Sound Editing and Podcasting: Developing Podcasts
16th May 2023 - 23rd May 2023
Places on this course are limited, and in order to take part you should have an interest in recording and submitting a podcast for Technecast (the Techne student podcast). You may also be interested in attending How To Create An Effective Podcast alongside this one which will focus on the communication and presentation side of podcasting.
Have you been thinking of making a podcast of your research but are unsure of how to go about it? Or do you have an idea which you are looking to develop further?
One of the most exciting and accessible new media for PGRs wishing to promote their research to a wider audience is podcasting. For both creators and audiences, listening skills are the foundation of any good podcast. Good presentation, sound recording and editing techniques are also useful skills in any teaching and learning environment.
Developing Podcasts is a course for students with basic knowledge of Reaper software and sound recording technology who wish to contribute their own podcast to the Technecast. Drawing on the basic skills from course one, or other previous experience, students will focus on developing their own project. It will introduce a wider range of editing, recording, processing and effects possibilities for a more sophisticated podcast. It will focus on more detailed understanding of mixing and production facilities and simple live music recordings.
As well as critical listening to examples of other podcasts, participants will be encouraged to work on their own podcast towards broadcasting their own research project, with a view to submitting a contribution to the Techne podcast following the workshops. There will be time for creative practice and one-to-one support.
The course will comprise of 2 x 4-hour online workshops:
Week 1: 16th May 9am to 1pm. Extended understanding of the terms and facilities for sound editing to include: finer and faster editing skills; understanding the use of flexible fades and panning; detailed understanding of equalisation and compression to optimise the balance of sound quality between different streams of audio.
Recording: set up and overview of recorders and microphones, how to get a good interview recording; basics of audio restoration, how to optimise and improve poor recordings, reduce background noise and hiss or hum; learning how to get the best out of mobile phone recordings, and using zoom for interview recordings.
Week 2: 23rd May 9am to 1pm. Mixing and Mastering: understanding levels for online content; monitoring and Panning; mixing music, effects and several voices; mastering effects, using limiters and audio enhancers.
Presentation of completed short podcast, opportunity for discussion and peer feedback
Course Tutor: Dr. Jo Hutton is a radio and music BBC sound recordist and editor of twenty+ years’ experience, who has completed her PhD in a history of electroacoustic music technology at University of Surrey.
Please register for this course on Inkpath.
Please note that we are also planning to run a beginner level sound editing course. Sound Starter is a course for students with no previous experience, or some experience which they want to develop into a podcast. It offers an introductory level of sound recording and editing using Reaper software (free-to-download) and will provide a guide to the possibilities of sound manipulation, restoration and mixing. You can register for both courses if you would like to start with the basics and then progress to this course to develop your skills.
If you are unsure which course would be best for you to attend or for any other queries, please contact techne@rhul.ac.uk and we will put you in touch with Jo to give you further advice.