Record Pro Audio On Your Computer - We Make It Easy
by Ken Theriot
Shows focus on helping people create professional quality music, podcasts, audio-for-video, etc. from their home recording studio. Learn to get the best sound for the least cost without confusing techno-speak.
Episodes
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Using Stereo To Make Your Music Recordings Sound Awesome
This episode explains a bit about what stereo is, using 2 audio examples of mono vs stereo guitar and vocal harmonies. It's much better to hear what I'm talking about than to listen to me talk :-P. I then explain how to create the stereo effect and how to use it when mixing music. The music used...
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Recording Music at Home - First Steps
I mentioned in the last episode that I am shifting priority back to recording music at home. So this episode will start from the bare basics - like what microphone and software to start with - and walk you through setup and making an actual recording. I mention in the episode that there are some...
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Record Your Music At Home - Maybe Become Your Own Record Company
I've been focusing a lot in the past year or two on spoken audio, like podcasts, audio book narrating, voice-overs, etc. And I realize I've been neglecting all the musicians! Recording music is the only reason I learned audio recording in the first place. So starting now, I'm going to shift back…
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Clearing Up Confusion About ACX Since Audacity Version 3.6
I mentioned putting a link to the video on the Home Brew Audio YouTube Channel here in the notes. Here that is: https://youtu.be/kYkbArXHKCE The Limiter tool changed in recent version of Audacity and it looks totally different from the video. So much so that you cannot follow the video's...
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Passing The Dreaded ACX Check For Audible Audio Books
As I mentioned in the episode, there is a video and an article showing you a walk-through of the settings and stuff I mentioned for using the ACX Check plugin for Audacity (regardless of what program you use to actually record and edit your audio). Here they are: Home Brew Audio website:...
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What Is Professional Sounding Audio Anyway?
I talk a lot about making your audio sound professional. But it helps to know what the heck that even means. This episode gives several audio samples of what I consider to be NOT pro audio, and then several samples that I DO think are professional sounding. This should help nail down the answer…
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Where Has Ken Been and Dealing With Room Sound
We started moving in November 2023 and we are STILL MOVING! I don't think we know how moving works :-P. Anyway, that is my excuse as to where I've been. And since I'm in this new house and have not been able to get the studio set up yet, I had to record this episode with bare walls. I know!! But...
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My review of the Samson Q9U USB/XLR microphone
My review of the Samson Q9U USB/XLR microphone. I actually used this mic to record this podcast episode. so you can hear how it sounds.
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The Easiest And Fastest Way To Improve Podcast Audio Quality
This episode shows you how to quickly and easily improve the audio quality of your podcast, voiceover, audiobook, videos, and even singing. And while you can do this like right now - no mater what microphone you have - doing this solves one large problem (audio quality) while creating a few new...
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My Review of the SonicPresence SP15 Binaural Microphone for Spatial Audio
I spent about a month playing with and testing a different kind of microphone for review. It's called the SP15 binaural microphone by SonicPresence. The purpose of this mic is not to record yourself (typically), but rather to record what YOU are hearing. It records your surroundings in sometimes...
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My Review of The RODE NT1 5th Generation Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
I spent a couple of weeks really testing out the RODE NT1 5th Generation Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone. There is a lot to love. But I have a few quibbles as well. Unlike previous versions of the well-known NT1, the 5th generation is a "hybrid" mic. That means it is BOTH/EITHER a standard…
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My Review of The RØDE NT-USB+ Microphone
I put the RØDE NT-USB+ USB Microphone through its paces. After all was said and done, I have decided this is my new favorite USB mic. When I recommend a mic to folks who are on a budget (heck, even if you are NOT on a budget), this is the mic I'll recommend. It used to be the Blue Yeti. But that...
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What is a Click Track? And Why Would I Want To Use One?
What is a Click Track? And what is it good for? I explain what it is and give several reasons for using one. I use Reaper, which makes it easy to use a click track and to toggle the metronome off and on. Reaper also has MIDI capability, so it's easy to just put a basic drum pattern on a track...
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Reaper’s Hidden Noise Reduction Tool
Reaper has a noise reduction tool, as do all audio editing and recording programs (I'm assuming. I've never seen one without that tool). HOWEVER, the tool is not called Noise Reduction. Oddly that function is part of a tool/effect called ReaFir. The links I mention in the episode are: For the…
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What Does ”Zero” Mean In Audio Recording?
You may think it's obvious what "zero" means. It means "nothing," right? Actually, in audio recording, 0dB usually means the exact opposite. I mean, why would the audio world start making intuitive sense now? I explain in the episode.
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Podcast Editing, Part 2
Last time I recorded my episode with no content editing. So while I did treat it for noise reduction, plosives, and avg volume, I did NOT edit it for content. That means that all of the umms, uhs, ahs, repeats, mistakes, long pauses, even burps in one case (:-P) were left in. This time I took 5...
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Podcast Editing - What Is It?
I wanted to talk a little bit about podcast editing. So I decided NOT to edit myself on this episode :-). I did do some noise reduction, plosive removal and finished volume stuff. But that isn't really the bulk of editing. What really takes the time when editing a podcast is cutting out all of…
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Interview With Mastering Engineer - Daniel Rowland
I had the excellent fortune to be able to interview Daniel Rowland, Oscar-winning, Grammy-nominated Engineer/Producer & Head of Strategy & Partnerships at LANDR Audio. He is also a professor at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University) in Nashville. He's worked on projects as varied as Nine Inch...
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Live From PodFest 2022 - Interview With Bryan Entzminger
As promised last time, this is the second episode in a week! I'm at PodFest Expo 2022 and had the privilege of interviewing Bryan Entzminger. He is the founder of the Hindy Users (Unofficial) Facebook group, the creator of the course “Hindenburg Lite Quick Start.” Bryan is a pocast editor and an...
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Recording From Podfest and New Voice Recording Course Is Ready!
I'm recording from Podfest Expo in Orlando! So that means I'll do 2 episodes in one week! Can you believe it? Also, the voice recording course - Professional Talkers: How To Record High Quality Audio For VoiceOvers, Podcasts & More - is finally done and ready!
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Recording Your Podcast With Zoom - Should You?
This episode looks at when - if ever- it might be appropriate to record your podcast using Zoom, the popular online meeting service. I compared some audio recorded with a USB mic (Samson C01UPro) direct to my computer with audio from a Zoom recording using the same mic and computer. Take a listen...
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The RODE Wireless Go II Wireless Microphone System (Lapel Mic)
Last time, I tested some wired lavalier (lapel) mics for improving Zoom call audio quality. And I promised I'd do a wireless test for this episode. So here we "go" (:-P). I tested the RODE Wireless Go II microphone system. Notice I didn't say "lavalier system." That's because the Go II…
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How To Improve Zoom Meeting Audio With an Inexpensive Wired Lapel Mic
After someone asked me for a recommendation on a lavalier/lapel microphone to improve the audio quality of Zoom calls, I got ahold of a couple and did a test. You'll hear the audio in this episode! I used only wired lavs for this episode because it turns out wireless is hard :-). I'll do a…
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Quickly and Easily Improve The Audio Quality of the Blue Yeti USB Microphone
The Blue Yeti is an excellent USB microphone popular with podcasters, and other folks recording voices for any reason. But for some reason, a lot of recordings made on Yeti mics sound terrible. Why is this? I think I know. And here are ways to fix things quickly and easily so your Yeti can make…
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How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio, Pt 5: The Accessories
Now that you have the mic(s), the recording interface and the software, you'll need some additional things to be able to use your gear. Here is a list of those accessories, along with some suggestions.
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How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio, Pt 4: The Software
What software should you use to record and produce your audio? This episode gives you some ideas, starting with a free program! So you can get started right now without having to buy anything. I also talk about Reaper and Adobe Audition.
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How To Set Up A Home Recording Studio, Pt 3
In part 3 of this series, we talk about microphones and recording interfaces.
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2021 Relaunch of Podcast + How To Set Up a Home Recording Studio, Pt. 2
This follows on - finally! - from the last episode, which was part 1 (yes, I left folks hanging. sorry!) of a 5-part series showing you how to set up a home recording studio. This episode talks about how to limit or eliminate noise of all kinds, which is arguably the most important factor in...
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How to Set Up A Home Recording Studio - Part 1
This is the first in a series of posts designed to walk you through how to create a computer-based home recording studio. We talk about what you'll need to buy, and even how to use free software for many tasks. The series will also show you how to get the best possible audio for the lowest…
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Review Of The Audio Technica AT2035 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
This is an excellent microphone for home recording, especially for vocals/voice-over purposes. It gives professional sounding results for only about $149. This review contains audio samples and comparisons with a more expensive mic.
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Audio for Videos
Do not let bad audio ruin an otherwise great video. Why do so many people who make videos always seem to forget about making the audio sound good? Here are some ways you can fix that.
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3 Must-Know Tips For Getting Pro Audio From Your Home Recording Studio
3 Must-Know Tips For Getting Pro Audio From Your Home Recording Studio. It is possible to produce pro quality from a garden-variety computer as your home recording studio, and do it cheaply. Here's how.
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Should You Use Compression In Audio Recording?
A very common question I see is "should I use compression in audio recording?" The best answer to this question is, as is so often the case, "Do you need compression in your recordings?" This episode shows you how you can answer your own question.
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Interview With Mastering Engineer, Thaddeus Moore
I had the pleasure of interviewing Thaddeus Moore, who is the lead mastering engineer for Liquid Mastering. We talked for an hour audio recording, mixing and mastering, and Thaddeus shared his thoughts on the best way to do (or not to do:)) these things in a home recording studio. We also get…
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Using a Click Track For Recording Music
This podcast episode discusses two ways to keep a song on a steady and consistent tempo using recording software. The first way is to use the click-track/metronome tool. The second is to create a MIDI track and use drum sounds to create a more musical guide track.
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Home Recording For The Rest of Us
Learn how to get professional quality audio from your home studio without all the techno-babble, and without spending lots of money for gear.