Phase Two: Recording
Equipment
Now that you know who you are creating with and what kind of show you are making, let’s dive into how you make it. There are multiple ways to record audio for a podcast. The question that needs to be answered to determine your setup is whether you will be recording in the same room as your co-host(s).
Recording Programs (DAW)
Now that you have your equipment, you’ll need to choose a program to record your audio with. As mentioned in the Multiple Room Setup page, anyone recording in a separate location should record their own audio.
A program for recording audio is often referred to as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). There are plenty that exist that are perfect for recording a podcast and just so happen to be free. Three of the most popular are Audacity, GarageBand, and Reaper. My experience is limited to Audacity and Reaper. Here are my overall impressions of them:
Audacity
Cost: Free
Pros: Audacity is an easy program to pick up and start recording with. It’s quick to download and easy to learn, especially given the amount of tutorials on YouTube.
Previously, an extra plugin was needed to export as an MP3 file. As of May 2019, this plugin now comes with the initial download. The interface is simple and the tools the program has built in allow you to manipulate the audio in plenty of ways to ensure you’re show sounds good.
Cons: Audacity isn’t the program to use if you would like to record multiple microphones simultaneously. In fact, it takes some work to record more than a single microphone.
You can find tutorials online about tricking the program into recording two microphones at once, but that can be messy to setup. If your show has 2+ hosts recording in the same room, you’ll want to use a different DAW. The only exception is if you’re recording using a single omnidirectional microphone. This is a possible setup for starting out, but should not be considered a permanent solution.
Reaper
Cost: *Free-ish
*Totally free to use. They do ask that you purchase a license eventually, but the program never keeps you from using it.
Pros: Reaper is a DAW that has much, much more power. Although it has a steeper learning curve, there are few limitations to what you can record.
This is highlighted by the fact that Reaper does not have a limit to the amount of tracks you can add to any project. It also recognizes audio interfaces by simply adjusting the input settings.
Once this is done, Reaper allows each track to select an individual channel from each available through your audio interface. I’ve had large projects that required all eight of my Behringer UMC1820 inputs, and each track simply lets me select a different input.
Cons: With a program this powerful, the biggest drawback is the learning curve. For beginners, it can be slightly overwhelming and occasionally confusing to work with. There is an abundance of options to edit and manipulate your audio, but it can be overwhelming to sift through.
There are tutorials available on YouTube that can walk you through challenges, and the forums available through their website can be incredibly helpful.
I have just over 3000 hours of editing time in Audacity. Near the end of my time with the program, I found myself trying to make changes or additions to my audio that the program was just too limited to perform. The more complex my projects became and the more tracks I was editing simultaneously, the harder it became to work with.
When I finally switched to Reaper, I bumped up against the learning curve a bit. The techniques I was used to using were keybinded differently and some settings needed to be adjusted. After fighting with it for about an hour, I had it working how I wanted it. Then I realized I could customize nearly all parts of the program.
I am extremely grateful to have had Audacity to start out with when entering into podcasting. That said, every minute I spent learning and editing with Audacity instead of Reaper feels like time wasted. I have not thought about switching away from Reaper since I made the switch. I’ve put at least 10,000 hours of work into Reaper, and I look forward to the next 10,000.