Setting Up For Podcast

I am going to need more help than I originally thought! I’ll get to the headache part, shortly.

First, the photo is my podcast setup. I am the owner of a blog site called [Advertising removed]. Alone with my blog post, I record an audio podcast to go with what I wrote. I don’t repeat exactly what I wrote and will make references when needed. Yes, I do record my podcast in OBS Studio since it’s easy to turn on record and switch to my blog post and notes on the same PC. I’ll bring the finished video into Audacity and run it through post processing and convert it to .MP3.

Things come up, as it always does! I’m now getting back into the swing of thing and need to stream line the process of creating content. It has been a while and it seems Audacity had undergone some unexpected changes. Now, I can’t bring in an .mp4 file or any other file format. Even worse, I’m told that I can’t export to .MP3. What??

I just found this out because I wanted to upload a test audio so you can hear my current audio quality. I was going to ask about filters and how I can stream line the process and not record in one app and switch over to another one. I just did a quick and dirty recording in Zoom. I don’t know off hand the mic setting. I’m using a Samson Meteo USB Mic. I used the same setup seen in the photo; except I used Zoom.

I’d love to hear your input on what I can do. Thank you.

Sorry, I fogot to add some needed info. Here you go.

My PC is a Dell i7 6-Core processor with 16GB of RAM. The unit has a built-in speaker. I’ll us my Bluetooth speaker to improve audio quality.
I am running Windows 10 Pro and it’s fully updated.
Audacity is 3.0.3

You’re blowing on the mic, e.g. when you say “test” & “thankfully”.

Here’s a possible cure …

http ://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/accessories/microphone-accessories/md2-ps05/

Your recording is being processed, e.g. noise-reduction/ echo-reduction,
you may get better results if you turn those “audio enhancements” off … https://youtu.be/sxnUjiGgBaI
[ There are similar enhancements in Zoom. A double-dose of “enhancements” (Windows+Zoom) could produce poor quality sound ].

NB: WAV is better quality than MP3. (Should not use MP3 when editing: that format accumulates damage).

That pop filter and stand would fit nicely on my desk. I can use it when I record. For normal Zoom use, I’ll just use the mic.

I think I found out why I had trouble exporting to .MP3. It seems I needed to upgrade my version of Audacity to account for the changes made to Audacity. Before I had to tell it to export to a specified file format. This time, I can choose right from the dropdown menu. Nice. I’m glad that I’m discovering it when it’s not urgent.

Your recording is being processed, e.g. noise-reduction/ echo-reduction,
you may get better results if you turn those “audio enhancements” off … > https://youtu.be/sxnUjiGgBaI
[ There are similar enhancements in Zoom. A double-dose of “enhancements” (Windows+Zoom) could produce poor quality sound ].

I gotcha! I did not need to enable audio enhancement. Just let the mic do its job. It didn’t need the help when recording.

And this is what happens when I compose a response and then leave the house without actually posting it. Some of this you already answered and I deleted them.

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Dell i7

Dell i7 what? That could be a laptop or a desktop.

Now, I can’t bring in an .mp4 file or any other file format.

Someone else had that problem with Audacity 3.0.3. Looking.

Samson Meteo USB Mic.

That would be a Meteor?

For sound quality, you’re too close to the microphone. You are PPopping your PP sounds. Either back up, use a pop and blast filter…

…or use oblique placement (B).

It sounds like you’re swallowing the microphone, and the voice sound is highly processed.

Now you’re back…back from what? What was the Audacity you were using when you left? It’s not the best idea to cut free a system what was working for a different one just because it’s newer. All new programs like this go through growing pains. There was a recent Audacity version that lasted about fifteen minutes because it had a file management error nobody caught until it hit real users.

Koz

For normal Zoom use, I’ll just use the mic.

Let me read that back to you. ‘The people I’m Zooming with don’t deserve the higher voice quality.’

You don’t have to play any of these electronic tricks if you just place the microphone opposite your cheek rather than straight-on (B placement) Given the size of a Yeti, it also gets it out of the way of a script or camera.

The first time I saw an actual Yeti in a store my mouth dropped open. It’s the Diesel Microphone. Classic Broadcast Microphones didn’t get that big.

The best thing you can do with a Skype, Zoom or other chat call is wear headphones. Most of the distortion in a Zoom call comes from Zoom trying to suppress your speaker sound in the room. That’s what gives your guests that honky, bubbling sound in your voice.

You never connected the dots. Are you using Zoom as part of your podcasts and other shows? How? Nobody can record a Zoom call with good quality. That’s why Zoom (and Skype) both offer server-side chat recording.

Koz

Now, I can’t bring in an .mp4 file or any other file format.
Someone else had that problem with Audacity 3.0.3. Looking.

I installed Audacity 3.0.3 (Mac) and File > Opened your posted MP4 video file straight off the desktop and your voice opened.

I didn’t try dragging it into Audacity and I think it’s still true you can File > Import if you need to open a troublesome or odd file. You used to have to Import everything, but File > Open works now.

Koz

Wrong poster. You have the Meteor, not a Yeti. Same trick. Move it off to one side rather than straight in front. You can get louder and better sound quality and it’s out of the way.

I use paper towel/toilet paper spacers. They take up less room, they’re acoustically quieter, but they’re easier to knock over. Plus, if you ever need to wipe anything, they’re handy.

The last time I had to record a voice clip, I used three toilet rolls which was slightly higher.

Koz

The Windows audio enhancements, (recording & playback), can be on as default, rather than you having to opt-in and switch them on. (I don’t Zoom, so I can’t tell you if enhancements are on by default there).

I do not plan to use Zoom for recording a podcast. The only reason that I used it is to make a quick and dirty recording that’s up loadable. The last time I used Audacity in a serious manner is on my old laptop. Apparently I was using an old version of Audacity that made use of something called a LAME?? file for exporting a project to .MP3. I could only get a .WAV uncompressed file.

I’m currently on a Dell i7 Desktop PC and it’s a whole new setup. I still have that installer for the OLD version of Audacity that did NOT have the encoder. Guess what happened when I tried to export? Paraphrasing - “I’m sorry, the ability to export your project file has been integrated ino Audacity. The encoder is no longer available.” I did not realize that I was using an old version.

Let me read that back to you. ‘The people I’m Zooming with don’t deserve the higher voice quality.’

I had that one coming! I read the rest of the post. When I do a normal Zoom call, I don’t use that stack of CD cases and Bible. It just sits on the desk. For a little accuracy, I just did a couple of measurements:

Samson Meteor Mic sitting on just the desk: 11" from mouth and the mic is at chest level. I’m sitting in front of a 24" monitor
Samson Meteor Mic sitting on stack: The stack is roughly 7" high. Top part of mic is level with my mouth and it’s 5" to 6" away from my mouth.

I do have a voice that carries and a hearing impairment. So, I’m probably a little louder than need be. When I do a normal video call, the mic is in the first position.

Because I do have an upgraded version of Audacity and can now export to other format, I’ll try uploading and sample test audio, later.

I am going to be very glad that I ordered that mic stand with the pop filter. It will be here in a day or so. I just did another test record and the stack does help. When the mic is sitting on the desk, the voice is too far away and the gain is at .67. That # is from Audacity. Perhaps it is me, I’m still hearing a slight reverb in the room.

I’m uploading a test audio that is recorded in Audacity 3.0.3. Somebody mentioned that .MP3 is not great for editing or something. What’s a better format; especially for this forum?

The more we know about your setup, the more constructive we can be and faster.

Most people posting would be using the laptop version of the i7. The only problem with the desktop is sound. In General, no effort is made to make them quiet and most people think the louder the fan noises, the more powerful the computer.

You can’t put a blanket over the machine without causing overheating problems, but you can aim the fans so they’re not in line with the microphone or put a cardboard wall between the machine and your operating area. If your machine is close to a wall, hang a blanket on the wall and put the machine on a blanket.

Any sound deadening helps. Note in the paper towel picture, they’re not sitting on a plain desk. They’re sitting on a blue furniture moving pad. That’s what that blue thing on the table is in this sound shoot.

You may find that if you do find all the voice processing tools in your machine and turn them all off, your voice clarity will get better, but all those other noises in your studio increase. Background noises (Room Tone) just kills people trying to read for audiobooks at home. Getting the required voice volume and technical specifications is a snap compared to getting rid of room echoes, refrigerator noises and that metrobus sound outside the house.

The Meteor is a directional (cardioid) microphone, so that helps a lot. It receives sound mostly from the front and it tries to ignore room noises.

Koz

.MP3 is not great for editing or something.

Never do production in MP3. MP3 gets its small, convenient files by rearranging musical tones and dropping some tones completely. If you do that once, like if you’re preparing some shows for your personal music player while running on the beach, that can work really well and that’s more or less what the format was designed for.

If you make an MP3 from an MP3, many people can hear those tricks instead of clear sound. If you do that three times, MP3 can reduce your show quality to garbage.

Stick with WAV (Microsoft) 16-bit for production and posting on the forum. There are restrictions. The forum will only allow about 20 seconds of mono (one blue wave) or 10 seconds of stereo (two blue waves). So you can’t post a book chapter or 20 minute dissertation. Also obviously, WAV files are very much larger than MP3.

Koz

I’m still hearing a slight reverb in the room.

Reverb and echoes are killers. There are no post production tools to get rid of it and it causes theatrical problems.

There is an explainer video producer that I like for the wrong reasons. He has terrific, clear video with excellent lighting, good color, and neat theatrical backgrounds. When he starts talking, he turns into a kid recording in the bathroom.

On the other side of that is Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) and his technical explainers. He recently did an explainer video about his studio. He put sound control panels in the ceilings of all his sound rooms and carpeting on the floors. He always has outstanding, clear sound. That video has over 4 million hits.

You don’t have to do soundproofing in the whole floor of a building. You can do it with two furniture moving pads and some plastic pipes.

I called it the kitchen table sound studio.

Koz

This is a detail of an actual Hollywood soundstage. That little EXIT room is a sound lock.

Koz

Stick with WAV (Microsoft) 16-bit for production and posting on the forum. There are restrictions. The forum will only allow about 20 seconds of mono (one blue wave) or 10 seconds of stereo (two blue waves). So you can’t post a book chapter or 20 minute dissertation. Also obviously, the files are very much larger.

Thanks for the info, koz!

One of our forum posters did a larger version.

Koz

I am looking at that photo of your setup and an idea came to mind. Do you recall the photo showing the Samson Meteor Mic stand with pop filter? It has a small 4" base. It would fit perfectly in the small space in front of my monitor. The floating desk is attached to the wall I can find a soft material to sit under the microphone.

That tiny little black box on the left side of the monitor is the Dell Desktop PC. I am actually surprised that the mic can pick up the humming from the system unit. Sound vibration travels a lot better than people realize. I’m glad that the Samson Meteor mic is a cardiogram version. The other type would pick up a lot more noise. I’ll experiment with a folded bath mat, wash rag or small soft material.

IWow, I like that above photo. Since perspectives do help; here’s a better shot of my set up from two different angle. I’m using a daylight bulb in the one photo.

The other type would pick up a lot more noise.

Omnidirectional (all direction) microphones are easy build and sound fine, but they’re a lot harder to use in difficult conditions. That’s why if you buy a non-switchable home microphone like the Meteor, they almost always have directional characters. Talk to the front and not the back.

I am actually surprised that the mic can pick up the humming from the system unit.

It might not be sound. It could be picking up vibrations from the desk. That gives you this design.

That’s to eliminate desk vibrations. The book has to be heavy and acoustically dead. The towel has to be soft and fluffy.

The Big Kids use a spider to keep stand noises away from the microphone. It’s hard to see, but the microphone is being held up by a series of black rubber bands.

It would fit perfectly in the small space in front of my monitor.

Yes, but.

Monitors and screens can have electrical radiation noises.

Isn’t this fun?

Microphones have a tiny piece of metal that vibrates in time to your voice. It makes an electrical signal that then has to be magnified up to 1000 times to make it useful in production. In some cases, it needs boosting to even make it down the cable to the computer. Anything acoustical or electrical in the environment gets boosted.

You can do troubleshooting. It’s not rocket surgery. During that hum problem, pick up the microphone from the desk and see if the hum changes. Since you have a directional microphone, wave it around and see if your noise problem gets louder or softer. You know sound is louder from the microphone front.

I had a hum problem in my studio for years and I just worked around it. I thought it was the high tension lines over the house.

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I waved my directional microphone around and it turned out to be coming from my music keyboard.

My internet connection makes a high, singing sound.

And etc.

Koz