Podcasting and Audio Gadgets

Podcasting and Audio Gadgets

by | Nov 19, 2017 | Casefile, Freelancing

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19 NOVEMBER 2017

written by Mike

PODCASTING

AND AUDIO GADGETS

 

The most beautiful aspect of podcasting is how little you actually need to get started. Thanks to the internet, the distribution is free but even with the equipment – you don’t need to spend a fortune to get working.

Of course, there is a difference between starting a low-budget show and a full–on drama series.

Today I want to talk about the minimal setup as well as what I’m currently using to produce audio shows like Casefile.

Computer

You will need a working computer – it can be a laptop, a desktop or whatever you have got at the moment. It needs to be fast enough to process audio files, and for that, you will need a good hard drive (SSD would be recommended) and enough RAM (fast processor will help too).

At the beginning, you don’t need much and shouldn’t be looking into buying a brand new system, when I started producing podcasts I used my old MacBook Pro from 2011. I did upgrade RAM and SSD, but for nearly a year I worked on that.

At the moment I’m working on 27-inch iMac with upgraded RAM. It was a necessary upgrade – the production I’m doing right now is much involved than it was in the beginning.

 

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Software

To start, you will need an audio sequencer – a program that lets you edit and record a podcast. There is no need to go for the most expensive software, something like Garageband, Pro Tools First, Audition or Audacity will be fine.

Most sequencers are similar, it’s just the interface that looks different, and once you understand the basics, you will be able to change to something else with ease.

In the beginning, choose something that looks and feels most comfortable for you. I would recommend doing a bit of research and trying out demos and free versions. You won’t be investing in third-party plugins and tools, therefore, choose a software that offers the best all-in-one.

I’ve used many different sequencers in the past. However, I’ve always come back to main two – Apple Logic for music and Avid Pro Tools for audio editing and mix.

Over a year ago I decided to simplify even further, and once I was happy that Pro Tools could fulfil my scoring needs, I moved everything there.

At the moment I’m using Pro Tools 12 for scoring, editing, recording and mixing.

Microphone

Again, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to start. There are plenty of USB microphones to choose from, with Blue Mic company being the most popular. The thing with mics is that you will need one that works well with your voice, that compliments your narration. That’s quite difficult to achieve because you probably won’t have a chance to test many different setups.

USB is the best solution because you won’t need anything else – no extra cables, no stands, no audio interface.

I don’t have my podcast, but the microphone I use for other recordings is Shure SM7B. It’s a legendary voice microphone, mostly used for broadcasting. To operate it I need an audio interface as well as a gain booster; it’s not the simplest solution to start with.

 

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Headphones

Editing and mixing on computer speakers is a no. You won’t need expensive audio monitors (professional speakers), but good headphones are a must – especially for editing. There is no need to overspend but beware of a consumer product; you need something that will give you the most detailed and neutral representation of sound as possible. Of course, having a pair of two of consumer headphones for a reference is a good way to make sure that the mix sounds good on different systems.

For editing and mixing, I use Sony MDR-7506 closed-cup headphones. I also have a few pairs of earbuds – from cheap to more expensive. I use them to reference the mix and get the picture how it will sound on different devices.

Plugins

Plugins are the tools that will make your recording and mix sound good. These are the reverbs, compressors, EQ and other sound changing solutions. When you start, you will use plugins that are available in the audio sequencer of your choice – that’s why choosing one that offers the best range will be a smart choice. For example, even though Pro Tools is my operating program, it doesn’t come with a wide selection of plugins. Unless you have bought something from a third party – it may not be a good solution.

On the other hand, something like Logic or Adobe Audition comes with a wide selection of tools that will help you during production. Research of what you will need (which will change as you progress anyway) and select a program that will help you rather that limit you.

For my work, I use third-party plugins from Izotope, for mixing and mastering. These tools are the best on the market but come with a quite high price tag – you won’t need them when you start, but if you ever want to get into professional audio production you will need to familiarise yourself with iZotope.

 

My last word of advice is not to go overboard with the gear and gadgets. Most of us want to start with the best equipment, whatever hobby we pick up.

Make sure you can start on the cheap and only if you like it and want to continue, then start upgrading. There is nothing worse than getting the hype, spending lots of money on something that will gather dust in the corner of your room.

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Importance of Templating

Importance of Templating

by | Nov 13, 2017 | Freelancing

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13 NOVEMBER 2017

written by Mike

IMPORTANCE

OF TEMPLATING

Templating.
Working with a large team, multiple departments and international deliverables we had to streamline the process and put strong systems in place.
Templating Pro Tools sessions, emails, archives became my day-to-day habit, and it helped me to deliver the best results.

But, what do I mean by template?

What are templates?

For me, these are rules by which people do their work. Guidelines and systems that make the everyday tasks easy to follow and consistent.
Because in any work you will ever do, consistency is the key. One lucky break will not make the whole business work, but everyday persistence will make sure that there will be a lot of ‘lucky brakes’.

Templates help to minimise the work that is not creative and focus on what is important.
Templates can be a start, they can and should be adjusted and upgraded with time.

The pros of templating are:
speed – by having a guide and workable systems in place you can be sure that the output will be much faster, you and your team will be able to do more and focus on the core of the business

easy to learn – when templates are done right, they are easy to explain for new teammates, you know the system will always work the same way, and the instructions will keep everyone on the same page

quality and standards – it is safe to say that when using templates all of your work will be done to the same standards; when you design a well-working system you can relax knowing that the results will always be the same.

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Every solution has bad sides; I’m not claiming that templating is the answer to everything.

The cons of templating are:

can stifle creativity – working just to templates will have you thinking in one way, you can’t be too creative when doing work otherwise you can mess up the system

errors – an error in a template means that everyone who works on it will be infected, even if it’s a small thing it is a pain to go back and correct already submitted work

slows down innovation – designing a workable template takes time and once you spent the necessary work-hours you don’t want to abandon the system just because there is something new on the horizon; sometimes it means that you can miss out on new and better solutions

Overall I’m a big fan of templates. I think using a system, even in what some say creative work can vastly improve the results and output.
You can start implementing templates in all areas of your life; at home, you may not call it templates, but habits.
Morning and evening habits that you stick to will help you to start and end the day on a good note. Exercising habits will keep your health in check; scheduling eating times will make your days work for you.                                                                                                                                                                  
It’s not about designing robotic life but rather systemising parts of it that you don’t have to think. It allows you to focus on work that you enjoy doing.

At work using templates is a no-brainer. It can be as simple as emails or as complicated as Pro Tools sessions; it depends on your task.
Think about every aspect of your day; what parts of it could be replaced by artificial intelligence or a robot?
What parts are repetitive and boring?

Then start thinking how you can systemise them and what solutions are out there. I promise that if you know where and how to look, you can find a system for almost anything that you do.

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Starting Your Home Studio

Starting Your Home Studio

by | Oct 4, 2017 | Podcasting, Sound

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04 OCTOBER 2017

written by Mathew Dunn

STARTING YOUR

HOME STUDIO

 

This article has been contributed as a guest post by Mathew Dunn. Mathew has been playing various instruments for a long time, and he is a self-taught musician. He started MusicAlien.Net to share his experiences and thoughts about instruments and music.

 

Most of us musicians would love to have their home recording studio and luckily for us, as the technology advanced, it is now way easier and cheaper to make your home studio than it used to be.

In this article, I will summarise the essentials you need to set up your home studio and what are the most important things to look for when choosing studio equipment and on top of this I will share with you some tips which may be of help to someone who hasn’t done this before.

One thing I would like to say upfront is that you should not have a spend more mentality when picking your gear. The needed studio equipment has gotten better and better with time and the cheapest things today will in most cases beat what used to be the best 20 years ago which is more than enough to get you started if you are a beginner.

However, if you need more professional gear, then I assume you know exactly what you need it for and you will know how to make a choice. Still, keep in mind that the essentials I discuss below do not have to be the most expensive ones as you should choose equipment that suits your budget and overall needs.

Now let’s go through the most important equipment for your home studio:

 

Computer

This is a no-brainer, but I want to share with you a few tips on how to pick yours. First of all, I don’t know what your preferences, PC or a Mac, Laptop or a Desktop are. Whatever they are, they are fine. And if you are a beginner looking to start simple, then if you are reading this on a computer, that computer is probably good enough to get you started, but I don’t know how far will it take you depending on its power.

Things to consider when choosing your computer are

Ram Size

RAM is your most significant friend as a recording musician. And you should have as much as you can of it. Considering that the RAM sticks are getting cheaper and cheaper this should be no problem. Pretty much any computer which was made in the last ten years will have a motherboard support for 16GB of RAM which is more than enough.

Now if you have 8GB of RAM you don’t have to upgrade to 16 immediately but when you see that your computer needs more of it. It is wise to have some widget on your desktop to notify you of the used RAM, and once you start making more and more complicated tracks on your computer you will notice when it reaches about 90%, and your music editing program(s) begin to lag, then you will know that it is time for an upgrade.

If you have 4GB of RAM, then you will be able to start, but an upgrade will be in order soon down the road once you reach the limits.

CPU

Same goes as with the RAM. Whatever you have now will get you started, but depending on the strength an upgrade might be in order. With CPUs getting more and more powerful it is easier than ever to get one that is good enough for music production. I would go with some CPU that has Quad Core and multithreading as it will give you additional virtual cores.

But today it is a standard for any decent computer to have a Quad Core CPU, so it will have you covered. The stronger the CPU, the faster your music editing program will work, and as long as the CPU has enough power to have the program running without lag, you will do fine.

You will spend most of your time working on your computer, so this makes it the most important element of your studio.

 

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DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

This is where the magic is going to happen, and it is one of the most critical parts of your studio.

If you don’t know the digital audio workstation or shorter DAW, it is a computer program which you will use to record, mix and edit your music.

There are various DAWs out there, and if you don’t know about them, you should first research them and choose one that works for you. Make sure you select the DAW program that you are going to be able to get comfortable with since it is necessary for you to pretty much master the program (don’t be scared as that’s not hard as it seems).

You should work with the DAW program which can be an “extension” of you so that you can think about the music and not about menus, options, etc. You want to own the tool you are working with and not the other way around.

Now the good part comes in. Pretty much all DAWs will get you started, and you should learn about them and try multiple DAWs. Please do not waste too much time overthinking which program should you choose since all of them will get you started if you are a beginner and as time goes by and experience is piled up you will know if you need to change it.

Depending on the computer you use some of these programs might not be available to you as some like Logic is for Mac only but most of them work on multiple platforms.

These are some of the popular and incredible DAWs you should check out:

Sonar

Audition

Pro Tools

Cubase

Live

Reason

Studio One

A solid audio interface

You will need something to get your analog sounds like keyboards or voice into your computer in the form of a digital sound, and this is where an audio interface comes into play.

You don’t need anything special here. Don’t go around spending your money on those crazy interfaces since a decent one with two channels will do just fine.

You should look for an interface that has microphone preamp, line inputs for keyboards and guitars, stereo out and a headphones out.

Make sure to check that the product you are going to get has good reviews and that it meets your needs and you will do just fine.

 

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You need a quality studio microphone

Every studio needs at least one decent microphone in its possession as the microphone will have everything to do with how your recorded sounds will turn out.

There are three main types of microphones, but you will want to get a condenser microphone. The condenser microphone has always been used for studio recordings because their technology allows them to pick up the audio and convert it into electricity in a much more detailed way.

You shouldn’t spend thousands of dollars on your microphone since most of the cheaper microphones are good enough for any recording. However, you should research the mic you are buying well and read its reviews.

But the technology of condenser microphones has advanced, and there are so many manufacturers because of the increasing demand for this type of microphone that the prices went down over the years.

Unless you need some particular microphone for a specific purpose in your studio, don’t spend top dollar for it. Research your condenser mic thoroughly and go with some option that will fit your budget as most of these microphones will be a great choice.

 

You will need something to listen to your music

You have two options here, and they are headphones and monitors, and it is great if you could have both since they both have their uses.

But if you want to save a little money it is perfectly fine just to get the headphones first. But keep in mind that it is a bit tricky to record and mix using headphones, but it can be done.

Besides, you can always listen to your recordings on other people systems to get the proper reference on how the recording using headphones impacts the production.

It is okay to start with the headphones and acquire monitors later on. But if you do want to get the monitors from the outset you will want the monitors that fit your room, and that fit your budget.

Also do not overthink the choice of monitors since various factors will affect how the audio is perceived by the listener like the room shape, listener’s position relative to the monitors, your DAW, etc.

It is essential to research the monitors you are going to get and check their reviews but be aware that there will always be things you can’t control that are shaping the sound you hear so once you decide which monitors you want just to make the purchase and move on.

 

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Creating is the key

Your primary focus should be on getting started. The creative process will make the magic happen not just the gear so make sure you get the gear you need and don’t waste too much time overthinking it. Once you start and once a certain amount of time passes and the experience is piled up, you will know if it is time for an upgrade or if you need another piece of the ear, etc.

You want to get started. That’s the main thing you should strive for, and everything else will fall in its place eventually. Don’t give up and create every day. Work on what you love, and it will pay off in more than one way.

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Podcasting and Marketing

Podcasting and Marketing

by | Jun 9, 2017 | Podcasting, Sound

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09 JUNE 2017

written by Mike

PODCASTING

AND MARKETING

Should I start a podcast?

The question that every marketer asks, at least in the present times.

Why is that?

Well, if you google future of podcasting it’s easy to see that everyone seems to be bullish on the medium. From the Copyblogger’s The Astounding Growth of Podcasting to articles from Forbes and Business Insider we can learn that the podcasting trend is going up and up.

And yet, it is still quite a niche industry.

When I analyse Casefile statistics, over 56% of listens happen in the US, followed by Australia with 15% then UK and Canada + others. Podcasting is growing, but it’s still quite a few years away from becoming an established content medium, like YouTube or Instagram. Hence why I think the time to start one is now.

You can have a look at people like Gary Vaynerchuk and see why he is pushing audio content so much. Love him or hate him, he knows a thing about internet marketing, and he knows how to follow the attention. He knows how to market himself.

Another trend that I noticed is, most of the internet personalities are jumping on the podcasting bandwagon. Go and look at top 100 iTunes charts, see how many celebrities can you can recognise. I bet it’s going to be a few.

 

What does it mean?

It means that if you want to be successful, you should follow what successful people do. Apart from that we also have growth in audiobook industry, and we can already see the spill into podcasting. Only recently Audible announced a 5 million dollar fund for playwrights to write audio dramas. They wouldn’t be investing if they didn’t expect some kind of return.

There is no secret to podcasting; it can help you to establish expertise in the industry. Let’s say you are a graphic designer.

Who will you be able to attract better clients and higher rates?

A designer who works from home and attracts business on word of mouth only?

Or someone who also runs a design blog, podcast, course, book and others?

Podcasting is just another medium that can help you to market the business, to establish the expertise. The difference is that it is still niche with the low barriers to entry. Yes, there is some competition, but not as fierce as in other places on the internet.

It’s getting harder every day, so better not wait for too long. It’s a simple question of, do you think it’s easier to start a popular Youtube channel now versus ten years ago?

Podcasting industry is still not regulated; there’s isn’t a big corporation that rules them all. But with time it will happen, there will be rules, schemes, guidelines. If you start early enough, you can be the one who helps to write the rules, which helps to shape the industry.

So don’t dismiss the medium.

Of course, I want to finish with the disclaimer – podcasting is not for everyone.

Take me for example, I know how it works, I produce a popular one.

Why didn’t I start a podcast myself?

Self-awareness is the key here. If you don’t feel comfortable behind a microphone, then don’t force it. But if you think that you can give it a try, do it.

Best time to start was ten years ago; the second best is today.

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“How to Start a Podcast” Book Launch

“How to Start a Podcast” Book Launch

by | Jun 4, 2017 | Casefile, Podcasting

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04 JUNE 2017

written by Mike

“How to Start a Podcast”

Book Launch

 

So here it is.
After few months of writing, editing and designing I finally published my first book called “How to Start a Podcast: From 0 to 10 million downloads per month. One year with Casefile True Crime Podcast.”

18 months of my journey with Casefile passed, and I decided to put on paper everything I learnt so far and share it.
I am hardly an expert, over a year ago I didn’t know anything about podcasting industry and had no inclination to learn it.
But by some kind of dumb luck I stumbled upon it, joined the most amazing team and helped to create one of the most listened podcasts worldwide.

There is a lot of misinformation about the industry.
People promising easy road to success or blueprint to riches – statements like that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The story of Casefile Podcast is a journal of hard work, mistakes and dedication. We quickly learnt that there is no such thing as easy success.

When I sat down and decided to write the book I had two goals in mind – one was to provide a simple guide for aspiring podcasters.
By guide meaning advice on how to select and set up a recording space, how to write a podcast, how to configure basic hosting, artwork and multiple of other things.
All of that based on the example of Casefile podcast.

The second goal was to provide an insight into the production of Casefile.
We get a lot of messages from fans who are curious what is the process and how we do our work.

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Well, I can’t speak much about research and writing of the podcast, but the book will show you ‘behind the scenes’ of my small part – that is audio work.

I wanted to keep it as an easy read, the book is not a mixing and recording manual, but it’s a starting point for anyone interested in this fast growing medium – podcasts.

I know that there are plenty of other guides and books out there however my work is one of the few that shows the real example of growing an online show.

No backing, no marketing dollars, no celebrity hosts.
Just a team of people, spread around the world, working their butts off to provide listeners with well-research and produced true crime stories.

In general, I am quite a sceptical person, especially when it comes to success.
The word is thrown around on the web like it’s something easy attainable for anyone.

After 18 months of working on Casefile, I can tell you this, it’s definitely not easy, but it is attainable.
If a guy who started something from his bedroom as a hobby project can develop an audience of few million people, then it’s safe to say – opportunities like that still exist.

I hope you check out the podcast and check out the book. It’s my first one, so I’m still learning how the whole self-publishing thing works.
No doubt I will make plenty of mistakes, but then again, that’s the way to learn.

“Casefile producer Mike Migas just published a book called “How to start a podcast.” It’s a simple guide for aspiring podcasters based on his journey with Casefile. If you want to start a podcast but don’t know where to begin or just want to learn more about ‘behind the scenes’ of producing Casefile check Mike’s book at his site mikemigas.com or just search ‘How to Start a Podcast’ on Amazon.”

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