Hi! This time I'm going to tell you some tips about remote recordings. You can use them to pick equipment that meets your requirements for sound quality, convenience, and price. You can also use my tips as a checklist before each remote recording.
Ready?
What equipment you'll need
When it comes to remote recording equipment, we have to strike a balance between:
cost-effectiveness of the solution,
convenience,
and sound quality.
For example: the best quality can be achieved if you and your guest record on recorders. But this is also the most expensive solution: two Zoom H5 recorders will cost you 500 euros. Add to that the cost of a power bank, pop filters, tripods, and SD cards. In addition, if you invite different guests, you will have to organize and pay for the delivery of all this equipment each time and teach your guests how to use it. Therefore, the cost-effectiveness and convenience of this solution deserve a low rating.
Below I list 5 remote recording methods that we use in different situations. They are ranked according to price, convenience and sound quality.
1. If you want it cost-effectively, conveniently, and with video shorts, sign up for Riverside.
You'll need:
laptop with the Chrome browser;
а paid Riverside account ($25/month for 15 hours of recording) and a pre-prepared link to the recording;
one pair of headphones.
⭐️⭐️ sound quality
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ convenience
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ cost-effectiveness
2. If you want almost the same but with better sound, add a USB microphone to the Riverside.
You'll need:
laptop with the Chrome browser;
а paid Riverside account ($25/month for 15 hours of recording) and a pre-prepared link to the recording;
USB microphone ($70 each Samson Q2U);
one pair of headphones.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sound quality
⭐️⭐️⭐️ convenience
⭐️⭐️ cost-effectiveness
3. If you don't want to pay for Riverside, you can record using a USB microphone with another program.
You'll need:
laptop;
Zoom, Google Meet, or any other video meeting program with the ability to record the conversation;
Audacity, Reaper or any other audio editing program with the ability to record audio;
USB microphone ($70 each Samson Q2U);
one pair of headphones.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sound quality
⭐️⭐️ convenience
⭐️⭐️⭐️ cost-effectiveness
4. If you don't have a USB microphone, record on phones.
You'll need:
laptop,
Zoom, Google meet, or any other video meeting program with the ability to record the conversation;
two pairs of headphones - one for your laptop and one for your phone.
⭐️⭐️ sound quality
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ convenience
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ cost-effectiveness
5. If sound quality is a priority, record on a recorder.
You'll need:
laptop,
Zoom, Google meet, or any other video meeting program with the ability to record the conversation,
recorder on a tripod with an empty SD card and contaminated battery (250 euros for each Zoom H5 + price of SD cards and power bank),
two pairs of headphones - for the laptop and for the recorder.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sound quality
⭐️ convenience
⭐️ cost-effectiveness
Which solution to choose depends on your priorities. Sometimes the most important thing is sound quality, sometimes it's the comfort of your guests or economy. Of course, you can also choose a composite solution: for example, you can record your guests on their phones and organize the recording with a recorder for yourself.
How to record in Riverside
1. Sign up for a Riverside account, select a rate, and pay.
2. Schedule a recording (”+new studio”) and send the link to your guests.
If you are recording with a USB microphone:
2.1 Connect the microphone to your laptop via USB.
2.2 Turn the microphone on using the button on the microphone.
2.3 Connect the headphones to the laptop (not to the microphone).
2.4 In the laptop settings, select the microphone as the audio input device. On the Mac: System Preferences → Sound → Input → select microphone. Your voice in Riverside will now come through the microphone.
3. Before the first live recording, it's worth experimenting a bit: make recordings with and without Echo cancellation and Noise reduction, and send them to your sound engineer for a test to see which approach works best. For example, we don't use Noise reduction because sometimes it eats up chunks of words.
4. When it's time to record, go through the pre-prepared link and make sure you and your guest can hear each other well. If necessary, turn on Echo cancellation.
5. Turn on flight mode on your phone and turn off all notifications on your laptop.
6. Turn on the recording.
7. Record 15 seconds of silence at the beginning and at the end. It's best to move away from the microphones at this point so they don't catch your breath. Recording silence comes in handy during editing.
8. When the recording ends, the video and audio will be uploaded to your archive. You'll be able to make video shorts here in the Riverside interface. And you can edit the audio and video versions of the podcast here as well.
Read more about how different microphones work with Riverside here.
How to record on a USB microphone
Download and install the program Audacity, Reaper, or any analog to your laptop in advance.
Call your co-hosts and guests on Zoom or Google Meet to help them set up their equipment as well.
Start recording this Zoom or Google Meet — that will be your backup.
Turn on flight mode on your phone and turn off all notifications on your laptop.
Connect the microphone to your laptop via USB.
Turn the microphone on using the button on the microphone.
Connect your headphones to the microphone (not to the laptop).
In the laptop settings, select the microphone as a device for audio input and output. On the Mac: System Preferences → Sound → Input → select microphone, and then Output → select microphone. Now you will hear voices from the Zoom through the headphones that are connected to the microphone, and your voice will also come through the microphone.
Open Audacity and expose the microphone and audio output as in the screenshot:
10. Adjust the microphone volume level so that the sound waves are clearly visible but not overloaded:
11. Place the microphone slightly to the side, as in the photo below. When recording, keep a distance of 5-7 centimeters from the microphone. Do not speak directly into the microphone, but slightly tangential to it:
12. Press Rec (red circle on top) in Audacity, make sure recording is in progress and sound waves are displayed.
13. Record 15 seconds of silence. It's best to move away from the microphones at this point so they don't catch your breath. Recording silence comes in handy during editing.
14. Arrange for everyone in the recording to clap their hands at the same time on the count of three. Count to three and clap. This will help when you synchronize the participants' tracks.
15. When you finish recording, press Stop and go to File → Export → Export as Wav.
16. Set File type: WAV, Encoding: 24-bit PCM:
17. Give the file a name (preferably in this format: 2024-01-25-John.wav) and click Save.
4. Call your co-hosts and guests on Zoom or Google Meet to help them set up their equipment as well.
5. Start recording this Zoom or Google Meet — that will be your backup.
6. Turn on flight mode on your phone and turn off all notifications on your laptop.
7. Connect the first pair of headphones to the laptop and the second pair to the phone. This will help you to control how you sound, and in time to notice something wrong, such as interference or a recorder going off. It is most convenient to plug one earphone from each pair into your ears.
8. Put a sock on your phone. It should cover the bottom of the phone - where you normally talk.
9. Hold the phone at chin level, with the microphone facing you. It is better to fix it - for example, put it on a stack of books.
10. Turn on recording.
11. Record 15 seconds of silence. It's best to move away from the microphones at this point so they don't catch your breath. Recording silence comes in handy during editing.
12. Arrange for everyone in the recording to clap their hands at the same time on the count of three. Count to three and clap. This will help when you synchronize the participants' tracks.
13. Check from time to time to see if the recording is going on. It will be very frustrating if you run out of space in the middle of a conversation or the recording is interrupted by a sudden call.
14. When the recording is finished, turn off the recorder and send the recording to the producer.
How to record on a recorder
Make sure the batteries of the recorder are 100% charged.
Ensure that the card has enough space for at least 2.5 hours of recording.
Call your co-hosts and guests on Zoom or Google Meet to help them set up their equipment as well.
Start recording this Zoom or Google Meet — that will be your backup.
Turn on flight mode on your phone and turn off all notifications on your laptop.
Connect the first pair of headphones to the laptop and the second pair to the recorder. This will help you to control how you sound, and in time to notice something wrong, such as interference or a recorder going off. It is most convenient to plug one earphone from each pair into your ears.
Screw the recorder to a tripod.
Place the tripod so that the recorder is 10-15 centimeters from your face at chin level. A stack of books can be used.
9. Plug the recorder into a power bank or outlet.
10. Turn on the recording.
11. Record 15 seconds of silence. It's best to move away from the microphones at this point so they don't catch your breath. Recording silence comes in handy during editing.
12. Arrange for everyone in the recording to clap their hands at the same time on the count of three. Count to three and clap. This will help when you synchronize the participants' tracks.
13. When finished, stop the recording, dump it on the computer and send it to the producer.
How to prepare your room for recording
When arranging an appointment with a guest, we ask:
to find a small, quiet room with soft furnishings,
close the windows, turn off air conditioners, clocks, washing machines, and anything that makes noise,
if there is noise even from an open window, it can be shielded with curtains or a clothes dryer with a blanket thrown over it,
if possible, put pillows, soft toys around you, anything that will absorb the noise,
take off the jingling bracelets, don't use rustling clothes.
In essence, we need to create a soft cozy cocoon that will dampen sound, not reflect it, creating reverberations.
🦄🦄🦄
That's it for now. Catch the balance, experiment, and email me about your findings.