Recording Process

Equipment

• SoundDevices MixPre 3 II: For our podcast, we chose the MixPre 3 II. Made by SoundDevices, a well-respected name in professional audio equipment and a Wisconsin corporation based in Reedsburg, WI, we use the MixPre 3 for all our recordings. Its preamps are powerful but have very little noise. The controls are intuitive and precise. We can use it as an audio interface or on its own without a computer. The MixPre 3 is a joy to use, and helps us deliver professional results. Dive deeper into its features at SoundDevices MixPre 3 II and learn more about the brand at SoundDevices.
• Shure SM7B microphones: The Shure SM7B microphone is widely used by podcasters and is known for its exceptional sound quality. It’s an especially good choice for multi-person podcasts thanks to its ability to minimize background noise and isolate voices. Despite its initial investment, the microphones we use on the L&S Exchange have been in constant service, recording instructional audio for more than twenty years. Learn more about its features at Shure.com 
• Studio space: We’re lucky to be able to tap into the spaces that instructors use to make instructional media. While most of the time we’re helping L&S instructors craft captivating and effective instructional materials, the podcast uses 248 Van Hise or 368 Van Hise as quiet spaces for recording, planning, and meeting. The sound-treated rooms are great for recording high-quality audio.

Settings Configuration

Given the equipment we use and our preferences, we find the following settings to be best.

• Set channel gain to approximately 63 decibels.
• Adjust the channel fader knob to a little more than the Noon position.
• Record at 44.1kHz sample rate with 16-bit bit depth, lossless quality, .WAV codec.
• Note: The MixPre 3 II defaults to recording all three tracks plus the stereo mix, resulting in five tracks in a single file.

Guiding Participants

• We orient participants to speak directly into the microphone, roughly 6 inches from the microphone’s front face. A slightly angled position can be used if the person’s way of speaking adds plosives to the recording.
• Listen for table thumps and interrupt the recording if they happen. They can be filtered out to a certain extent, but doing so alters the sound quality and takes a lot of time.
• Mouth clicks can be greatly minimized in post-production so it shouldn’t be a big concern when setting levels, but water and juice are always beneficial. More attention to articulation can help reduce mouth sounds. And it’s helpful to take a minute to warm up and clear one’s throat before recording.
• We’ve found that most of our participants would rather not wear headphones and self-monitor their voice during the recording session. While that’s not the industry standard practice, we find that it’s less stressful for most of our guests and happens to make the recording process less technically complicated because a headphone mixer is not needed.