The Podcasters' Studio

Do you have more noise in your podcast audio than you'd like? Do you know what is causing that noise? Is it your mic? How about your studio or maybe it's your preamp...if you use one. I'm talking with Julian Krause all about the latter but of course we dive into many related topics surrounding preamps and noise, including: How to test a preamp for noise or find out what its noise floor measurement is. How the noise you're hearing might be coming from your mic (if it's a condenser) before it comes from your preamp. Dynamic vs condensor microphones. Several audio recorders to include the Mixpre, Zoom H5, H4n and H4n Pro, Zoom f8 and more. Microphone impedance and some of the standard mics you may have used or are currently using. And how the device Julian made works for testing a preamp and how to make one of your own. Comparing preamps to other preamps in terms of noise floor specs. And how not to test a preamp. Measuring noise levels (of a preamp) in software. Using low cut filters during recording vs post production. Gain staging—how to get the most out the device you’re using cause the noise floor exists regardless of your recording level. Can you simply lower your level to lower the noise? Not really. You’ll end up needing to boost levels in post production and the noise will then be audible because it was always there; you just couldn't hear it in your headphones while recording at lower levels. Intro Music by PremiumBeat.com. License this music: http://bit.ly/1BJbspm Tracks: Time Flies by GG Riggs Best Life by White Knuckle Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. If you want the best podcast media hosting, these are the two services I recommend. You can use *promo code: podcasthelper on checkout to get your first month free. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast I post lots of behind the scenes content and gear tests between videos. Follow me at your favorite! Subscribe via YouTube TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM PATREON *all links should be considered affiliate links. I encourage you to shop around for the best prices at the time you are viewing this. You can read my ethics statement via https://thepodcastersstudio.com/ethics. Thanks! A playlist of all of Julian's relevant videos.

This might be your very first time listening to The Podcasters’ Studio and if so, you're starting in the right place! This episode will talk you through the entire process of getting a podcast started. If this is not your first time, welcome back! So, this is podcasting 101, the steps you need to know to go from wanting to start your own podcast, to seeing your first episode in iTunes/Apple Podcasts, we’re actually in the midst of a naming transition for Apple, iTunes and Podcasts so I’ll refer to both. I’m going to walk you through the basics of getting a podcast started, this will be the extreme 101 version. And if you’ve been a regular listener to The Podcasters’ Studio, you’ll know this as my every 50 episodes Back to Basics refresh. How nice that it falls on episode 101, totally appropriate. Watch the accompanying Video Series. New videos coming soon! Subscribe. Here’s exactly what I’ll be covering on this episode: • Choosing a Topic, you have to have something to podcast about - best practices but it’s not for me to say or decide what a good podcast is, that’s the point of podcasting, it’s open to anyone and it’s up to you and your audience, there’s nobody to tell you you can’t. No permission needed. • Naming your Podcast - what are you going to call it?? • The Format of your podcast - will it be just you or will you have a co-host or interviewees, how about audio vs video? yes video is podcasting too but since most of you will want and should start with an audio only podcast, that is what the focus of this episode will be. If you decide video is where you want to go, I’ll point you to a special resource for that. • Your podcast Studio - the place where you’re going to record • Podcasting Gear - a favorite topic but we’ll keep it really simple - works for everyone, produces quality results and allows you to grow • Software - this includes audio editing, post processing, creating graphics etc. • Logos - the artwork for your show • Recording audio - the basics of getting quality audio • Making a podcast-ready audio file, an mp3 • Hosting audio - where do you put it online so people can get it? • Creating an RSS feed - that thing that actually makes your podcast a podcast • Publishing episodes • A podcast website - a home on the web for your show - not required but I think it’s that important so it gets included here • And getting into iTunes/Apple Podcasts which includes the Podcasts App Before we begin going through those steps, I have to preface this with one brutally honest truth, podcasting is hard… and that’s not a bad thing in my opinion. In fact, I think, anything done well is hard work except this is the kind of hard work that you enjoy. You’ll enjoy prepping for your podcast, recording your podcast, publishing your podcast and promoting your podcast and then doing it all over again the next week. That’s not easy week after week or whatever schedule you setup for your podcast but you’ll keep doing it if you love the topic you are talking about. But podcasting is hard work, it’s not a game of fast results, it’s a labor of love that has many returns and in some cases, after putting in the hard work, those returns can be monetary if that is one of the goals for your podcast. I emphasize ONE of the goals because even if you want to monetize, money can’t be the only motivation. For those of you who aren’t in it to make money, you already have the ingredients to succeed which in our case, means to keep publishing episodes over a sustained period of time. And to be even harsher, as it pertains to this specific episode, I actually don’t care what your podcast is about. nor do I don’t care why you are starting a podcast. That sounds mean but it’s because the one thing I want to accomplish with this episode and the one thing I care about right now, is getting you started. getting your first episode published no matter what your podcast is about or...

The first Podcasters' Studio that doesn't start with a zero (ex: 001, 099)! Episode 100, we made it! Thank you to everyone who has ever listened and helped the show reach this milestone. This is a mighty episode filled with all the still relevant tips from the last 99 episodes of The Podcasters' Studio. I relistened to every episode (that was painful) and culled all the tips that I thought would still be useful in 2017. There is plenty of good content left in each of the episodes, I don't include them all here but the tips on this episode are ones that you can take back to your own show right now and grow the show you already have or start the podcast you've always wanted. Most of the lessons in this episode where culled while listening to most of my back catalog of content. I scrubbed through all my past podcast episodes picking out those things that made me think I could of done it differently or want to change moving forward past episode 100. • TPS002 subscribe, listen and interact with the other shows in your niche. You don't have to publish a podcast to talk to your audience. Blog in between episodes. This is great for discovery in search where you can reach people who didn't know you had a podcast. Social is another great way to interact and inform between episodes. TPS does not have a consistent schedule but if you follow me (twitter, Instagram, YouTube) I do consistently produce content that would be on my show, that fits the audience who listens. • TPS003 - Skype for the Podcaster. Skype is still probably the best way to conduct a remote interview where your guest has limited ability to do anything more than answer your call. Can also call landlines. Not much has changed since this episode was published in April 2009, Skype as a podcast tool, has stood the test of time. For recording, Call Recorder is the easiest option and I like having it installed for instances where something more impromptu happens where you just want to start recording immediately. This is for the Mac and it's also the best way to record HD video which you can record on separate tracks (you get two separate audio and video files). For Windows, Pamela is probably the best equivalent. By the way, these are also the recommendations I made in 2009. Are there new options? Yes. Zencastr, Cast, Ringr are all cool options but each have their own quirks that don't make them as good of a choice as Skype at least for the newer podcaster. I also love Audio Hijack for Mac because it's so powerful with some many customizable options for more advanced recording or even just as a good recorder. Wear headphones, you and the guest;) • TPS004 - Blogging for the Podcaster - bottom line, have a website for your show with your own .com. This isn't only for branding, professionalism, and usability but most importantly for ownership. Build on your own site instead of someone else's but even if you just map your domain to a Tumblr page etc., at least you can move somewhere else in the future and your domain never changes. • TPS006 - Podcast Hosting - Don't host on your own site, especially shared hosting. Unlimited bandwidth doesn't mean unlimited everything else such as CPU cycles etc. • TPS007 - Comment on other blogs and social (answer questions, offer valuable feedback and discussion to others in your niche. There are many communities on facbook, websites, G+, etc., which are great places to become recognized as someone who valuable knowledge or just a good friend. The core message is to get noticed, get your podcast noticed by having conversations away from your show, get into the community. Use hashtags or keyword search on social networks to look for conversations, join tweet chats, etc., just go have the conversations. • TPS008 - Podcast intros:  your name, who you're talking to and what you're talking about. Hook the audience, give them the necessary info up front and fast. I'm not a huge fan of templates when it comes to your podcast's conversation,

99 podcast episodes is a lot. Hopefully, when you reach that milestone, you've learned a thing or two about how to make your podcast better. This episode is a collection of lessons I've learned over those 99 episodes. First lesson, be your own best critic. But if you're a creative type, you probably already are;) In that case, give yourself a break, create, learn, repeat. Most of the lessons in this episode where culled while listening to most of my back catalog of content. I scrubbed through all my past podcast episodes picking out those things that made me think I could of done it differently or want to change moving forward past episode 100. Here are the highlights or perhaps in this case they are lowlights?;) Get reliable hosting from the start. I had to migrate from free hosting when it closed. Not a shock since it's hard to keep the lights on for free. The migration can be a headache, especially if you have lots of episodes and it may end up costing you all the money you "saved." A how-to show, like mine, would benefit by telling the audience to listen in reverse chronological order to get the most recent info. Consider whether or not you may need to teach your audience how to listen. Don't start with an intro episode, start off with content as fast as possible. Don't do placeholder or episode zero. Start episode one as a regular episode. Deliver real content right from the start. Your audience will learn about you and your show over time, when they have already decided that they want to come back again and again because your content is good. Starting my show as a live show AND a Q&A was a bad first move. I didn't have an already established audience which means it's really hard to fill up a chat room with questions or to even show up to the live-stream in the first place. Being live is fine but I'd save it until you build a core audience and only then if you have the extra time to do it. Establish your format in the first 10 episodes (minimum). On episode 8 I had already mixed in an interview which was much different than a how-to show. I would of rather nail down exactly what the show is, deliver a lot of that content then learn how best to introduce various formats. Interviews worked great on TPS once I learned the best way to integrate an interviewee with my audience. Use a tool to loudness normalize your audio. Auphonic.com is my recommendation. Start your email list when you start your show and consider using a single call-to-action in your show to move listeners to sign-up. Carefully consider your titling, artwork, ID3 tags, and overall branding for items that are harder to change the further you get along. Shownotes are a perfect place to outline each podcast episode. Besides providing more text for your notes, it will serve as a great way to search your content for easy reference and to know if any given topic has already been covered. Combine this with a good search tool on your website. Don't break to music only. Put a music bed underneath what you are saying to maximize efficiency of a listeners time. Setup your social and let people know how to reach out, how to share. I started @podcasthelper at episode 8 and it would have been nice to have the social channel setup when I started but this also isn't something to stress out over more than just something to consider when starting. At a minimum, reserve your podcast's name on the largest social networks. For interviewees that are not necessarily known to your audience, write titles for the topic not the person but include their name in the title, at the end for good SEO in iTunes etc. I probably wouldn't have split some interviews into two episodes. Those interested enough will break up a long interview on their own. Include clickable links such as your email sign-up and any other calls-to-action in your shownotes that appear in podast apps. Most apps now support clickable links. Focus on those shownotes,

Is this the last Podcasters' Studio? No. But staying motivated after years of talking about the same subject will be a challenge every podcaster faces if you do it long enough. How do you stay motivated? In most cases, listener feedback and a love for the topic will keep the show going for as long as you want. However, other platforms such as YouTube, twitter, etc., have some built in capabilities that can help podcasters stay motivated through easy engagement with the audience.  Easy of commenting and "liking" are just two ways in which these platforms and many like them help your audience engage with your content and as a result, provide an extra level of motivation to keep you producing content. I'd love to see a few more tools built into iTunes that gave podcast listeners an easier way to connect with the podcaster. More access to stats, a "like" button in the Podcasts App, email notifications for new subscriptions are a few things that YouTube provides its creators. And in some cases, YouTube works directly with creators to improve their channels. All of these are great for the platform as well as the creator, keeping eyes and ears on their platform while providing that extra fuel that could be the difference between a creator producing content or stopping. PodcastsConnect is now how you submit podcasts to Apple. Login and check out the new tools available to you as a podcaster on iTunes. Libsyn now helps make the process of posting a podcast a little easier. ID3 tags, metadata that lives inside each podcast file (mp3) can now be added to your file when you upload to Libsyn. Blubby has had this feature for long time and I'm glad to see it now come to Libsyn users as well. If you want the best podcast media hosting, these are the two services I recommend. You can use *promo code: podcasthelper on checkout to get your first month free. I found out about an interesting quirk of the Behringer Q802USB which doesn't allow you to monitor your audio in both directions when using the USB in/out only. Here's how to "fix" the Q802USB to monitor in and out via USB. On this episode I explain the process you see in the above video but you'll also hear how well this sub $100 mixer handles gain hungry dynamic microphones, in this case the Heil PR40. I also cover the Mackie Mix8 mixer and you can watch that review as well: Take note of the added Google Play Music buttons in the subscribe sections (below and top right) of this website. If your show is in the GPM store, make sure to update your site to include an easy link to your show on GPM! Links* mentioned in this episode: Where to Submit Your Podcast, First! PodcastsConnect FAQ CastFeedValidator.com Podcasts Connect on Podcasters' Roundtable Podcasts Connect on The Audacity to Podcast Mix-minus to a smartphone - TPS 93 iRig2 for connecting Line level gear to smartphones How to Gain Stage a Mixer  Sub $100 Mixer Shootout "Hidden" Low Latency Mode - Audio Hijack Email: Ray@thepodcastersstudio.com Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast I post lots of behind the scenes content and gear tests between videos. Follow me at your favorite! Subscribe via YouTube TWITTER FACEBOOK SNAPCHAT: PodcastHelper INSTAGRAM PATREON *all links should be considered affiliate links. I encourage you to shop around for the best prices at the time you are viewing this. You can read my ethics statement via https://thepodcastersstudio.com/ethics. Thanks!

On this fairly opinionated episode, I discuss my thoughts on "cheap" gear, advertising rates, audience numbers and who your podcast's intro should serve. "Cheap" Podcast Gear Cheap gear is not the same as affordable gear. One I have a problem with, the other I do not. Gear that is made poorly and creates issues like noise that shouldn't be there, is cheap gear. That is the kind of gear you want to avoid. Affordable gear, is something that works well at a budget friendly price. And that kind of gear I recommend often. The best example of gear that is budget friendly yet performs at a professional level would be the ATR2100 microphone. I love this mic., because it's less than $60 and the sound it produces can compete with microphones that are five times as much. It's built well but it's not perfect. I have seen the USB connection go back but the good news is it has a lifetime warranty so there is little risk to getting this microphone. This is a great piece of gear that a beginning podcaster can buy and instantly have the capability to produce professional level audio.  I cover a lot of gear on this show and many people would not consider a lot of it to be affordable. This is true, it's not compared to the ATR2100 but it is a lot less money than a lot of other professional gear that I myself have never used. The Heil PR40 is pro level microphone (built very well) and sits in the middle of the price range for microphones. This is gear I would not consider affordable by most podcaster's budgets but it is affordable compared to many mics that cost one-thousand dollars or more. So there is definitely a continuum of podcasting gear and while I use a lot of different gear on this show, I fully support any setup that produces good quality while allowing you to start your podcast without having to save up a bunch of money. As an example, I recently worked with someone who already had a Blue Yeti microphone and had used Garageband. These would not be my first recommendation for gear and software but I also knew that I could produce great sounding audio with each. So we set her up with the gear she already had and her recordings sounded great. The key to getting started in podcasting is to actually start. Don't let the gear stop you from getting your show started. Invest, at a minimum, fifty dollars (if you don't have useable gear already) and start recording. You can grow your gear, if necessary, as you progress in your podcasting journey. Ad Rates I've heard it said that ad rates for podcasting are declining and to that I say, so what? My question to you is are you really interested in fighting for a small piece of an apparently shrinking pie to then have to serve two audiences, your listener and the sponsor? You'll end up making a preset amount determined by a third party that you have share revenue with. Is getting a Squarespace (SP) ad (nothing against SP btw, in fact I like them more and more as a hands off approach to website management and even podcast media hosting) the end goal? I chose SP as an example because they are a prolific podcast advertiser and in fact I praise them for supporting and believing in our medium early on but to make money with that kind of advertising (cost per thousand downloads CPM) you'll need a very large audience, not something the average podcaster has. Do you want to take ads that pay you $20 an episode (and that is probably higher than you'll get) that you spent 4 plus hours making and now have to interrupt your content to ask for what will amount to pennies when you add up time spent to revenue made? I'm not downplaying the value of any amount of money but you should think about the return on your time investment (ROTI) and how you'll have to change/interrupt your content to serve a sponsor that if you're lucky will barely pay your hosting fees. And of course that ad has another serious side effect, it will affect your listeners experience.

? Recording multichannel audio is the best way to take total control over your audio. However, it can be difficult and/or pricey to achieve. Technically you can do multichannel with any mixer, even the cheapest ones. How many separate channels you'll get is a different story. On this episode I talk about how to use an analog mixer to output multichannel audio via Insert channels. Other topics include an update about the construction of my podcast studio, confirming that the 2i4 is indeed multichannel and a brief PSA about making sure your website is podcast ready. State of the Studio I'm in the process of converting my garage into a home office/studio. This space is just under 250 sq. ft. and as seen here, renovation has just begun.  It's important to note what this space will be and what it won't. This is not a recording studio in the sense that it will be completely isolated from sound and/or perfectly treated to prevent reverb etc. In addition to function, I'm also a big fan of form (design). Because this space will be the place I work everyday, I want it to be a comfortable spot with plenty of natural daylight and some other features that you would not choose if you were trying to build a sound proof studio. This space will also be a sort of oasis for me in that I was the kid whose favorite place was being in his room. So comfort, look, feel, all that stuff is as important to me as how it will function as a podcast studio. You could argue that part of being great on the microphone is making your recording environment as pleasing and comfortable as possible. And yes, I am super grateful to even have the opportunity to build this space. That said, I will be taking steps to attenuate outside noise as much as possible and I'll likely acoustically treat the space to help minimize any potential audio issues. One way to follow the progress of the studio is to go to patreon.com/ray and click the "Follow" button. I'll be posting periodical updates including video, audio and images as the renovation progresses. All the updates related to the studio build will be put into the "public" feed which means you don't have to be a Patron to see them. They're free;) You will need to create a Patreon account however and if you're a podcaster and you've heard my show, you'll know that I think you should be using Patreon anyways, this is a great chance to start;) There's still a long way to go but the (concrete) floor has been poured, a couple ceiling joists that were not needed and were making the ceiling too low were removed and collar ties were added. The new wood you see (light colored) is furring to make an even surface for the drywall which will be a special type called Quietrock which is eight times the density of normal sheetrock including an acoustic gel layer in the middle.  When you stand in the garage in its current state and speak, the bass build up is like nothing I've heard before. Yikes;) Throw in a lot of nasty reverb to go along with and well, let's just hope that gets better. Once the space is finished it's likely that I'll have plenty of reverb issues to deal with considering it's basically a small, less than 250 square foot, box with hard surfaces. Getting furniture and some kind of carpeting will help but I also plan to add some acoustic tiles and may have to use bass traps as well.  Some additional mods will likely include a ceiling cloud that is either an acoustic panel or a diffuser. This will hang above my desk, likely along the back wall that you see here with new wood framing. On the right-hand wall I will likely build some kind of facade that will serve to hang a TV and allow me to put all the cabling behind so it's unseen. That wall will likely be designed to also serve as sound diffusion. Tasks left to do: double panel, out-swing door on the left wall, center. Replace current crumbling, carriage door with insulated, double panel, carriage doors with insulated windows. Electrical,

You've created your podcast ready RSS feed so what's next? You need to send it out to the world! There are many places your podcast can be found however you need to submit your show's RSS feed to multiple directories and apps in order to have people find you. On this episode, I talk about the top ten directories that send me the most traffic and where you should submit your podcast first, in order to find the majority of your audience. I also discuss Auphonic.com as a fantastic option for easy post production including the simplest way to make sure you are hitting proper Loudness targets for podcasting. Auphonic for Easy Post Processing After you've recorded your audio and assembled the pieces of your show (music, sound FX, etc.) in your audio editor, a few steps remain. You'll want to make sure your audio hits the suggested target for podcast Loudness (-16LUFS for stereo, -19LUFS for mono) and include your ID3 metadata (a.k.a. tags). Auphonic.com makes this really simple. With the click of a few checkboxes, Auphonic can process audio to your specified Loudness target (multiple options exist), reduce noise and hum, filtering of disturbing low frequencies, perform leveling for balancing levels between speakers, music and speech, and a few more awesome features. And in most cases it does a stellar job.   If you are using the online version (2 hours of free processing each month), there are also desktop apps, you can also include ID3 tags in your final podcast ready audio file. This is very handy for streamlining your workflow. This option is not yet available on the desktop versions. Podcasting Directories and Apps - Where to Submit Your Podcast When you're ready to start publishing your podcast to the world, you'll want to submit your show to as many podcast directories and apps as possible. Don't overwhelm yourself with trying to get into all the directories you can find on your first week. Submit to the directories listed below first and then over the period of a few months, work on getting in new directories as you have time. I spent a good deal of time over at PodcastPlaces.com, a great site for getting all the information you need for submitting your podcast to almost every known podcast directory and app. Below is a list of the top places you should make sure your podcast can be found first. Since half of these fill their directory by pulling info via the iTunes API, once you submit to iTunes, you'll be half way done. The below list is broken into "Primary" and "Secondary" directories and apps based on download numbers from the shows I produce. You'll likely see different results for your own show but being in these directories will account for a large portion of your audience. Of course, you should also make sure your podcast is easily available via an HTML5 (mobile friendly) audio player on your own website. Behind iTunes, this is the second largest source of listens for The Podcasters' Studio. Top Places Where Your Podcast Should be Available** Primary (1-5), Secondary (6-10) iTunes. If you only submit to one place, this is the one. It's where most people find podcasts (always has been) and is also your gateway into many other directories and apps. See the video below for how to submit your show. Stitcher - likely soon to fall to third place after Google Play Music, this is usually the number two source for podcasting listening. People using both iOS or Android devices can use Stitcher to find and listen to your show. Google Play Music - While not currently available to the end-user, this new directory is taking submissions ahead of it's public release. Get in now. Miro - open source directory available to Mac, Windows and Linux users. (Sadly, it appears, Miro is no longer available.) Overcast - free iOS and web app gaining in popularity. This app pulls from the iTunes API so all you need to do once you submit to iTunes is check the app (it's free) to...

Google is getting their own podcast directory and they want you to submit your podcast now!  In exciting news, Google is finally jumping back into podcasts by announcing that podcasts will be added to Google Play Music. "Podcasts" and "Google" are not two words that have gone together very well over the last five or so years since the demise of the Google Listen app which was just so-so anyway. Well they're back and it sounds like they're all-in. This is great news for podcast producers and hopefully many, many new podcast fans to come. In this short interview with Google Play Music Products Manager, Elias Roman, Rob Walch from Libsyn gets the details of the announcement. You'll want to listen so you can hear it in Elias' own words but the key points are listed here: Google thinks they can bring podcasts to people who don't yet know about podcasts thus opening up the market to a whole new audience. The podcast directory will be inside the Google Play Music app and will be cross-platform (Apple, Android, Desktop, and others). Initial launch will be in the U.S. only and limited to Android devices but it will be "everywhere" soon. Google will ingest your audio and video files and re-encode them to their own specs. Specs unknown at this point. No ads will currently be placed around or in your content. Stats will be available via their user interface and there will be an API available which means media hosts like Libsyn and blubrry should be able to receive stats as well. Because it's cross-platform, you'll be able to use the app on your chosen device (when released) and you'll have the ability to make sure your show is displaying and working properly inside Google Play Music, for free. Podcast content may or may not become searchable by Google in the future. Let's hope this happens. We'll get direct links to our show inside Google Play Music which means we can easily add subscribe buttons on our own websites. Google is indeed calling a podcast, a podcast! One additional thought about Google getting podcasts. If you are a YouTuber, you are likely familiar with Google's Content ID system. This is an algorithm that listens to all your videos and flags your content when it recognizes copyrighted music. This could become a big issue for podcasters on Google Play Music. They haven't said that Content ID will be employed but I can't imagine that it won't and if your show has music in it that you don't own, have the rights to or is cleared through Google, you'll likely get flagged and need to remove those episodes or music or else get booted out of their directory. Now would be a good time to fix that issue if you are using music that is not your own. And if you aren't sure whether or not you can use the music, best policy would be to simply not use it. Links mentioned in this episode: Libsyn blog post and interview with Elias from Google Submit your podcast to Google! thepodcastersstudio.com/gpodcasts Do you need a reliable host for your podcast? Consider using Libsyn (my chosen host) or Blubrry (the two best, most reliable podcast media hosts IMO) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast *all links should be considered affiliate links. Please read my ethics statement as it relates to products I link to. I only post affiliate links to products and brands I use and/or trust. Thanks for helping support this content!

International Podcast Day is September 30th, find out what you can do to support and grow the medium of podcasting. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i4* audio interface is a great little device for plugging analog gear (microphones, mixers, etc.) into your computer and getting clean sounding, high-quality audio.  On the previous episode (TPS093) I discussed how to get a mix-minus into a smartphone using the Rockit adapter. Thanks to a recent tweet, I realized I could pull off this same setup with a microphone/headphone in/out that I already have, the AspenMics Cell Phone TRRS Break Out Adapter. Make sure to join your podcasting peers in celebrating #PodcastDay every September 30th. There are many ways you can help promote podcasting during International Podcast Day and every day throughout the year. Tell somebody else about podcasting! Choose a podcast you think someone else would like and tell them about it. Visit the IPD website for a bunch of free promotional images, audio and other content that you can share on your own website, social media and beyond. Live-stream. Use Google Hangouts, Periscope, blab or other live-streaming service to share what you're doing during #PodcastDay or join us for one of our 24-hour streams where we'll be going around the globe to check in with other podcasters and their IPD celebrations. Use the hashtag (#PodcastDay) all day long and help us get in front of new eyes and ears. Give your favorite podcast a rating and review wherever you listen (iTunes, Stitcher, other). Send feedback to a podcast you enjoy. Send the show an email, tweet, comment, etc. and let them know you're listening! Go out and find a new show! Subscribe to a new podcast and share it with others. Submit your podcast for the Gratitude Award. I had a chance to try out a GoPro camera and here's what I did with. Great little camera that should be in every videographer's gear bag (guess I better buy one;)). The Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 is an audio interface that converts analog audio gear into a digital signal for interfacing with your computer. I'm using the 2i4 to get great sounding audio in as well as out of my computer. It's a travel friendly, well built, two channel audio interface that produces great sounding results through clean preamps, strong enough to power my ATR2100 and Heil PR40 microphones. Typically these mics need a substantial amount of gain and the +55db of the 2i4 provides enough for a strong signal with a little room left over. Check out my 2i4, first-impression review.  Links mentioned in this episode: Check here for International Podcast Day teeshirts facebook.com/podcasthelper Stephen Wilson on twitter... he works on iTunes Podcasts! I was interviewed by Mike Dell on Podcast Help Desk #59. Thanks Mike! Apple's support page for podcasts - get help with your show in iTunes Griffin iMic - small (line/mic level) analog to digital converter Sub $100 Mixer Shootout TPS episodes on Loudness Normalization (#TPS 85 and #TPS 86) Do you need a reliable host for your podcast? Consider using Libsyn (my chosen host) or Blubrry (the two best, most reliable podcast media hosts IMO) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast *all links should be considered affiliate links. Please read my ethics statement as it relates to products I link to. I only post affiliate links to products and brands I use and/or trust. Thanks for helping support this content!

How do you get audio from your phone (iPhone, Android, etc.) into your mixer? The simple answer is you plug it in. You can use a basic stereo cable (I prefer this "Y" cable*), plug one end into your phone's headphone output and place the other end into an available channel on your mixer and now you can take audio from the phone into your recordings.  But what if you want to also send all the audio from the mixer (your mic, your co-host, sound FX, etc.) back to the person on the phone without them hearing themselves? That's called a mix-minus and you can use a couple different devices to achieve this setup.  On this episode I talk with Nick Seuberling about how he pulled off this setup for an important interview after he called me asking about a particular cable that would help him perform the mix-minus into his iOS device. I remembering seeing a device that could supply both an audio input and output at the same time while interfacing via TRRS, the type of connection you get on modern smartphones that allows one cable to both send and receive audio. The device we used is called a Rockit Headphone/Microphone Splitter*. There are other devices like this including the Recap. The setup worked well but wasn't without it's own caveats. The biggest of these is that the Rockit is designed to interface with a "mic level" signal and what you are sending out of your mixer is "line level." Much too strong for the device since "mic level" is looking for a weak signal and boosting to "line level." You'll hear how we overcame this but the bottom line is you'll be keeping your volume knob very low. A better way to get around this would be to use an attenuator cable. I also talk about an editing tip I tweeted (quoted below) and give an overview of the Mackie 402VLZ4 mixer. Any single audio edit that takes more than a few seconds to perform should probably be skipped. Move on. You have lots to do;) #podcasting — Ray Ortega (@PodcastHelper) July 9, 2015 The Mackie 402VLZ4 mixer is my favorite mixer in the "sub $100 mixer shootout" series. I chose the Mackie 402VLZ4 for review because of Mackie’s premium Onyx preamps. Although this is the most compact of the audio mixers I chose to review including not having an auxillary channel, this is my favorite mixer of the group. The build quality of the 402VLZ4 is unmatched. It’s encased in steel and has sealed knobs that help resist dust. This feels like a mixer that will last as long as you need it to. It also has the best audio meter resolution, employing 8 LEDs to help you get a more accurate gauge of your peak levels. The preamp is clean all the way through it's gain range up to +60db. This will power most microphones you plug into it including "gain hungry" dynamic microphones like the ATR2100 (used in my audio samples linked below). But, if you are a podcaster that needs an auxiliary channel then this mixer would not be for you. You would need to upgrade to the model above this one at a significant price jump of approximately $100. The extra money would still be worth it in my opinion but if your budget is less than $100 then you’d want to look at another mixer in this group, perhaps the Mix8 also by Mackie which also has nice preamps despite not being Onyx.   Links mentioned in this episode: Podcasters' Roundtable Sub $100 Mixer Shootout How to Setup a Mix-Minus for Recording Skype Do you need a reliable host for your podcast? Consider using Libsyn (my chosen host) or Blubrry (the only two podcast hosting companies I recommend) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast *all links should be considered affiliate links. Please read my ethics statement as it relates to products I link to. I only post affiliate links to products and brands I use and/or trust. Thanks for helping support this content!

What's the value of a new podcast subscriber? Would you trade 20, 50, 100 dollars an episode for a new subscriber? Two new subscribers? A podcast sponsorship can be a hard deal to negotiate and for many smaller shows it's not likely worth the tradeoff; having to put ads in your content for a small monetary return. But what if the exchange was not money but instead something likely more important to a podcast... new listeners. Word of mouth is still the best form of marketing for any podcast. Trading ad space on your show for an introduction to a targeted, relevant, interested group of potential new subscribers may have bigger returns and is almost certainly a much easier form of sponsorship to obtain. Social sponsorship is sponsorship deal for the rest of us. The average podcaster does not carry the number of subscribers that most ad buyers would want to see for CPM based deals. Yes you can cultivate a one on one sponsorship with someone who has a relevant business but when it comes to asking for money it's often a much harder sale. A social sponsorship could be an easier way to get around the barriers of traditional sponsorship deals like how much to charge, convincing the people who control the money to give it to a podcast, convincing someone that a show with five hundred listeners will be a good return on their cash. We know that it's worth it and you can say it till your blue in the face but sometimes it's just easier to prove it. And while you're proving it, you can make work for you too. Exchanging social media posts for ad space is a much easier ask with little risk to the advertiser. This assumes of course that you are asking the right potential advertisers; those with an audience that would be interested in your content. It would be beneficial to you too if the potential sponsor had a large and engaged social media presence. And after a few successful ad placements (get them to link to your audio employing native platform players) you'll likely have the proof of concept necessary to work towards a paid sponsorship if that is still something you desire. However, you may just find out that an increase in your audience is much more valuable to your show. After all, there are many other ways to monetize a podcast that do not rely on paid ads. Build a dedicated audience, offer value and the potential is limitless. On this episode, I also take a look at the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB mixer*. Here's the first video review in the "sub $100 mixer shootout."   The Q802USB mixer is the most fully featured mixer, priced less than one-hundred dollars, that I looked at. Most important to podcasters, it has clean preamps, two XLR channels, an auxiliary send, USB output and more. Links mentioned in this episode: Podcasters' Roundtable Podcasts on Spotify podcasts@apple.com (no longer exists). Get iTunes podcast support via support.itunespodcasts.com One-click subscribe button for Android created by blubrry Sub $100 Mixer Shootout NPR's audio "secret sauce" How to Gain Stage any Mixer (video and complete write up) How to Setup a Mix-Minus for Recording Skype Whistling in the Dark Show (explicit) Special thanks to Patrick Keller from The Big Seance Podcast for the feedback (listen at the 23:30 mark) regarding his purchase and use of the Q802USB mixer. Do you need a reliable host for your podcast? Consider using Libsyn (my chosen host) or Blubrry (the only two podcast hosting companies I recommend) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast *all links should be considered affiliate links. Please read my ethics statement as it relates to products I link to. I only post affiliate links to products and brands I use and/or trust. Thanks for helping support this content!   http://traffic.libsyn.

Setting up a mixer can be a difficult task. Even on the smallest mixers there are numerous buttons and knobs that all affect the audio you put into it. Knowing exactly which knobs to turn and when can be confusing at best and can wreck your audio at worst. In this episode I talk about how to gain stage (setup your microphone for proper audio levels) any mixer you might use as a podcaster. Because beginning podcasters often start with a very limited budget, we tend to purchase mixers that don't feature all the tools that some higher end mixers have such as PFL/Solo buttons for easier gain staging of your microphones. But even the cheapest mixers have the minimum controls to setup your levels properly. I talk about how to use both a channel's peak light and/or the main mix meters to get your mixer operating a level that the manufacture intended it to be used at. After that, as podcasters, who are not usually in ideal recording environments, it's all about adjustments. I talk about compensating for podcasting related issues like heavy reverb, background noise and cheaper preamps. Ever since I've been producing podcasts, I've been putting audio files on facebook and when possible, using whatever method that would create a native player in the facebook feed. Native players are ones that take a link to an .mp3 file and create some kind of audio player that a user can simply press play and begin listening to your podcast on their facebook page. The main motivation for doing this was ease to the end user. Podcasting has always fought the barrier of being "hard to consume content." Any opportunity that a producer can seize to make it easier for someone to listen or watch your podcast is a good strategy in my opinion. Facebook however has not always cooperated. They had a nice, clean audio player back in the day and took it away. After that SoundCloud showed up and once again we were able to place native players inside Facebook. What I love about the SoundCloud player is the look of the player including a nice customizable, large image. Images have traditionally done very well on facebook (eye catching, get more likes, more shares, etc). Now Libsyn (my chosen media host; see below for a free month) is amongst those service providers who have worked with facebook to create a native player when you link to one of your .mp3 files on Libysn's servers. I've recently switched from using the SoundCloud player on facebook to using Libsyn's option simply because I am already paying for Libsyn and my facebook play stats will be included in my Libsyn account. And while it works, the part I enjoy most besides having a native player, the image, has been tricky to employ as easily as a simple SoundCloud embed. In order to get the Libsyn link to display a custom thumbnail image you need to insert an image into "Thumbnail" section of your post inside the dashboard. Facebook will scrape this image, sometimes. I've had hit and miss experiences getting facebook to recognize this image on the first try. With enough persistence, I can almost always get faecbook to recognize the image but it can take many attempts. Also it's difficult to control the size of the image that facebook will display. SoundCloud wasn't perfect either, they inconveniently crop the image you are trying to display leading to many attempts to get the crop just right. However, in each case I new what I was going to get as far as facebook was concerned. This not a harsh criticism of Libsyn's new feature (facebook could be the issue) more than it's simply sharing my experience using one service over the other for this very specific and narrow use case. However, I am seeing some really nice traffic and response to several podcasts I'm affiliated with and the image plays an important role in this uptake...getting people to notice the player and press play. I just wish it was a consistent experience. But again,

Of the many benefits of having a great podcast media host, having the ability to seamlessly replace a file is a nice option. With both Libsyn and Blubrry (use code: PodcastHelper for a free month at both), you have the ability to insert a new file in place of an already published one. This allows you to easily fix errors after the fact without affecting your stats or remove time sensitive content once it expires. These are just two ways that replacing a file can help you in your podcast productions. On this episode I speak to Krystal from Libsyn about how this process is performed inside a Libsyn account and the various options you have when performing a file replacement. I also do a review of the Behringer Xenyx UFX1204 mixer.* Quick steps for replacing a file on Libsyn For overwriting a file that only new listeners (those who have not yet downloaded the episode) will hear: login > go to "previously published content" > "edit" > use "replace" button (see image). For replacing files where you want the listener to be shown that there is a fixed file (your podcatcher indicates there is a new file to be downloaded) simply delete the post with the "bad" file and create a new one. You may want to include some text indicating that a new file has been created and that is why users who already downloaded the file are seeing a new one. The stats for the deleted post will remain in your dashboard so that you can combine those with the new stats. If you use FTP to upload your files, the replace feature will be initiated when you upload a new file with the same exact file name. So if your file is (ABC_001.mp3), the "fixed" or new file that will be uploaded should be named the same (ABC_001.mp3). Services that download your file (Stitcher) In the case where the directory pulls the original file from your feed and then serves up that copy to its listeners (e.g Stitcher) the replace feature, no matter how it's performed, will not work. In this case, simply contact Stitcher and tell them you would you like them to "re-download" that episode. Affect on Storage Space Important to note that when replacing a file, if the file you are replacing has not yet been archived, meaning you are still in the current billing cycle/month, you will not use any additional storage space unless the file is larger than the one you are replacing. It's a even swap if you are still in that file's billing cycle. If the file you are replacing is from a previous month, the new file will count against your current month's storage space. Review of the Behringer Xenyx UFX1204 audio mixer This mixer is a unique, fully featured, analog and digital mixer that allows you to send multi-channel audio to your computer or an external hard drive. The ability to send multi-channel to an external HD is what makes this mixer so different. But if the preamps are no good then none of it matters. The good news is, the pre's sound great, pushing my gain hungry microphones (ATR2100 and Heil PR40) while adding no self-noise (noise created by the components inside the mixer). Highlights +60db Xenyx preamps (clean). Price $399 U.S. Multichannel audio out via USB2.0, Firewire or to external HD (high speed, USB2.0 or better). 2 Aux sends (for performing a mix-minus setup) Phantom power selectable by channel Single knob compressor PFL/Solo switchs for easy gain staging 4 Insert channels Sufficient headroom Each channel has its own mini audio meters "Talk back" feature allows you to talk to the people "on mic" without that audio going into the recording. Mid band in the EQ's in each channel strip have a parametric setting allowing you to adjust where in the frequency range you want the mid to adjust. 2 headphone outputs Criticisms build quality could be better but it's perfectly acceptable. Preamp is extremely sensitive at its top range where you'll likely be using it.

This show's schedule is erratic at best but that doesn't mean I think any other podcast should do the same. Not if you want to grow your show to its maximum potential. I think a show should maintain whatever schedule it sets for itself. If you are once a week then try to be there every week. However, for me, this show is a hobby podcast with the aim of producing a good library of how-t0-podcast content. Therefore, if I can't be here every week it's ok. Those of you who listen know this and I thank you so much for staying tuned. It's important to let you know that if you struggle with getting a podcast out on a regular schedule that it's OK. It's certainly better than not podcasting at all. So if you feel like you are falling behind, don't. Anyone creating a podcast in 2015 is still ahead of the curve. Congrats;) But again, if you can, produce regular content on a set schedule. It's best for your show and your audience. On this episode you'll hear me using a new piece of gear, the DBX286s. This preamp and processor is highly regraded in the podcast space and so I had to try it. I think you'll hear that the audio sounds great. The primary reasons I purchased this device was for the preamp and expander. The compressor, deesser and enhancer are added bonuses. That said, the compressor is quite heavy and will definitely change how your audio sounds. If you're looking for that "radio voice," after the microphone and your own voice, this processor will go a long way towards making that happen. Over the years, I've grown to appreciate a more subtle, natural sound for podcast production so I don't know how much I will use the compressor but it's nice to have. Also discussed is my recent trials with multiple new pieces of editing software. I recently explored the new Garageband (10.3) and all of its changes as well as Logic Pro X and Adobe Audition CC. In short, the new Garageband still gets the job done. They've removed a couple features like easy crossfades and ducking but it's still a great piece of software if you are on a Mac and don't want to spend any additional money. Logic Pro X is the next step up from Garageband. It's not quite as good as my old favorite, Soundtrack Pro (discontinued) but it's a robust editor that will do most anything you'll want to do with your podcast. However, with the lack of a waveform editor and processing like noise removal it definitely lacks some of the power you'll get from Audition. But Logic's plugins (effects) are far better than Adobe's. Adobe Audition is probably the best paid editor you can get for podcasting. Problem is you have to subscribe to it on a monthly basis. If it's in your budget it would be my recommended editing software. For those without money to spend on software, Audacity is a fantastic program that will handle all of your podcasting needs. Finally I talk about how running a contest across my channels was a great way to build my email list with some added, unexpected benefits. Do you need a reliable host for your podcast? Consider using Libsyn (my chosen host) or Blubrry (the only two podcast hosting companies I recommend) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout. Sign up to the TPS list and never lose contact with the show. * all links should be considered affiliate links. Read my ethics statement for more info. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast

Loudness normalization of your audio is a "simple" process for measuring and processing for the perceived level of your audio. Perceived levels are how the human ear interprets levels. In recent years, new standards for measuring perceived level have arisen out of a lot of research and engineering.  Georg Holzmann and I discuss the history of measuring loudness and these new standards more in depth in part one of this interview. For an even more complete understanding of these newer standards please see the links at the end of this post for useful resources. In part two of our talk, Georg and I take a look at loudness normalization as provided by his service available at Auphonic.com. We also talk about how a podcaster can start to begin measuring and performing loudness normalization in their own audio editing system. Also discussed are the ways in which you can better prepare your audio in the post production stage. Strategies for making your audio level across a single track as well as across multiple tracks are discussed and we also touch on effects such as peak normalization, EQ and compression. For podcasters, measuring audio levels is usually handled using the tools most available to all of us...peak meters. The issue here is that peak meters tell us nothing about the actual level of your audio. They only measure exactly what they were made to measure, the peaks of your audio waveform. If you produce a podcast to peak consistently around -4db, on a peak meter, the only thing you know is that a lot of your peaks are reaching -4db. With loudness normalization we now have an objective standard that removes the guessing process from producing audio to a particular level. Loudness standards for the most part are a spec made for broadcasting but research has been done into the best levels for Internet/mobile device delivery and the level most agreed upon is -16LUFS. Producing your audio to a perceived level of -16LUFS will result in a file that is loud enough to be heard on lesser speakers (i.e. earbuds) and over background noise such as traffic while removing the need or desire to push your audio levels too high, most likely stripping it of its dynamic range and essentially squeezing the life out of it as often happens in over-compressed, super loud audio. The advantages of performing loudness normalization are many: You will know exactly how loud your audio is. No more guessing The level of your audio across your entire library will be consistent from episode to episode. You'll meet agreed upon standards for online distribution. Your show will be on the same level with other shows that also use the standard. Not producing audio that meets standards for loudness could result in annoying your audience at best and at worst could actually be painful to listen to. If one podcaster produces audio that is -23LUFS and the next is at -12LUFS the differences when going from one podcast to another are going to be very jarring. If all podcasts were produced to an agreed spec for loudness then the listening experience would be much more pleasurable for everyone. This also helps push our medium (podcasting) past "amateur hour" by establishing and producing consistent audio that meets professional standards. *Links mentioned on this episode (in order of appearance). Auphonic.com Auphonic Leveler Batch Processor (desktop app) Loudness Normalization and Compression of Podcasts and Speech Audio Practical guidelines for Production and Implementation in accordance with EBU R 128  (pdf) Podcast Loudness Processing Workflow (and many more great resources for loudness on this blog). What Is Loudness And Why Is It Important? Audio for Mobile TV, iPad and iPod - Thomas Lund Do you need a reliable host for your audio or video podcast? Consider moving your show to Libsyn.com (my chosen host) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout.

Post processing your audio podcast can be a daunting task. Where do you start? What effects do you use? How to adjust the effects once you choose them? These questions and many more like them can easily scare a podcaster away from doing any polishing of their audio podcast file. But if you're interested in rounding out your sound to make it better overall and don't want to learn the tech behind doing it there's Auphonic.com. On this episode I'm talking with Georg Holtmann, the creator of Auphonic, software for helping you get the best audio possible.  Of course the first step is to record it well. I like to say, you can't make bad audio good, you can only make it less bad. For that reason you'll want to make sure you have a decent microphone, a quite recording space and a few other pieces (pop filter, quite preamp, etc.) before you even think about processing your audio. The better the audio, the better the software and processing will work.  Georg will guide us through some of Auphonic's most important features for podcasters such as audio leveling, background noise removal or reduction, hum and buzz removal and most interesting to me, a new standard in audio known as loudness normalization. Loudness normalization and standards have arisen due, in part, to a loudness war that has been escalating in music and broadcast audio for a few decades. Fed up with wildly different audio levels from program to program, listeners complained enough that new standards and tools were created to better measure perceived loudness. Georg and I dive into a little of the history of loudness and elaborate on why this new standard is important and specifically how these new standards are being applied to podcasting. *Links mentioned on this episode (in order of appearance). Auphonic.com Podcasters' Roundtable 32 - Podcasting Best Practices Do you need a reliable host for your audio or video podcast? Consider moving your show to Libsyn.com (my chosen host) and get your first month free when you use promo code: PODCASTHELPER at checkout. If you'd like to use Blubrry to host your podcast (my other recommended host) you can get a free month by using the same promo code: PODCASTHELPER To learn more about "loudness" standards, the history and the solution, here's a fantastic talk. Sign up for the TPS newsletter and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast * all links should be considered affiliate links. Read my ethics statement for more info.

You've decided you want to record Skype interviews or a remote co-host and you've heard about using a mix-minus setup. How do you know if this applies to your podcast? On this episode I talk about how to know when you need a mix-minus as well how I'm using a new piece of gear to power my mobile podcasting rig without plugging into a wall or having to throw away batteries.  There are really only two scenarios where you'll need to setup a mix-minus for your podcast. The first one is if you want to record Skype and have the person on the other side hear your primary microphone; the mic you are using to record your podcast. In this setup, you need a mix-minus because you have to send the Skype audio back to the person on Skype minus their audio to prevent a feedback loop (hearing their own voice back). The second is if you want to do "live to hard-drive" podcast production. In the first scenario, if you only use Skype as a communication tool and are willing to let your on-board computer mic be the mic that Skype hears then you can forgo a mix-minus by using that mic and letting your recording software (Audacity, Audition, etc) take the feed from the mixer. The on-board mic won't be recorded, it will only serve as a way for the Skype caller to hear you. In most cases the person on Skype (if you sit close to your computer) will never know you're using this mic. However, since this method still involves a mixer, the only reason I could really see using this method over a mix-minus would be if your mixer doesn't have an aux out channel or you want a slightly less complex way of recording Skype on a single computer. In a live to hard-drive workflow you'd bring in all your audio (mic, music, sfx, etc) in realtime while recording and when you are done you'll have a completed podcast episode ready to be published. Post-production is not required but can still be done to polish the final audio. In this case, the person on Skype will need to hear all the audio elements minus their own voice and therefore you'll want to use a mix-minus setup. Not needing a mix-minus setup could save you money if you haven't purchased a mixer already. Other ways of recording Skype are software such as Audio Hijack Pro (Mac) and Pamela (Windows) as well as a recorder that has the proper inputs (see the embedded video below) or a double-ender which I detailed in on TPS047. There are also more difficult solutions using a series of virtual audio cables. Record Skype with an Audio Recorder How-to record Skype using an audio recorder. Two things to note in this video. First, you'll see me using a Zoom H4n. They have since updated this recorder with the H5 and H6, both are linked below, and I would purchase these over the H4n which has weak preamps that introduce noise into your recording. Second, you don't need the ATR2100 or similar mic to pull this off. You can any mic and use your computer's on-board microphone to communicate with Skype. The good audio from your mic that is plugged into your recorder is what will be recorded for your podcast. *Links mentioned on this episode (in order of appearance). Audio Recorders Zoom H6, H5, Tascam DR-60D for recording Skype Fethead - inline mic preamp. Check here for alt pricing and availability Anker USB battery Podcasters' Roundtable 30 - Growing Your Audience Podcasters' Roundtable 23 - Live from the New Media Expo My complete blog on setting up a Mix-Minus Skype recording software list Griffin iMic USB soundcard ATR2100 (also check the AT2005 which may be cheaper) also Samson Q2U (available in Europe) Do you need a reliable host for your audio or video podcast? Consider moving your show to Libsyn.com (my chosen host) and get your first month free when you use promo code: podcasthelper at checkout. If you'd like to use Blubrry to host your podcast (my other recommended host) you can get a free month by using the same promo code: podcasthelper

If you want to record Skype using a mixer you're going to need how to setup a mix-minus. The video below will show you how to go about setting that up and the linked post below will describe the entire process as well as show you detailed photographs of how to setup a mix-minus for recording Skype interviews. A mix-minus allows you to send all the audio going into your mixer (voice, sound fx, music, etc) back to your caller on Skype without them getting their own voice back which would cause a feedback loop where they would hear their own voice. Have you considered using SoundCloud as a podcast host? I talked about it on the previous episode and recommended that you don't do it. I continue that conversation with some additional thoughts about going this route for your podcast hosting. In short, don't use it if you can avoid it. While on the subject of hosting, I talk about a podcaster who got shut down by his website host for hosting his audio files for podcasting on his share server. This is generally a bad idea and something I've talked about plenty. You should purchase podcast specific hosting in order to properly handle the special needs of serving a podcast to your audience. Links* mentioned on this episode: H ow to Setup a Mix Minus  [VIDEO] TPS Ep. 031 – Mixers, Mix-Minus, and Edirol vs Zoom Comparison Ray's YouTube Channel Ray's Patreon page ATR2100 (also check the AT2005 which may be cheaper) also Samson Q2U available in Europe Bossjock App for iOS Mike Phillip's article on mix minus cabling Record Skype with an Audio Recorder Dual Input Audio Recorders Zoom H6, H5, Tascam DR-60D Podcasters Community on G+ SoundCloud MP3 File Extractor Blubrry affiliate program A Podcaster Shut Down by His Shared Hosting Company Do you need a reliable host for your audio or video podcast? Consider moving your show to Libsyn.com (my chosen host) and get your first month free when you use promo code: podcasthelper at checkout. If you'd like to use Blubrry to host your podcast (my other recommended host) you can get a free month by using the same promo code: podcasthelper Sign up for the TPS newsletter and never lose contact with the show. Subscribe to The Podcasters' Studio Podcast * all links should be considered affiliate links. Read my ethics statement for more info.

There are many ways to record your podcast. One of my favorites is directly to a digital audio recorder. The Zoom H6 is the newest in a long line of audio recorders but this one stands out amongst them all. With four truly dedicated microphone inputs and the ability to add two more XLR combo inputs, the H6 is a portable podcasting studio. Beyond the number of channels you get with this device (4 built in) you get what I consider the most important part of this device, upgraded preamps. The microphone preamps inside the H6 are strong enough to power gain hungry mics like the ATR2100 while still providing clean sound. Each input provides both mic power and phantom power (selectable by channel) if you need it.  Battery life has been increased with the addition of two more AA batteries for a total of four and if you use lithium batteries you can get around 20 hours of recording time. That time will likely decrease significantly if using phantom power. Each channel can be monitoring visually via the color LED display which allows you to see the levels for each mic you have plugged into the H6. The SD card slot has been upgraded to work with SDXC (eXtra capacity) cards and there are separate headphone and line-out outputs (this was the same output on the H4n). One of the coolest upgrades to the Zoom is the ability to use it as an audio interface. The H4n had this capability as well but the H6 gets a significant upgrade to USB 2.0. This allows the H6 to output each channel to its own track inside your audio editor. The H6 also comes with audio editing software that will allow you to record multichannel. This function allows you to have total control in the edit with the ability to remove any single person's audio without affecting the other. You also get to give each track its own specific processing by adding effects to each track individually. Additional features I like: can be powered via the USB bus of your computer on-board compressors and limiters interchangeable capsules - comes with the XY pattern stereo mic and Mid-Side mic. analog gain controls - no need to go digging through menus to change audio levels for each channel. Each channel has its own dedicated gain knob. tripod or camera mount - 1/4 20 threaded screw on back allows you to mount the H6 to your camera via adapter or to a tripod/boom pole. single touch record - you used to have to press the record button twice before you were recording. fast boot time - the H6 has significantly sped up the time it takes to start the device. It used to take forever to turn on and load the SD card; that's been reduced to mere seconds. Areas that could use improvement: lockable gain knobs - the gain knobs do not lock and therefore they could easily be knocked out of position if you were using the H6 in a more mobile setup. lockable XLRs - one of the advantages of pro-connections such as XLR are that they are usually lockable. The XLR inputs on the H6 do not lock however they are snug and I don't have any concern that my mics will come unplugged. no included power adapter - the H6 does not come with a power adapter for plugging into the wall to provide power. For convenience and satisfaction a plug should probably be included. However, the H6 is powered through the USB cable so technically it doesn't need to come with a plug but I'd rather not need a computer. noisy headphone output - the headphone amplifier seems noisy and therefore doesn't provide an accurate reproduction of the sound you are capturing. Overall I love the H6 and I plan to upgrade to this new version of my Zoom H4n. This entire episode was recorded using the Zoom H6 coupled with a Heil PR40 microphone. Have you heard about Patreon? It's the newest crowdfunding platform except this one was created with podcasters in mind. I really like Patreon's approach to funding content creators. Instead of attempting to fund one large project that may or may not succeed,