How to Record Location Interviews for Your Podcast

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Prepare your equipment
• Chose the right microphone
• Account for acoustics and background noise
• Consider legal issues

Podcasts Can Take Listeners Anywhere

I’ll ‘fess up.  I wrote this article about three years ago for Podcasters Portal.

As I ‘re-version’ it for jonathanhalls.net the mainstream media are running stories about the oil spill in the gulf.

Yesterday, President Obama did his Oval Office speech to predictable reviews from the various political pundits.

But you know what’s been most powerful in the unfolding narrative of this messy story?

The most powerful messages have come from the real stories of real people in the Gulf of Mexico.

People who have seen their livelihoods threatened because of a failed response to the tragedy.

Regardless of how well or how poor the rhetoric in the Oval Office was last night, nothing more powerfully captures what’s gone wrong in this disaster than the real people telling their own stories.  In their own voices.  In their own words.

Location Interviews Capture the Powerful Voices of Real Stories

The emotion wrapped up in the way they speak and their breathing.  Their southern accents which literally drive us south to the Gulf.  And the words they choose that give instant credibility because we can hear they know what they’re talking about.

And to experience those stories, you have to head down to the gulf.

I live in the Washington DC metro area.  I can’t hope to tell that story powerfully enough sitting here in my Alexandria office.

I really need to head down to the gulf and get the story from real people.  (Now, I’m not going to head to the Gulf because I’d just get in the way.)

Probably the most powerful thing about podcasting is that you can take your microphone anywhere.  And ask you take your microphone, you take your listeners to these real stories.

That’s the power of location interviews.  It’s the magic you’ll add to your podcast by spending a hundred and fifty bucks on a digital audio recorder.

6 Technical Considerations for Great location Interviews

But the capture these stories, you need to use your recorder properly.  Here are some tips I’m going to share that professional broadcasters follow.  Now, bear in mind professionals spend days learning and perfecting how to get these right.  And we have limited space in this article.  So I’m going to share some brief tips on the following important tasks you’ll need to perform.

• Recording levels
• Preparing your equipment
• Using your microphone well
• Background noise
• Background music
• Getting permission

Get your levels right

When you record on location, make sure you set your sound levels.  If you’re recording an interview in a public place, avoid using automatic gain control or automatic level control.

The automatic features of this act like a little man who keeps his finger on the volume control.

Whenever the sound you are recording is quiet, he turns it up.  When the sound is loud, he turns it down.  That way the sound level is uniform throughout.

Of course, instead of using a little man, your recorder has a chip that does this for you.

When you are recording an interview, the automatic control will pump the sound up when you are pausing or between questions.  And it creates a whoofy sound which is distracting.

The only way to avoid this is to set your sound levels manually.

Prepare your equipment

One of my colleagues at BBC Production Training tells trainees that boy scouts make the best camera operators.

He was emphasizing to his camera students the importance of always being prepared.

Time and time again, camera operators have gone out to shoot and found someone had packed the wrong lens into their equipment case, or the batteries hadn’t been recharged.

The same goes for audio.  Always make sure everything you need is in your equipment case.

That includes your microphone (yes, I’m serious because some have forgotten mics), headphones, recorder and memory cards.  If you’re using a cassette recorder, make sure you have fresh cassettes.

Before you leave home, check it all works.  I also recommend you have a spare microphone cable and fresh set of batteries.

When you come back from your recording, always check that your equipment is all there.

Be Consistent with Microphone Distance

One of the common mistakes I’ve noticed among new interviewers is how they hold their microphone.

When you are asking questions, make sure you hold your microphone the same distance from your mouth as you do from your interviewee’s.

So if you hold your microphone 10 inches from your mouth, hold it 10 inches from your interviewee’s mouth when he or she is talking.

Mitigate Against Background Noise and Acoustics

When you interview someone on location, such as at a railway station or in a football stadium, it’s important to find a quiet location away from loud background noise.

Make sure you are wearing headphones so you can monitor how loud the background noise is.  Sometimes it will be editorially appropriate for loud background noise – such as a party or celebration.  But generally you should look for the quietest space.

Also avoid rooms where the sound echoes.  This happens mostly in rooms with parallel walls and shiny surfaces.  Once you have this, you can’t easily remove it.

Avoid Background Music

Just as it’s important to avoid background noise, it’s even more important to avoid music in the background.  When it comes to editing, you may want to cut out part of a sentence.

If you have a music background, your listener will know you have cut out part of the sentence because the music track will skip a few bars.  Recording with music in the background really limits your editing possibilities.

Get Permission to Record

If you’re heading out for some vox pops, be careful that there are no restrictions to you asking questions in a location.

If you’re in a supermarket or train station, you may find the manager or security officer asking you to leave because they consider you are causing a distraction.

Make sure you get permission first, or find some public space nearby where you won’t be asked to leave.

While this may sound obvious, it’s important to avoid busy roads, parking lots, construction sites or areas where you could be physical risk.  You don’t want to put yourself in danger.

It’s also important not to carry expensive recording equipment in an area known for crime.  It is common sense.  But you’d be surprised how many sensible people have been stung this way.

Record Some Atmosphere or Background Music After the Interview

I suggested earlier that you find space to record your interview that’s away from loud background noises or music.

The reason for this was not to create a sterile environment.  Quite the opposite.  Background noise, including music be very powerful for immediately setting the scene.

The problem is that when you edit the interview, you won’t just cut out the speech but also the background noise.  So taking out a whole sentence also takes out several bars of your music.  It makes the fact you have edited the interview for brevity very obvious.

But atmosphere can be very powerful.  If you’re at a fairground with music from a mery go round the background, capturing that behind your guest’s comments will add color and credibility.

Likewise, capturing the sound of an airplane taking off if your interview is at an airport will add color too.

So how do you get around this?

After you have conducted your location interview, spend a few minutes afterward recording the atmosphere.  It might be traffic or the noise of a machine related to your piece.  You can then mix it in behind your interview after you’ve edited it.

When you record, think carefully about where you place your microphone.  Up close creates intimacy.  While distance is better for context although it may capture unwanted sounds.

You’ll need to be careful how you mix it the atmosphere to make sure it sounds realistic.  But that process is for another conversation.