New Podcast Workflow Challenge: Channel Separation
27 04 2007For simple, portable, one-on-one interview recording I’m using an Olympus DS-30 (on the highest quality setting) coupled with a stereo cardioid condenser mic from Giant Squid Audio Lab.
I used this gear for my interview with Mike Shehan in Episode #32 of ODM.
The double-headed mic allows me to record one voice on each channel, effectively giving me two-track recording capabilities in a device about the size of a 1st Gen iPod Shuffle.
The combination works great and the small size enables me to carry it all the time, just in case an opportunity presents itself.
I discovered that my audio sounds much better if I eliminate channel bleeding (natch). Right now, I’m doing this manually in Garageband. (Click the image to enlarge.)
Notice how I drop out my audio track when the interviewee speaks and vice versa. It sounds a lot better when I do this, but the process is all done manually - this short interview took me an hour to complete in post production.
Is there an automated solution for this? Any advice is appreciated.
Technorati Tags: Podcast, Podcasting, Audio Production, Garageband, Audio Recording, Olympus DS-30, Giant Squid Audio Lab, Multi-Track Recording, On Digital Media, Digital Media
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I assum you are familiar with The Levelator from Gigavox. I use it for all interviews that I do on my own and it works like a champ.
Here’s what I’d do:
1. Save a copy of what you have right now.
2. Undo that envelope tool so that the volume on each track looks like it did when you stopped recording.
3. Export an .aiff file.
4. Re-open the new .aiff file inside of GB and do your gross editing there, if necessary. No intros and outros. Just get rid of any stammers or sections you won’t want to go in the podcast.
5. Drop it in The Levelator.
6. Reopen the output file from the Levelator and give it a listen. Should sound poifect!
Lemmie know if it works.
E.
Thanks, Evo.
I use the Levelator all the time. In this case, I believe that The Levelator attempted to merge the sound from the two channels.
It didn’t work so well in this instance as the bleeding channel was actually amplified by the wall behind me, creating an odd echo effect in the resulting mix.
One thing I haven’t tried is to change up the workflow - I’ve been using The Levelator on final files, which include intros, outros, music and etc. That’s probably bad.
I’ll try applying it first, then make my edits to see if that changes anything.
-jf.