This page, along with "Editing an audio podcast in the OneButton Studio." is meant to be an introduction to Richard Bland's OneButton Studio and contains the absolute basic technical knowledge required to completing an audio podcast using the equipment in the studios, start to finish. Check out some of the other pages for more general information and resources related to podcasting.
The RODE Caster PRO 2 is a standalone piece of audio equipment available to students and faculty in Richard Bland College’s OneButton Studio. With the RODECaster, users can create professional quality audio recordings for both live and edited podcasts, and understanding it is central to making audio podcasts in the OneButton Studio. This section will go over all the parts of the RODECaster that are necessary to understand in order to make a professional sounding podcast.
Each channel has a fader that controls the each channel’s gain.
Underneath each channel fader are two buttons: a red MUTE button and a green LISTEN button. When MUTE is turned on, any sound produced from that channel's source will not be sent to the main recording output. When LISTEN is turned on, sound produced from the channel will be heard through headphones. The MUTE and LISTEN buttons act independently of each other, so don’t assume something is recording just because you can hear it in your headphones.
The Multi-colored buttons above each channel fader will access the channel settings. In Channel Settings, you can adjust the channel level, device type, and signal processing setting.
Each channel on the RODECaster Pro II corresponds to a different type of input. While it's mainly intuitive, this section will help you better understand which channel fader corresponds to what input, and how to use them.
Inputs 1-3 are reserved for the three SHURE SM7b mics.
The Shure SM7B is a dynamic microphone with additional features that make it a popular choice for recording the voice. Each OneButton Studio is equipped with 3 SM7B microphones.
The back panel of the Shure SM7b
While each OneButton Studio mic has been set up to work with preset settings, knowing the functions on the back of each microphone can help troubleshoot a problem.
Mid Boost: This will make your voice sound warmer, but it will also make your signal louder, so you will need to readjust the level to compensate. You might also not like the effect. Experiment and see what you like.
Low Cut: This setting cuts out bass frequencies and may help reduce unwanted background noises coming from air conditioning or rainfall.
Preamp/dB boost: Audio signals generate different voltage levels based on the audio source. Microphones generate signals with the lowest voltage levels and need amplification. Because the RODEMASTER PRO 2 does not amplify mic levels, the SM7B’s built-in preamplifier is necessary to produce an audible signal. For a podcast where co-hosts are speaking at a normal volume, +24db will work best.
Setting the Level & Device in Channel settings - In the Channel settings for MIC 1-4, the device should be set to “RODE POD” and the level should be set to 25 dB
The RODECASTER is compatible with your Bluetooth devices, such as your smartphone or laptop. You can use these devices to playback audio like background music or live sound effects while recording your podcast. Channel 5 is reserved for bluetooth audio.
To pair your Bluetooth source to the RODECASTER, go to General Setting > System > Bluetooth > Now Discoverable as “RODECASTER PRO II” and connect on your Bluetooth source.
The RODECaster PRO II has 8 pads which can be used to trigger audio clips and live sound effects with 8 separate banks to store up to 64 different sound effects. It comes with two banks of audio clips, including background music on a loop, airhorns, and voice effects. Press the arrow keys to switch between effects banks. Channel 6 is reserved for the sound effect audio.
To learn how to record and edit your own live sound effects on the RODECaster, check out the "More Recording Concepts" page. (link)
The RODECaster Pro 2 has four quarter inch headphone outputs. Each output has its own volume knob which will change the loudness for each individual headphone level. Changing the headphone level does not change the level of the actual recording, so these knobs should be adjusted to each podcaster’s preferred volume.
Headphone Volume Knobs 1-4
Each OneButton Studio has one pair of headphones for use. If you or a co-host would like to bring in your own pair of wired headphones, make sure to use a quarter inch -> 3.5mm converter jack.
The record button
Mic Placement/Distance – Although you may think it would only affect the volume of your recording, the distance between your mouth and the microphone will also impact your audio's frequency response.
AVOID – Putting your lips right up against the microphone. It is not very sanitary, and it also causes something known as the Proximity Effect, which creates increased bass frequencies when speaking close to the mic.
For a cleaner, more balanced sound, angle the microphone towards your face and keep it about one hand’s length away from the microphone.
(image)
Mic Bleeding – Sometimes, your co-host’s microphone will pick up some of your speech. Unintentionally picking up your voice on your co-host's channel will muddy up the recording and make it harder to edit. It is important to take time to isolate each channel and position each mic one at a time to minimize bleeding as much as possible before you start recording.
Minimizing Background Noise -- Background noise can get in the way of recording a clean sounding podcast, but there are plenty of pre- and post-production techniques that can help minimize it.
Mute any unnecessary inputs. The more channels you have turned on, the more noise they will generate. Mute any channels you do not plan on using.
Set your levels correctly. Avoid turning up your faders too high, as it will raise the gain. At the same time, don't set your levels too low. While you may hear less noise by turning down the channel faders, it will not reduce any background noise, as you will eventually have to bring the levels back up during editing.
Record the noise floor. Background noise is easy to remove during post-production by using editing software; however, the software must have a clear sample of your noise floor, or base noise level. To do this, make sure to record about 10 seconds of background noise without speaking or adjusting your microphone. Don’t mute the microphones you are going to be using! The point is to record the noise floor so the software can subtract from the overall recording later. This should be the last step you take before you actually start recording, as any adjustments made after sampling the noise floor could distort your audio after the background noise removal process.
USB Port 1
Recordings saved from the RODECASTER Pro 2 are organized in folders by recording order and date. Inside each folder is a series of wav files. The RODECASTER records and isolates each track’s stem in addition to the full “Stereo Mix,” which is the summed total of all the tracks.
Editing using these isolated tracks is usually easier because they offer more flexibility within the multi-track setup of most Digital Audio Workstations. To learn how to edit your recorded podcast in DAW, check out the "Editing a Podcast in the OneButton Studio" page. (link)