Tutorial: How to Start Your Own Podcast – Recording with AKG Lyra USB Microphone

In episode 1 we looked at setting up your studio session with Ableton Live, AKG Lyra microphone and JBL-104BT monitors, now that we’ve got our podcast studio set up, it’s time to record.

 

Before that happens, it’s important to understand the features of the AKG Lyra and some basic recording techniques to make sure your content comes out sounding nice and professional.

The AKG Lyra has four different pick-up patterns due to the four individual capsules within the microphone: Front, Front & Back, Tight Stereo and Wide Stereo

• Front: the microphone focus is the sound coming from the front of the microphone.
• Front & Back: the microphone focus is the sound from the front and back of the microphone.
• Tight Stereo: this selection is a wider version of the first Front setting.
• Wide Stereo: the microphone captures the sound from all planes around the microphone (360-degree coverage)

For a single person talking, the Front setting would be the most ideal. When interviewing someone using the Front & Back or Tight Stereo would be the preferred pick-up pattern, depending on where the presenter’s guest is sitting. The Wide Stereo pick-up pattern is ideal for larger group interviews and multiple guests.

To find the sweet spot, position yourself about 25 cm away from the microphone, to begin with and have a play with the distance until a desirable level/sound is found. If the sound source is too far away from the microphone you will lose intelligibility and pick up too much of the room sound and if the source is too close to the microphone it will have increased bass and make undesirable mouth sounds more prominent.

Once your podcast is recorded, it is important to record the same length of ‘silence’ (your room with nothing happening in it). This room recording will come in handy once the project is in the editing stage of production.

In the next episode, we show you how to edit and process your newly recorded podcast to a professional level and make it ready for release.

In case you missed it, here’s episode 1