Post Processing?

[120gallons]

Anyone know of a good tutorial for how to post process your podcast once recorded? I use audacity so a specific tutorial for that would be best, but any would be useful.

[Yotto]

I've always meant to write a "What I do" tutorial on post processing of my show. I usually edit on Monday night and this may give me the reason I've always needed. No promises though, I'm quite lazy :)

[120gallons]

I've always meant to write a "What I do" tutorial on post processing of my show. I usually edit on Monday night and this may give me the reason I've always needed. No promises though, I'm quite lazy :)

Any update?

[Yotto]

Actually yes! However, it's on my computer at work and very much a rough draft. I have no problem posting a rough draft here (Perhaps it could be a public work, I'm sure my process could be improved upon and I'd love it to be) but I won't be at work again until Tuesday morning. I planned on posting it *last* Tuesday morning when I wrote it, but work, as it tends to be, was hectic and I forgot. I would have posted it since then but, well, let's just say I'm glad my head doesn't come off.

I sent myself an email to hopefully remind me to do it on Tuesday

[120gallons]

Actually yes! However, it's on my computer at work and very much a rough draft. I have no problem posting a rough draft here (Perhaps it could be a public work, I'm sure my process could be improved upon and I'd love it to be) but I won't be at work again until Tuesday morning. I planned on posting it *last* Tuesday morning when I wrote it, but work, as it tends to be, was hectic and I forgot. I would have posted it since then but, well, let's just say I'm glad my head doesn't come off.

I sent myself an email to hopefully remind me to do it on Tuesday

Cool....thanks man.

[Yotto]

Here's 0.01 beta of my step-by-step. By all means, anybody who feels the need, ask questions and add tips.

"What I do"
Volcanicast:
We record the entire show in one long take, pausing for breaks, in Audacity 1.3.x (beta). It has better sound than 1.2.x and crashes far less.
- Each host has a mic, plugged into a mixer, which via USB gets plugged into a laptop.
- We record in 44.1 mono, one long track.
- - Sometimes we have to stop and restart, making multiple tracks.
- - If you click the right side, it will highlight the entire track, and you can ctrl-x to cut, click on track #1, and ctrl-v to paste.
- - Do this for every extra track from every time you had to stop, and you have one long track.
Then, I export the single track to WAV (File->Export), and import (File->Import) that WAV file into Audacity 1.2.x and do the lowest amount of noise reduction on it.
- I use 1.2.x for noise reduction because, for some reason, 1.3.x's noise reduction doesn't work for me. If it works for you, by all means use it.
- Do the minimum amount that gives you a good result in the next step. If you don't need to use it, by all means forego it.
- The minimum amount hides the laptop hum and air conditioner for me, which is just fine.
- To perform noise reduction:
- - Highlight a section of "quiet". no talking, no breathing. You can prerecord 5-10 seconds of it if you like, but I just find a second where we've paused. We tend to do this at the very beginning of the recording.
- - Effect -> Noise Removal... -> Get Noise Profile
- - Effect -> Noise Removal... (Yes, again)
- - - Move the slider all the way to the left and click "Remove Noise"
Then, I export *this* to a new WAV file (File->Export), which I then levelate.
- Levelator.exe, fantastic program. During pauses, though, it can "levelate" background noise, which is why I use noise reduction.
Then, I import (File->Import) the resultant WAV file back into Audacity 1.3.x and editing begins.
In editing, I listen to the entire file in one long run (Usually 1-2 hours) and delete out every "Um" I can, and shorten pauses, and cut out jokes that are particularly off-color, and also jokes/stories that are lame.
While editing, if we reference a voice mail, or a break, or a promo/etc, I click where we paused to do whatever, and then I hit "Ctrl-L" which breaks the track into two pieces. I then drag the two pieces apart by about a minute or so so it's obvious something needs to go there.
When done, I have an edited raw file with just us talking, in one long track with several breaks.
I take this raw track and import (file->import) each voice mail, and the intro/outro music, and a promo if necessary, into another track below the main track.
- I import them one at a time, and place them in the correct place, adjusting the placement of the subtracks on the main track as necessary.
Eventually, I have two main tracks, one with several subtracks of us talking, and another with several subtracks of various things such as music, voice mails, promos, etc.
I take this audacity file, and export the whole thing as a whole new WAV file with File -> Export.
Then I take this raw WAV file and run it through LAME with the following command line:
lame -b 32 <filename>.wav <filename>.mp3
When that's done, I then run a great program named id3v2. I actually have a script to run it, and it sets all the mp3 id3 tags for me. I won't put the whole script here, as it's for Linux and for my show in particular, but if you get the program just type 'id3v2' and see all the fields it sets.
Then all that's left is uploading to Libsyn, updating my blog (Wordpress + Podpress = Love), and going to sleep.

[sgregory416]

so is this a mixer program or a physical one? how much could i grab a cheap one for? i want to eventually spring for a more expensive one, just lack the funds at the moment.