An Audio Environment Exercise 2/30 #NaPodPoMoMPC

#NaPodPoMoMPC Day 2 Prompt

Location, Location, Location: A simple audio environment test

As a podcaster with a message to share with the world, we all want to deliver as good an audio experience to our listeners as possible. So we fret over mics and gear. It's typically one of the first things folks want to talk to me about in the development process. Yet, the one thing that gets forgotten is the environment where that podcast recording will take place. The space where you create audio magic plays an important role in audio quality too.

To show you what I mean, today's prompt is a recording exercise. All you need is your mobile phone, a default recording app, and a two rooms in your house or office.

EXERCISE: Testing Audio Environment

First, go to the biggest room in your house that has the most hard surfaces. Look for high ceilings, wood or tile floors, tables or counters, etc.

Open up a recording app on your phone and record yourself saying something like:

"Hi, this is an audio environment test in the dining room/living room/kitchen/office etc."

This is also a good time to describe the room dynamics.

"This room has high ceilings and wood floors, etc."

Next, go to a room with soft surfaces like a bedroom or walk-in closet or a room with carpet, curtains, and furnishings like a bed, couch, clothes. Now repeat your recording in this second environment.

Once both recordings are done, it's time to click play and listen back. This is best done with headphones or earbuds, but even listening on your phone's speaker will work. As you listen back, consider which audio experience you think your listener would prefer.

Room Acoustics Simplified
The reason the recording in the room with hard surfaces sounds like a thin and hollow echo has to do with the sound waves reflecting off the hard surfaces and bouncing around the room. Whereas the warmer and richer sound in the bedroom or closet has to do with sound wave absorption. It's sort of like the difference between bouncing a basketball on a basketball court vs. on the carpet in your living room.

This simple test will help you identify the best recording space in your home or office for future podcast episodes.

TAKE ACTION

Grab your mobile phone and let's see which environment sounds the best:

1. Open up a recording app on your phone
   Record yourself in different locations. Be sure to identify where you are and whether there are hard or soft surfaces.

2. Listen back to the recording to hear which environments delivered the best audio experience

3. Share your results in your NaPodPoMo community of choice (FB, X, or Hive) or on your personal social media profile and use the #NaPodPoMoMPC hashtag for easy discovery.

Next Time: What's in a name?

If you know someone who should absolutely be part of the NaPodPoMo Mobile Podcast Challenge, invite them to join us.