Echo help

Hey, I’m entirely new to the world of recording and audio. I’m trying to start a three person podcast and we just recorded our first episode, which seemed like it was going great, until I listened to the audio later. Each microphone picks up the sound of whoever’s talking. I figured out some of what wrong and it’s dumb mistakes of me learning. But I’m trying to figure out how to save this audio. Is there a way to save this and have the echo of each other disappear?

Each microphone picks up the sound of whoever’s talking.

Multi-point audio production needs to be on headphones or earphones.

That’s Nate Silver from the 538 podcast.

NateSilver-538.png
We can’t separate a show into individual voices once they’ve been mixed. You have to do it in real time.

Koz

Can you please explain how does it work? Cause I don’t understand why being in headphones will prevent other microphones from recording voices from other people.

Are you all in the same room? People who post this question are usually trying to record Zoom or Skype. Zoom may in this case be easier than what you’re doing by just telling Zoom to record the performance. I understand you can get them to record individual voices now and give you sound files.

I can’t think of a good way to record a three-way at home. No matter what you do, you end up with expensive microphones in a studio. There are simple tricks like directional microphones have a “hole” in the back where they stop working…

… and you put two people in each other’s hole. It doesn’t work with three people. That also depends on you having a soundproof room with no wall echoes. Doesn’t work with a normal apartment or house size room. That will always sound like you’re recording in a kitchen or bathroom.

I’m out.

I would give up and put an omni-directional microphone in the middle of the table, actually right on the table or a board with a towel under it.

Everybody goes into one sound file.

That’s pressure-zone configuration. It doubles the volume of the microphone, eliminates proximity distortion, and given the black paint and black towel (it’s really black felt), people forget it’s there (don’t paint the microphone). This usually happens in a large conference room with multiple people, so it doesn’t sound like a bathroom. The only down side is I can’t change one person’s volume. Sometimes volume compressors can help. Audacity has “Level-Speech”.

Post back if you do get something to work.

Koz

Thank you! Your reply gave me more explanations and understanding of the practical side of recording than google