Podcast Production: How to Speak into a Microphone
This guide teaches you how to speak into a microphone to get the best recording possible. Think of the microphone like an ear. Position, direction, angle, and distance to a sound source all matter.
How does a Microphone work?
Think of the microphone like an ear. Position, direction, angle, and distance to a sound source all matter. If you put your ear close to someone speaking, you will hear things that you don’t hear from a normal distance (mouth noises, sharper sibilance (S-Sound), more prominent P’s and B’s.
When we speak, our voice reflects off of different surfaces in the room. The material these surfaces are made of affect how the reflections will sound. That is why some rooms sound echoey and some sound dry. Ideally, the effects of the room are minimized in the recording. This requires a lot of absorbent material (Carpet, foam panels, books, etc.), but can also be helped by the right microphone and setup.
What should I consider before recording?
Position:
Unidirectional microphones (The kind used for live events) will mostly pick up what is in front of it. So, it is important to know what is behind the person you are trying to record.
Try not to be too close to a wall and put as much absorbent material behind them as possible.
Distance and Direction:
Keep the microphone at about an apple sized distance from the speaker’s mouth.
Remind them to stay centered behind the microphone, and to try and maintain a consistent distance when speaking.
Angle:
Put the microphone at chin level and point up towards the mouth.
This helps avoid p-pops and other harsh sounds. This also gives the speaker better line of sight.
Remind the speaker that they do not need to speak directly down into the microphone. They can just speak facing forward and the microphone will record their voice.
Other Suggestions:
Remember to keep the speaker as comfortable as possible. You don’t want them in an uncomfortable position just to get a good recording.
Make sure the microphone stand is out of the way of their feet and hands, so that they do not bump it during recording.
You also want to give them enough space if they need to cough, sneeze, or even look at notes.
Bleed is when a microphone picks up another person speaking in the room, other than the intended speaker. To avoid this, try to position the microphones so they are facing opposite directions.
Also, remember to turn off cell phones, fans, or anything that will make an electrical hum.
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