We use the Rode Podcaster with a shock mount and boom arm in a number of our conference rooms at PhotoShelter. They are essentially plug-n-play solutions (you might need to install a driver), but can instantly improve the audio quality because they tend to have a bigger diaphragm and better circuitry. USB mics plus directly into your computer – typically with the older, rectangular USB-A plug. A full discussion of microphones is beyond the scope of this article, but for our purposes, mics can be categorized as either 1) USB mics or 2) XLR mics. Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, Slack, Google Hangouts) allows you to use external microphones. If you are planning on hosting a webinar or teaching regularly online, you need to get serious about your audio quality. But moving the mic to within about 12” of your mouth will significantly improve audio quality. You are completely relying on the software to figure out the best level, which doesn’t always yield the best results.
Using your laptop or phone mic is akin to photographing in “P” (program) mode. This is why headsets usually yield better audio quality than your laptop mic. If your microphone is 2 feet away, the sound intensity is 1/4th the amount as if you were 1 foot away.
You might remember the Inverse Square Law from high school physics, which states that intensity drops off exponentially as you get farther from the source. I’ve used everything from $20 earbuds to $400 open back headphones any headphone will provide the necessary isolation to improve audio quality. You can easily remedy this by wearing headphones of any type. Remember, the mic on your device is close to its speaker, so the mic will pick up sounds emanating from your computer causing sudden drops or delays in audio. If you’re just using your laptop or the speaker feature of your phone, you’re relying on software to cancel out feedback.
When possible, find a room with carpet and furniture like a bed or sofa, which can significantly attenuate reverb.Ĭlosets are usually a good option if you don’t need to be on video simultaneously because they are typically filled with clothes and have irregular surfaces that help attenuate unwanted sound. Similarly, hard surfaces like wooden floors combined with glass windows and a flat ceiling can cause an audible echo that can make your broadcast sound unnecessarily noisy like a restaurant with poor acoustics. Ambient noise – from pets to lawn mowers to traffic – can cause a lot of audio problems. I’ve listened to a number of podcasts in the past week where the hosts are working from home rather than a professional studio, which yields a noticeable drop on audio quality. Sarah uses a Rode Podcaster and Audacity software, and I use a Shure SM7B with Adobe Audition. And I have been recording our podcast from our respective homes.
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