1-XI 

I put the  RØDE NT-USB+ USB Microphone through its paces. After all was said and done, I have decided this is my new favorite USB mic. When I recommend a mic to folks who are on a budget (heck, even if you are NOT on a budget), this is the mic I'll recommend. It used to be the Blue Yeti. But that has now been dethroned :-). There are some audio samples in this episode. And it would be best to listen at least to that part with headphones to get the detail. Bottom line - this mic sounds really close to the same quality as mics costing 3 times more. The NT-USB+ goes for $169, BTW. 

What is a Click Track? And what is it good for? I explain what it is and give several reasons for using one. I use Reaper, which makes it easy to use a click track and to toggle the metronome off and on.  Reaper also has MIDI capability, so it's easy to just put a basic drum pattern on a track instead of using the official "click track." The result will be the same in that the beats will all fall onto the project tempo grid lines. But it can be easier to feel the rhythm of a song with drums instead of clicky-clacky sounds inherent to a default metronome sound in recording programs. Also, I use single-hit drum samples in this episode. I didn't mention where I got those. I have a virtual instrument (VSTi) called Storm Drum that I bought from Native Instruments years ago. I just loaded that up on a track and used the MIDI editor to trigger those drum sounds.

Reaper has a noise reduction tool, as do all audio editing and recording programs (I'm assuming. I've never seen one without that tool).  HOWEVER, the tool is not called Noise Reduction. Oddly that function is part of a tool/effect called ReaFir. The links I mention in the episode are: For the blog post: https://www.homebrewaudio.com/9603/reafir-madness-hidden-noise-reduction-tool-in-reaper/ For the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/HEY9XIYJtGg 

You may think it's obvious what "zero" means. It means "nothing," right? Actually, in audio recording, 0dB usually means the exact opposite. I mean, why would the audio world start making intuitive sense now? I explain in the episode.

Last time I recorded my episode with no content editing. So while I did treat it for noise reduction, plosives, and avg volume, I did NOT edit it for content. That means that all of the umms, uhs, ahs, repeats, mistakes, long pauses, even burps in one case (:-P) were left in. This time I took 5 segments from last episode and played them first as they were - no edits. Then I edited them so you could hear the before-and-after.

I wanted to talk a little bit about podcast editing. So I decided NOT to edit myself on this episode :-). I did do some noise reduction, plosive removal and finished volume stuff. But that isn't really the bulk of editing. What really takes the time when editing a podcast is cutting out all of the ummms, ahhhs, ya-knows, and long pauses. Also people tend to repeat themselves a lot, and I (as an editor) usually cut those out as well.  But all that stuff was left in on my recording in this episode because I thought it would help illuminate what editing is by hearing when something isn't. I hope that made sense :-P.

I had the excellent fortune to be able to interview Daniel Rowland, Oscar-winning, Grammy-nominated Engineer/Producer & Head of Strategy & Partnerships at LANDR Audio. He is also a professor at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University) in Nashville. He's worked on projects as varied as Nine Inch Nails, Seal, Meek Mill, Phillip Glass, Gwen Stefani, and The Sandbox (metaverse/game), along with dozens of Disney properties such as Star Wars and Marvel. Daniel is wealth of information on all things audio recording and has some amazing information to share. And LANDR (landr.com) is a service you WILL want to use, not matter what kind of recording you do - music, voiceovers, podcasts - anything. Get your projects mastered by their AI. But then have it distributed to the major streaming platforms. And check out must-have DAW plugins and royalty-free sample packs. If you don't learn something helpful in this episode, it's probably because you didn't listen to it ;-).

As promised last time, this is the second episode in a week! I'm at PodFest Expo 2022 and had the privilege of interviewing Bryan Entzminger. He is the founder of the Hindy Users (Unofficial) Facebook group, the creator of the course “Hindenburg Lite Quick Start.”  Bryan is a pocast editor and an expert on the audio recording and editing software called Hindenburg. You can find Bryan's contact info and links to his course and social media profiles here: https://toptieraudio.com/ 

I'm recording from Podfest Expo in Orlando! So that means I'll do 2 episodes in one week! Can you believe it? Also, the voice recording course - Professional Talkers: How To Record High Quality Audio For VoiceOvers, Podcasts & More - is finally done and ready!

This episode looks at when - if ever- it might be appropriate to record your podcast using Zoom, the popular online meeting service. I compared some audio recorded with a USB mic (Samson C01UPro) direct to my computer with audio from a Zoom recording using the same mic and computer. Take a listen and see how you think they compare.  I have a definite opinion on this. But you'll have to listen to this VERY short episode to find out what that is :-).

Last time, I tested some wired lavalier (lapel) mics for improving Zoom call audio quality. And I promised I'd do a wireless test for this episode. So here we "go" (:-P). I tested the RODE Wireless Go II microphone system. Notice I didn't say "lavalier system." That's because the Go II transmitter boxes have built-in microphones and clips on them. So you really don't need the traditional lavalier mic that clips to a tie or lapel. You can clip one of these boxes on as well. That keeps it truly wireless in that you don't have to worry about a wire going from a lavalier to a transmitter box. But you CAN buy a separate lavalier. I got a RODE Lavalier Go to do the tests. This episode has audio samples from using the Go II on a Panasonic Lumix G7 camera, an iPhone 11, and a Zoom call. That's the cool thing about this system. It can be used on pretty much any device - computer, mobile device and of course, a camera. 

After someone asked me for a recommendation on a lavalier/lapel microphone to improve the audio quality of Zoom calls, I got ahold of a couple and did a test. You'll hear the audio in this episode! I used only wired lavs for this episode because it turns out wireless is hard :-). I'll do a wireless lav test for the next episode. For this test, I used the MOVO M1 and the Sennheiser XS USB-C. Both are super inexpensive. Take a listen to the result here in the episode, along with my recommendation.

The Blue Yeti is an excellent USB microphone popular with podcasters, and other folks recording voices for any reason. But for some reason, a lot of recordings made on Yeti mics sound terrible. Why is this? I think I know. And here are ways to fix things quickly and easily so your Yeti can make you sound much more professional.

Now that you have the mic(s), the recording interface and the software, you'll need some additional things to be able to use your gear. Here is a list of those accessories, along with some suggestions.

What software should you use to record and produce your audio? This episode gives you some ideas, starting with a free program! So you can get started right now without having to buy anything. I also talk about Reaper and Adobe Audition. 

In part 3 of this series, we talk about microphones and recording interfaces.

This follows on - finally! - from the last episode, which was part 1 (yes, I left folks hanging. sorry!) of a 5-part series showing you how to set up a home recording studio. This episode talks about how to limit or eliminate noise of all kinds, which is arguably the most important factor in recording pro audio.

This is the first in a series of posts designed to walk you through how to create a computer-based home recording studio. We talk about what you'll need to buy, and even how to use free software for many tasks. The series will also show you how to get the best possible audio for the lowest possible cost. Best of all, we try our best not to use too much overly technical audio jargon. WE try to make it so easy that anyone can understand it.

This is an excellent microphone for home recording, especially for vocals/voice-over purposes. It gives professional sounding results for only about $149. This review contains audio samples and comparisons with a more expensive mic.

Do not let bad audio ruin an otherwise great video. Why do so many people who make videos always seem to forget about making the audio sound good? Here are some ways you can fix that.

3 Must-Know Tips For Getting Pro Audio From Your Home Recording Studio. It is possible to produce pro quality from a garden-variety computer as your home recording studio, and do it cheaply. Here's how.

A very common question I see is "should I use compression in audio recording?" The best answer to this question is, as is so often the case, "Do you need compression in your recordings?" This episode shows you how you can answer your own question.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Thaddeus Moore, who is the lead mastering engineer for Liquid Mastering. We talked for an hour audio recording, mixing and mastering, and Thaddeus shared his thoughts on the best way to do (or not to do:)) these things in a home recording studio. We also get some great insights into what mastering actually is, and why it is advisable, if at all possible, to have your songs mastered by someone OTHER than you:).

This podcast episode discusses two ways to keep a song on a steady and consistent tempo using recording software. The first way is to use the click-track/metronome tool. The second is to create a MIDI track and use drum sounds to create a more musical guide track.

Learn how to get professional quality audio from your home studio without all the techno-babble, and without spending lots of money for gear.