You know what I’m talking about.
Webinars where the speaker sounds like she’s in a tin can, man-on-the-street interviews that are ruined by loud trade show traffic and eclipse the person talking. I’m sure you can think of more. I’m often asked how to fix these problems and the short answer is, you can’t, well, sort of. There is no magic button to press that corrects bad audio. With lots of time, energy and effort, you might be able to improve the sound a bit, but it’s not easy and the results are often still poor.
Now here’s the great news: if you have the right equipment when you’re recording, you will get great results. Here are a few tips:
1. Use the right kind of microphone
Expensive equipment is not the answer, you have to select the right piece of gear for the task at hand. All microphones might look the same but can yield vastly different results. A $50 microphone can easily out perform a $500 microphone if not used properly. We always bring a wide variety of microphones to our productions so we have the right tool for the job.
2. Find a quiet spot
Noise is the culprit of most bad audio. It can come from loud air handling equipment or from clanking coffee cups. Whenever possible, move to a quieter space. Don’t worry so much if it looks ugly, we have many ways to make things visually interesting but if the sound is bad, you’re stuck with it.
3. Check your webcast audio settings
Believe it or not, great audio for your webcasts can be as simple as clicking a box in the software’s settings. Most defaults for streaming software are often optimized for great pictures vs decent sound. And of course, always avoid using a speakerphone since they are notorious for picking up ambient room sound. A cheap headset microphone is one of the easiest ways to improve your recording results and keep your audience focused on what you are presenting.
We have plenty more tips and love to share them with our clients and the business community. If you don’t want the hassle of webcasting yourself, keep in mind that we’re just a phone call or email away. We bring in all kinds of professional equipment to make sure your communications sound great, look sharp and keep your audiences coming back for more.
978.338.5699 or info@duchinproductions.com
