Audio Recording

Core Philosophy

Good audio recording is about capturing clean sound at the source. No amount of post-production can fully fix a poorly recorded track — background noise, room echo, distortion, and inconsistent levels are all easier to prevent than to repair. The investment of time in proper setup pays exponential dividends in production quality and editing efficiency.

Key Techniques

• Microphone selection: Choose dynamic mics for untreated rooms, condensers for treated spaces.
• Room treatment: Use soft surfaces (blankets, foam, bookshelves) to reduce reflections and echo.
• Gain staging: Set input levels to peak around -12dB to -6dB, leaving headroom for dynamics.
• Microphone technique: Maintain consistent distance (4-8 inches) and angle to the microphone.
• Pop filtering: Use a pop filter or windscreen to eliminate plosive bursts on P, B, and T sounds.
• Multi-track recording: Record each speaker on a separate track for independent editing control.

Best Practices

1. Record in the quietest space available. Turn off HVAC, close windows, and silence devices.
2. Test and listen before recording. Put on headphones and listen for noise, echo, and problems.
3. Record at 24-bit/48kHz for professional quality with ample headroom.
4. Use a shock mount to isolate the microphone from desk vibrations and handling noise.
5. Record a few seconds of "room tone" for use in editing gaps and transitions.
6. Monitor with closed-back headphones during recording to hear problems in real time.
7. For remote interviews, have each participant record locally and combine in post for best quality.

Common Patterns

• Closet booth: Recording in a closet surrounded by hanging clothes for improvised acoustic treatment.
• Double-ender remote: Each participant records locally on separate devices, synced in post.
• Field recording kit: Portable recorder, dynamic mic, and windscreen for location recording.
• Multi-person studio: Separate mics on separate tracks with headphone monitoring for each speaker.

Anti-Patterns

• Recording in large, empty, hard-surfaced rooms that create echo and reverb.
• Setting gain too high, causing clipping and distortion that cannot be fixed.
• Relying on built-in laptop microphones for publishable content.
• Recording without monitoring — discovering problems only during editing.