STP 85 How to unlock clear professional audio for your online course
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James Marland: [00:00:00] If there's anything that stresses out practice owners, I know it's hiring people and money. And when you put the two items together, you have a spicy combination of problems.
Because money and hiring is such a tricky issue and vital for the growth and success of your therapy practice. I want to invite you to a free webinar on compensation strategies for therapists. During the webinar, you're going to learn the five most common mistakes practice owners make when it comes to compensation. Sounds good.
Here's the details. It's how to crack the clinician compensation code on Friday, September 13th, 9:00 AM. Pacific time, 12:00 PM Eastern. The free webinars for new and established group practice owners . Bonus. It's hosted by my friend and somebody. I trust. With all things, accounting, [00:01:00] Julie Harris, she's an accountant to therapist and owner of green Oak accounting.
This firm specializes in working with therapists, psychologists, counselors. And, mental health providers in private practice. You can do this virtually. And it's going to be recorded. So just sign up. And get the recording. You're going to learn some great strategies for dealing with some of your biggest stress stressors, compensation, and hiring. I know you're going to enjoy it.
I love hearing from Julie and her wisdom. She's got such a, an even personality, but very strategic and. Uh, detailed on the next steps you can take. So if you're concerned about hiring and money go to this webinar, You're not gonna regret it.
Hello friends. This is James Marland host of the scaling [00:02:00] therapy practice. This is the show where we empower mission-driven leaders to launch life-changing online courses. And so glad that you're here with me today, today, we're talking about a, uh, interesting topic. Of. What microphone do you choose to record your course? Because as you know, as you've probably heard onboard microphones, From laptops or computers, don't always pick up. Uh, the right sound.
And if you're recording with a phone. You're often, too far away from the, the, uh, speaker microphone. To get a good sound or it sounds like really hollow or airy if you're recording on speaker. So. What do you do to solve that problem? But to solve that problem, you buy a microphone, you buy a microphone for your computer. But when you start searching for microphones, So there's a dizzying array of choices.
And so you either end up just buying what looks good. Or you go [00:03:00] to a list and you buy like the most. The most expensive and you're like, well, this is what I need, but it might not be what fits you. So I'm going to go through my buying process of how I came to my microphone
so you can use these tips to help you. Uh, purchase the microphone. That's right for you so that your course can sound its best.
So let's get right into it. Uh, there's five. Four criteria. Um, and then some tips at the end. I have price. Quality and features. Uh, name that I trust. And then the type of, um, setup. So first one of my main categories was price. When I'm, when I first started out with a, the. Course creation and podcasting. I wasn't bringing in a lot of money doing that, those podcasting.
So I was working on the budget of what I already had or the limited that I was bringing [00:04:00] in. So. Uh, so that sort of. Hemmed me in a little bit on the type of microphone that I could get. And I spent around. Uh, for, for everything has been around $180. That's the arm, the microphone, the pop filter. Uh, and, and, uh, I think the, the cables, so that's, that's everything. Um, You can, you can spend $300 on just on the microphone, not even the, um, the arm or the pop filters or the cables or anything else.
So cost for me was a big deal, but you don't have to worry too much because there, there are great sounding. Setups for entry level, uh, podcasts. Um, I went with, uh, the blue Yeti. It was recommended by many people as an entry level podcast. And I chose it for many reasons and I'll get [00:05:00] into it as we keep going down. But. There, there are often great microphones at your current price. Level. And the more you go up, the more, um, the, the better quality that is the better. Uh, residents, like it picks up different sounds and there's more features. But if you're just recording an online course and it's you in front of a.
Uh, camera or it's just you talking to some slides. Uh, you might not need the highest quality, uh, Mo recording software or recording microphone. There's a, there's something called the, the logic or the yet. A Yeti. Snowball that a lot of people get that's one of an entry-level snowball or there's the, the blue Yeti. It's just the blue Yeti microphone.
And then there's also a blue Yeti pro that's a little more expensive that you can often find between 80 [00:06:00] and $90 without the, without the. The stand. So there are options for you to do it. Why do you, why do you want that, uh, extra microphone? Because. The sound just, it doesn't sound the best. If you're just using your laptop or your phone microphone. And hat the, what I use for a iPhone recording is just the LaValley or microphone. It was, it was like $30.
You can get them between 30 and a hundred or even more of course, but it just plugs right into the base of the iPhone. And I'm able to record remotely. It was pretty much a plug and play. So.
There are the price was a big consideration. The next. Uh, the next item for me. Was a name I trust. There were many. There were many. Uh, [00:07:00] names of microphones and brands. On Amazon. I searched on Amazon and best buy. I had no idea who they were, but I did know blue Yeti, which is also a logic tech product.
And so I have, I have many Logitech products. I. Uh, all my mice are Logitech products. My. My headphones. Uh, Where I would lodge the tech products. My keyboard is lodged to tech. My camera's Logitech. So I just went with the brain that I know. Uh, and trust. I knew they had good quality. For their other items. And I didn't want to buy. Some knockoff brand. Besides that there are other brands that I've come to know that are really good in the industry.
And now that it's road road is one. And then, uh, what's the other one that I think about getting all the time road and.
Sure. [00:08:00]
I had to look at my notes. Sure sure. As the other brands. So, uh, entry-level Logitech and then I, I'm always looking at sure and road products. Two. To advance, like, uh, I started thinking, well, maybe I need a better microphone. So those often run. You know, the, the, the shore in the road can often run a little more pricey.
Uh, Double. If I spent a hundred dollars. On my blue Yeti, then. The the shore and the road once can be a hundred to 300. More, so. Um, but I trust those brands. There's other people, other podcasters. I talked to you that like those microphone brands, so. Uh, stick with a brand, you know, Or go to a review site that, you know, the person. And you trust that person and pick, pick from one that they choose. There are plenty of good [00:09:00] ones out there.
I just didn't know enough. And I didn't want to spend hours and hours researching for getting my recording. So. Forgetting my microphone. So, um, Pick pick something that you're confident in and you you'll be happy with that. So we got price. We got quality. Um, well, price, name and name I trust now qualities and features.
So the next thing that I wanted was something that. had a lot of features and was the best I could get for the budget. So when you talk about microphones, You get a little technical, but what, what are the sands that they pick up? How many different types of recording options do you have?
Uh, there's uh, does it have gain, uh, one of the features that my Yeti doesn't have that I wish it had. I was a, um, an indicator light that lets me know that it is actually recording the, the upgraded Yeti [00:10:00] version. Um, Yet a pro or something has a, uh, an indicator light that lets you know, that you are talking, um, And that it's, you're not on mute. And, uh, that's that sometimes I've recorded and I've been on mute and been very, very disappointed after 20 or 30 minutes. But what, so what are those, some of those features, there's also a selector on the back of my blue Yeti that, uh, can direct the microphone.
One of the features I needed. Uh, was, uh, Plug and play like a USB cord that I could just plug in and use.
And the blue Yeti. Definitely. Fit that bill. I could plug it in and I didn't have to figure it out. I didn't have to add extra equipment. And it was perfect for me. So when you're considering about buying a microphone, Consider, what are the features you use and is it simple, simple for you to use and set up? [00:11:00] Which gets me to the next criteria.
There are two, there are two different types of.
Microphones. There's the USB microphone that's plugged in play. And then there's an XLR microphone. Which is generally considered to be a better audio quality. Microphone the XLR, but it does use a different cable. You can't just plug it right into your computer without an interface. Uh, like a preamp or a, a, um, Uh, a box that you plug it in that has an equalizer on it in a gain. And that was a more technical for me. And my setup also more expensive because you do. Uh, you do have to buy the box with it and the cable and you need a little more space.
And I've just when I was just starting out, I wasn't ready for that. And if you're recording a course and you're not going to do it over and over and over again, I think probably the XLR microphones are a little overkill.
The, my personal [00:12:00] recommendation for beginners is the USB microphone. The XLRs sound better. But they're more expensive, more equipment, more things to figure out.
The other, the other, uh, type of microphones are dynamic versus condenser microphones. Um, condenser microphones are good if you're recording in a quieter controlled space and it's perfect for capturing nuances in the voice. However, be aware that these microphones are very sensitive and they will pick up. Other noises in the area.
So if you have a dog barking or. Uh, your neighbors start the lawnmower in your windows open. Like they're going to pick that up. Somebody knocks on the door, it's going to pick it up. Uh, so condenser microphones are very sensitive.
But they do pick up a lot of sound. Diana dynamic microphone said the other types of microphones. And they're great for recording. If you're in a noisy environment. And you don't have [00:13:00] access to a soundproof room. They are durable and they focus mainly on your voice while blocking out the stuff you don't want.
The background noise. So I think of them as a laser beam, just focusing right in on your voice.
When I bought mine, I did not know which one I was getting. Uh, I mean it told me it's a condenser microphone. But I didn't know the difference. Um, if I would buy again, I might look for a dynamic microphone. Uh, to help. With the, the radio quality voice, but then I would lose the ability to record multiple people in the same room. So, uh, and I I'm a one mic setup, so, uh, that's something to consider. Uh, I think condenser works fine, but if you are in a very noisy place or you can't control the noise, then you're going to have to look for a dynamic microphone. The last there's some tips [00:14:00] here.
Recording virtually. So here's a tip for recording virtually. I like to use a program like, uh, the script that allows me to record. Multiple people with multiple channels so I can mix them. Individually. What do you, what do I mean mix individually?
Well, let's say my sound quality is really. Bad. Like I I'm low. I was too far away. I can tweak my voice. Without changing the voice of the other person who might've had correct audio settings. And. So that is very helpful with when recording. The other thing with recording virtually is descript uses a platform called. Uh, squad cast and squad cast allows you to record the tracks. Individually, but also it records to the computer first and then uploads the [00:15:00] recording to the cloud. Which means you're not dependent on. Uh, their, their bandwidth.
You're not dependent on how they, if somebody drops or if their quality is a little. Um, Suspect and you get the drops in the stutters or the. The robotic effect. It a squad Castro moves that and makes the audio quality so much better. So. I would, when you're recording locally, I would look for a virtually, I would look for a program that does that the records on two separate tracks. And also compensates for the drop in bandwidth. I know a lot of people record on zoom and zoom is fine when it works. It is a fine program when you don't have the drops.
And when you, when everybody's audio level is the same. [00:16:00] When it, when it causes a problem is when the people's audio level is, is. Just a little mismatch or one person has a, a fuzzy or a robotic sounding. Audio file. And then you are stuck. You're stuck with it. You can't, you can't really do much to it.
You tweak it. I've had some podcasters that I work with. They, they rerecord the whole show with the guest. Or they, they, uh, they put a disclaimer at the beginning. Hey, we had some audio problems. Um, we've liked the content, but you know, you're going to hear some. Trouble with it. So. I think recording virtually I would, if you're doing a lot of, um, guests. I would look for something. That. Allows you to do. Multi-track recording. And where it does something to compensate for, uh, bandwidth issues.
[00:17:00] You're gonna. You're going to love it. If you've ever had audio problems, then, um, you're going to love that type of setup. Another tip is headphones. Now, um, there are headphones. You can get that plug, use a cord and they plug into your microphone or your audio device. So I recommend using that. If you are recording. Podcasts for sure. Um, my, my headphones, uh, recently, well, within the last couple of months broke, so I am using wireless headphones.
However, these wireless headphones don't pick up.
Uh, in the moment audio issues. So if I had an audio issue during this track, like my, my microphone stopped working or I sounded. Soft or sounded loud , I wouldn't be able to tell that with the type of headphones I'm using now. So, if you are at all interested in recording and catching real-time problems, headphones are essential.
And then [00:18:00] finally here's some tips for better sound.
When you do a recording, always do a test. I always do a sound check before you start. I learned that the hard way I recorded a couple of shows. With a mute on, or the, there was a setting and windows that changed and. And I had dead space. It was me. I could see my video, but, uh, no, no. Uh, No, no sound so. Do a sound check. Make sure next tip is just make sure you minimize background noise.
Uh, you, you might not realize you have a fan on or a refrigerator or something that turns on in the background. But if you have definitely, if you have a condenser mic, it's going to pick it up. Really really quickly. So, uh, shut, shut your windows. Shut the door. Notice when you're going to record. Make sure that you can. Uh, minimize the background noise. [00:19:00]
Uh, The next tip is I alluded to this about, uh, peaking it's control your mic skein. Your Mike's gain. So that's the amount of power it gives to pulling in the voice. And if it's too high, It can lead to distortion or pops. So keep it at a middle or a moderate level to avoid. Clipping or distortion when you speak louder.
And then the other, the other tip for recording is keep a consistent distance away from the microphone.
This leads to a smooth. Consistent volume level. If I turn my head to the left or the right, you're going to hear a difference. If I look down and read something down, you're going to hear a difference. So talk, talk. Uh, at the same distance from the microphone phone for a smooth, consistent. Sound. So remember, uh, you don't need the fanciest mic [00:20:00] too. To wrap up, you don't need the fanciest mic pick the best mic you can invest really in the best mic you can at your price range, pick something with the quality and features that you, you know, you'll use. And. You like. I like to pick a name that I trust.
Um, The three for me, there's probably more, but, uh, I liked the, the easy setup of the Yeti. Slash logic tech, but I also trust the road and the shore brand because I see other podcasters use that and they recommend them.
And then the type of microphone, you know, do you want to, do you want to have.
Set up an XLR and get like the best sound that you can. If you're just recording a few, a few shows. Or courses, or are you going to use the USB microphone that you can set up right away and has decent quality? Um, but you know, you're not getting that last five or [00:21:00] 10% by buying an XLR microphone with all the added costs. So no, the type of microphone that you are going to use.
And that is it.
Remember, you don't need the fancy scare. You don't need the best right away. Just get, get the best that you can for your price point. next to last bonus tip is there are audio programs out there like de script that has. Um, audio. Uh, like push a button and you get your audio upgraded and it can remove some sound noise. It's called studio sound and Descript. There's. Uh, I know, uh, the, the paid Adobe program has something like that. Uh, it's it's much. Uh, it takes my say on that's like a 70 or an 80, and I think it bumps it up to an 85 or at 90. If I was going to give myself a grade.
[00:22:00] So there are programs out there that make you sound, you sound so much better. You don't always need the fanciest equipment sometimes, uh, uh, a good piece of software. We'll do that for you. If you're planning on doing this for the long haul, start small and build up. Um, I've been doing this about two years. And I, I started small and I feel like I got the best that I could, but I I'm always, I, and I'm always I in the upgrades, the shore and the, um, The road and the XLR stuff.
I want to thank the, uh, the sources for today's show was the podcast hosts the best podcasting microphones on the market.
Kajabi, how to make your podcast videos and audio courses sound better. And then there was a. Cool post bond, the sound girls, how to choose the podcast microphone. That's right for you. Uh, those links will be in the show notes. You can look up that and a. Th there are people out there who test microphones for a living. [00:23:00] And so you might want to check out some of their resources.
Thanks again for listening to the show.
This is James Meyerland. Go put your mission in motion.
