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One of the crucial crucial important characteristics of a profitable podcast is consistency. Retaining up with a publishing schedule is vital for building fans who eventually make it a routine to pay attention to your indicate.
Unfortunately — and I know this from ride — traveling can throw off your podcast recording schedule bigtime.
So what’s the most straightforward way to resolve this challenge?
Hit the file button whilst you’re traveling! And not suitable because you want to sustain with that schedule, but because one of the crucial most straightforward conversations you’ll ever have are whilst you’re on the road and in person with folks.
These are golden alternatives usually wasted, but not anymore, because I’m going to enlighten you every part you wish to make it work, and make it easy.
[Full Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. You can read my complete disclosure statement here.]
Gear
Sooner than you head out, it’s important to gather and pack the factual gear to your on-the-swagger recording sessions. In most cases, you’re not going to bring your normal, at-home podcast setup with you on the road.
With that said, in case your normal setup consists of a relatively small, all-in-one production console such as the Rodecaster Professional II, then that may be value packing along with a couple of microphones and an SD card to meet your wants.
In most cases, nevertheless, a portable but worthy recording setup is what you’ll be taking a search for. Right here are some alternatives:
Rode SmartLav+ with Cell Interface
The smallest and cheapest choice combines a wired lavalier microphone and an interface to a machine you probably already have access to: your cell phone.
Whether or not you’re an iPhone or Android user, a Rode SmartLav+ microphone setup can join immediately to your machine. Because it’s small, you can even attach it to a t-shirt or blouse and it’s thoroughly out of the way.
I employ this setup while on the swagger for each solo episodes and interviews. Ought to you’re going to be doing an interview, be obvious that to glean a dual cellular interface so that you can prance in two microphones to file simultaneously.
This setup is tiny in submit-edit capability since it all information onto one track, but it unquestionably’s the easiest and most flexible.
For a fast demo, watch this video that I recorded with my son a few years ago:
Zoom H6N
The Zoom H6N is the ultimate portable recorder that allows you to capture the most straightforward sound quality whilst you’re out. There are constructed-in microphones (and ones that you can swap out for varied recording kinds), and 4 microphone inputs for varied XLR or TRS cables, which is awesome for community interviews.
This means you can have up to four varied folks, on four varied microphones, recording into four varied tracks at the same time. Instead of using your phone to file, this machine makes employ of an SD card to file your information, and it’s easy to import back into a laptop whenever you glean home or back to your resort room.
This is the machine I typically employ when I’m on the swagger. I bring two microphones — such as the Samson Q2U — that join via XLR, hit file, and the indicate is on. Be obvious to also bring a couple of XLR cables as those are not usually included with USB-particular microphones that have XLR compatibility.
I don’t enact any adding of intro songs or voiceovers while recording on this machine — that all is available in submit-edit. The ease of employ and handheld portability is awesome. Also, I fancy the ability to search for the tracks and the sound ranges from each microphone so I know one isn’t too loud or too delicate.
Hastily tip: don’t forget your SD card! Belief me.
Headphones
Headphones are usually overpassed when it comes to recording on the swagger, but because you’re going to probably not be in a sound sales space or studio, and potentially in a crowded or trafficked area, it’s important to have headphones to be able to monitor the sound.
Is it too loud? Too delicate? Is there too considerable background noise? Essentially among the finest way to really know is by listening to the audio as it’s coming in.
My absolute favorite are the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Professional studio headphones. I employ these in my home studio, and also while I’m out and about.
They’re delicate, comfortable, and sound amazing. They aren’t noise canceling, but they enact the job when it comes to monitoring your sound in an ambiance that you most probably can not be familiar with or have a lot of retain an eye on over.
It’s up to you whenever you want to retain the headphones on while recording, but at the very least, take a look at your audio with headphones on sooner than you hit file. It may be a shame to have uncomfortable audio quality on your podcast when it may have been avoided with one fast take a look at.
Video Camera
I received’t swagger too in-depth right here, but video podcasts are changing into so popular, it’s delicate standard to flip on the camera when conducting an interview on the swagger. The audio is already taken care of, which is candy, but a good shot with one camera (or more) can allow you to repurpose that opportunity — usually in an attention-grabbing and visually appealing ambiance — onto a platform fancy YouTube, or perhaps in an online direction.
The greatest challenge for video is certainly lights, and we don’t really want to bring heavy responsibility lights with us, enact we?
Ought to you’re going to be indoors, the most straightforward scenario can be to area up the interview space shut to a window with indirect light and have the camera pointing away from it. This may establish a good wash of sunshine on you and your interviewee.
Ought to you’re originate air, somewhere that has constant shade is candy. Nonetheless, the ambiance and weather can make it sophisticated to retain every part consistent. But filming originate air is delicate awesome, so it may be value the sacrifice.
Finally, as far as which camera to employ, employ one that you’re familiar with already, if that you can imagine. A phone may work, or a point-and-shoot camera fancy a Sony ZV-1 with a tripod to screw it into (maybe even a SwitchPod).
Planning
When that you can imagine, attempt to plan an interview or recording session ahead of time. I can’t enlighten you how many occasions I’ve been to events the place a buddy and I say we’re going to file “at some point,” most effective to have it by no means happen because the time acquired away from us.
Right here’s a fast enlighten of operations:
- In an ideal scenario, join sooner than the travel or event happens. Certain, you can always meet new folks and plan a podcast session ad hoc, but for the sake of your time and calendar, planning ahead is always most effective.
- Coordinate a time and place to meet. Scope out the spaces available for you to file that are as peaceful and as echo-free as that you can imagine. Be obvious you have permission to file in those spaces in the event that they are in event areas. I as soon as chanced on an empty breakout room at an event, which was great, except a crowd of folks came in mid-interview to prepare for the following presentation in that space.
- Procure your interviewee’s contact information. This way, if plans change or anyone is having pains discovering the other person, contact can be made and a resolution can be chanced on.
A few of my colleagues have gone so far as to lease a space for interviews. This may be a conference room, resort room, or dedicated studio space at the facility that’s feeble all day suitable for this cause.
Michael Hyatt, certainly one of my mentors, as soon as interviewed a dozen folks, one after another, in a single resort room. It took all day, but afterward, he had 12 interviews filmed and recorded for later employ. It was a great employ of his time.
Hastily tip: bring spare batteries or a battery bank! The last thing you want to have happen is speed out of energy for the interview(s) you have scheduled.
Hastily tip #2: Generally environmental noise is actually great for a podcast; it adds a varied flavor and feel to the listening ride. Ought to you are able to capture the sound of the space you’re in sooner than your scheduled sessions, make a take a look at recording first so that you can decide whether or not or not it’s going to work.
Recording the Conversation
Whether or not it’s a single recorded conversation or a dozen interviews in a single day fancy Michael Hyatt, it’s important to be aware who you’re recording for. Your podcast listeners will soon hit play and engage (or disengage) with the conversation you’re having at that moment. So, be in the moment!
The reason I say right here’s because it can be very easy to turn into distracted when recording in a varied ambiance, especially if it’s unfamiliar to you. So right here’s the trick:
Be unfamiliar, and take advantage of the conversation.
I always start my interview at home, sooner than I hit file, by saying this to myself: “It’ll be fancy the 2 of us are at a coffee shop, suitable having a conversation.” You have the opportunity to enact suitable that!
(Although I’ve learned that coffee retailers are not actually the most straightforward for interviews. The espresso maker is a general nuisance that tends to dominate the conversation.)
Essentially among the finest thing about meeting and talking with folks in person is that there’s a stage of energy that you suitable cannot glean in an interview over the information superhighway. Whenever you’re in the moment, the audience will feel fancy they’re there with you. Now, with a microphone in hand (or attached to a shirt) you can have a fantastic conversation, in real-time, and capture all of that great energy for them.
After the Interview
There are some objects to take care of after the conversation is over. Typically, I enact my most effective to upload information to Dropbox as soon as I can, that way they’re safe and can’t be stolen or lost.
Second, I also take notes from the interview itself (or dictate them) so I can be aware the highlights. This is important because typically I’m recording the intros and outros to these episodes at home; if I wait too long, I’ll forget all the great stuff we chatted about.
Past the tech and the audio information, there’s yet another important aspect of podcasting while traveling that I want to leave you with.
It’s easy to pause an interview, say your goodbyes, and swagger on. But right here’s the object: you suitable sat and had an in-depth conversation with anyone in person! Real relationships can be constructed from that, especially for folks that you’ve by no means really met sooner than.
So don’t halt the conversation when the file button gets pressed. Encourage the conversation going whenever you can, perhaps all thru a coffee the following morning, dinner later on, or note-up online later. Utilize this chance to nurture the connection you made — it may perhaps grow into one thing amazing!
