We’re delighted that you’re going to be on our podcast. Below are some helpful tips for how to get connected to our recording session, and how to ensure the best possible recording. When we exchange emails about coming on the show, I will give you a link to our recording session, as well as my cell number, so you can call if you have any questions, or any trouble connecting with us at our scheduled recording time.
We record with an online multitrack recording service called Squadcast. The interface is a lot like Zoom, but only the audio will be saved and used for the podcast. When the time comes, all you need is a quiet room, a modern browser, and a pair of headphones. If you happen to have access to a USB microphone or headset (like people use for video games), that’s what we prefer for audio quality, but we can also make do with a pair of earbuds with a built-in mic, or even the built-in microphone in a laptop, just don’t forget the headphones.
When it’s time to record, just click on the Squadcast link that I sent you in advance, then onscreen prompts will show you how the simple controls work. If you’re prompted that Squadcast wants to use your microphone, allow it. When prompted, enter your name, indicate that you’re wearing headphones (please), and expand the “change equipment” option to choose which mic you’d like to use.
Once you choose “Join Session,” you’ll be in the recording session, and we should be able to see and hear one another. If there are any questions or you run into a problem, call or text me, and I’ll help figure it out.
What you’ll need
- A modern browser. Whether you prefer Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Brave, or Edge, as long as your browser is up to date, we should be fine.
- High speed internet (preferably wired). Turn off or pause any background uploads/downloads such as backups, torrents, Netflix, or gaming.
- Headphones. Any headphones that you can plug into your computer will work fine, but please use headphones.
- A microphone. In rough order of sound quality, we’d prefer if you use
- a USB microphone (there are lots of options available for $20 – $50 these days. We used these cheap mics for years.)
- a USB headset (Many podcasters swear by this $20 Logitech model. The plus side of using a USB headset is that you don’t need separate headphones, and you don’t have to worry about mic placement. Plus, you can reuse it for gaming or Skype.)
- earbuds with a microphone (There is an immediate, noticeable drop off in sound quality when going from a USB connection to a 3.5mm audio connector, but if that’s all you have, we will work with it.)
- or as an absolute last resort, when there is no other option available, you can try using the built in microphone on your laptop.
Where to record
- A quiet room: Close the windows, turn off the air conditioner or furnace, and give the kids a book to read. The microphone will pick up background noise that you would never notice. Look out for running water, appliances running in another room, and nearby computer fans or hard drives spinning.
- No cell phone: Turn it off or move it away from the microphone. The microwave radiation from your phone can cause interference with the mic that results in a nasty crackling sound in our recording.
- Watch out for echos: Large rooms and hard surfaces make for ugly sounding echos. If you have a small room with lots of heavy drapes and shag carpeting, that’s a perfect impromptu studio. If not, you can improve your recording environment by doing what we do, creating a little recording tent out of heavy blankets to muffle any echos or background noise.
Getting connected
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- The invitation: If we have our act together, you should get an automated email from our Cast recording service about 30 minutes before we’re scheduled to start, with the subject line “You’ve got a Cast session in 30 minutes.” Open up this email and click on the link to join the recording session. If we don’t have our act together, one of us will just send you a link when it’s time to record. It’s not a bad idea for us to exchange phone numbers, just in case you have any trouble getting connected.
- Setting up: When you first connect to the recording session, you’ll see a few popup messages acquainting you with the controls. Click to dismiss the
- Check one two: After getting the lay of the land, you’ll be prompted to choose which microphone and audio output to use. Please pause for a moment and make sure you have the right microphone selected. Most computers set the built in microphone as the default recording device, and that is the LAST one we want to use. Most computers will switch to the headphone jack by default when headphones are connected, so that will probably be okay. If your audio settings get messed up, and you can’t hear us when we’re in the session together, you’ll need to reload the page and then pick a different microphone option.
- Settling in: If you don’t see a little avatar for “HUBHISTORY” on the right, just give us a few minutes to join. After we get connected, we can chat for a few minutes before we start the recorder. This will give us a chance to get comfortable with one another, as well as performing a quick sound check. If you hear echoes of yourself or anyone else, or any weird sounds, let us know now.
Getting the best sound
- Microphone distance: The ideal distance from mic to lips depends on what microphone you’re using, but it’s almost always shorter than the novice thinks. Sitting further from the mic will require us to crank up your level, and you’ll end up sounding like you’re recording from inside a tin can. For most external microphones, 3-9 inches is a good bet. If your mic is directional, make sure it’s pointed in the direction of your mouth.
- Be mindful of incidental noise: During a normal conversation, you wouldn’t think twice of opening a soda, drinking from a glass with ice cubes, typing, hearing sirens outside, shuffling papers, bouncing your knee, tapping your desk, or bumping your mic. But those will be picked up in the recording and distract listeners. If you need to make some noise, pause for a moment, clear your throat or take a drink, then get back to the show. As long as you don’t do it while you’re talking, we can edit out the noise.
- Stay focused: If you get distracted by email, food, pets, etc, our listeners will notice. You always notice if you’re talking to someone on the phone while they’re trying to check email or drive. If something urgent comes up, we can break for a moment while you deal with it.
The final product
- Keep it clean: We endeavor to avoid being rated “explicit” in iTunes, so please… no profanity or explicit descriptions of sex. We can bleep you, but it’s kind of a pain in the @$$.
- Clean it up: We do edit the recording significantly, with the goal of making you and us sound as good as possible. If you are in the middle of saying something and you lose your train of thought or get tripped up, just pause for a few seconds and collect your thoughts. Ask us to repeat the question or queue you again, if it helps. Then, back up a bit and start your answer again.
- Cross talk: When we edit the show, we will zero out the mic for anyone who’s not actively speaking. Don’t be surprised when you hear one of us making some noise while the other one is talking. It won’t be in the final show. This gives you a chance to open a can of soda while one of us is speaking.
- Upload your audio: When we finish the session, I’ll let you know that I’m ending the recording. We’ll still be connected, and don’t close your browser window or shut off your computer just yet! Your audio will take a few extra seconds to upload in the background. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to disconnect.
Promote yourself
- Make sure to send us links to your website, social media profiles, upcoming events, or anything else you’d like us to link to in the show notes.
- If you have one, send us a headshot we can add to the show notes and social media posts.
- If you’re promoting a book, please provide us with an image of the cover that’s at least 800 pixels wide.