That Eric Alper

Podcasting and other types of audio recording are becoming increasingly popular. They’re a great way to help you market yourself and your business. It’s important that if you do go down this route, you do so with professionalism. This not only means writing a good script but buying the right equipment as well.

This article explains what kind of equipment you might need and how you can go about choosing it.

1. High-Quality Microphone

When conducting an audio recording, you need to make sure you have a high-quality microphone. Depending on what type of sound you’re recording, you’ll need to do a mic comparison and choose the best product for you.

When choosing a product, you need to consider factors such as cost, material, weight, and recording quality. The latter is most important in terms of the sound you’re going to create.

Condenser and XLR microphones are the most sophisticated types, used for professional recordings. Dynamic brands are more reliable and durable but are better for intermediate recordings. Finally, USB mics are the easiest to use and great for beginners.

2. Proper Headphones

To record the best quality sound, you need a decent set of headphones. Headphones give you an idea of how clear and audible you are during the recording process and are an absolute must.

Comfortable headphones with accurate frequencies are a must-have if you want to create professional audio recordings.

Closed-back headphones keep the sound contained within your ears. This means no sound can escape into the rest of the room and provide awkward feedback on the microphone. These are the type of headphones recommended for high-quality Podcasting.

3. Professional Editing Software

When creating a podcast or an audio recording, having the right editing software is essential. Sound doesn’t always record perfectly, so having the right equipment to alter it is always useful.

If you are a beginner, then you might not have to worry about the details as much. If you run regular podcasts however and want to achieve a high level of professionalism, then get the right editing software.

The most common podcast editing tool is called a DAW — Digital Audio Workstation. There are however many other editing resources — both sites and apps — that can help you out, it really depends on your preferences and skill level.

4. Functioning Mixers

Mixers are an important part of the audio recording process. They aren’t essential, but they can be useful, especially if you’re looking to take your recordings to a professional level.

Your mics plug into the mixer and this gives you more control over input and output levels. You can use the mixer to alter someone’s voice to sound louder or quieter. This can save a lot of time during the recording process.

When looking for a mixer, you need to consider the number of channels available, output socket and control types, and different processing features.

5. Up to Date Recording Software

Having the right recording software is just as important as every other factor which has been discussed. There are different types of software you can use, and each has its own style.

For solo recording, you can choose a computer or web-based software. Web-based is more flexible, especially if you’re going to be changing where and when you record.

For an interview recording, you can again use a web-based system or go for something simple such as Skype or mobile recording. The latter two are perhaps less professional, but with the right equipment, the sound can be good.

The fact remains that the photographic scene is still transforming. There is a strong sense that this artistic work is yet to undergo tremendous enhancements, which, whether positive or negative, is a decision and interpretation of the photographic culture. The fact remains that technology is improving all aspects of life, and advancements in one area often transform the other. For example, the inception and improvements done on the computer made viewing images much more straightforward. People used to create view master images on reels for viewing; this was a demanding process. With the current operating systems and applications, photography has been made attractive. A photographer can take charge of his/her captured images and transform them into whatever dimension he/she sees fit.

With continued automation of cameras and the formation of digital darkroom techniques, the photographic process is becoming more automatic, and the faults that existed in the analog images have been dealt with in at most fullness. The new image forms have disrupted how people perceive the old ones. However, analog images still find a way of mutating and fitting into the digital world. The rest of this post shares how photography has changed in the past two decades.

Apple Transformed the World

Steve Jobs took the podium in the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, to present an iPhone to the world. This was in the eighth year of the current Millenium. During this time, the photographic scene was not that developed since the first iPhone’s highest resolution was 2mp without a capacity to record videos. However, the launch of this phone was the beginning of the world’s most significant development; the smartphone. Furthermore, the introduction of the smartphone also revolutionized filmmaking. Today there are high-end smartphones with the capability to record amazing pictures and videos. These devices have given people, even those with little or no expertise in photography, an opportunity to compose their images.

The Convergence Union of video and Photography

Initially, photography and videography were distinct entities even though both embraced the new era of digitalization and used almost similar technologies. However, in the previous decade, September 2008, this changed when Cannon introduced the EOS 5D Mark II camera. Before this device got introduced, the making of a film was quite expensive, and filmmakers had to get deep into their pockets to purchase video cameras or films that were quite expensive. However, with the new Cannon camera, they could shoot various videos from HD to cinematic video on a still camera that was approximately $3000. This was the beginning of unifying videos and photos.

The significant boost in the development of impressive digital technology is that it would not take long to have an image captured or viewed as the norm. The view master images needed to be bathed in a chemical for visibility, and viewing required a little more effort. Today the cameras are multifunctional and can capture and aid in viewing the images at the same time. One will not have to wait for the final product to view the result of his/her photo since the digital cameras give feedback.