When I was eight or nine, I pretended to be a radio DJ by recording myself on VHS tape. I’d record a short introduction, then patiently wait for a song. This was before John Mellencamp added the “Cougar” to his name, and “Pink Houses” was regularly on repeat. Timing was everything — If I didn’t hit “Play” and “Record” together at exactly right time, I’d have to wait until my next favorite song.

I soon discovered that, even at such a young age, I wasn’t a huge fan of hearing my own voice. I couldn’t pronounce my “Rs” correctly, which resulted in my last name sounding like “Wudolph.” So, I hung up my headphones for the next 30 years.

I’m a little less self-conscious now but, if I was ever going to create a podcast, I needed to overcome those fears. I started by doing more research, and taking a few tips from the pros. 

Reading & Writing

Currently, my office lives in an 19^th Century factory on the Pootatuck River, in Sandy Hook, CT. Twenty-foot ceilings, exposed brick, and original wooden beams make it ideal for a design studio. Unfortunately, with minimal furniture and hard floors, it’s also an acoustic nightmare. Luckily, I learned a few recording tips from sound engineer Filippo Gaitani in his article, 7 Secrets for Getting Pro-Sounding Vovals on Home Recordings.

As the title suggests, Gaitani offers homemade hacks to improve the quality of recording with basic equipment. Some tips are more practical like “getting in the zone,” or setting the right ambience. He also suggests creating a “wet” environment using blankets, curtains, and mattresses to better absorb the sound. Otherwise, he offers more technical advice, like positioning your mic and pop filter properly, testing the mic levels, and doing several takes. Gaitani acknowledges that plenty of editing and processing tools exist to make your voice sound better. For the most part, though, such tools should be avoided unless you’re intentionally going for a manufactured sound.

Videomaker offers a somewhat different take on the editing process altogether in, Sound Advice: Editing Audio for Vide. In this article, the author suggests doing a rough cut for audio before editing video for any jump cuts or scene breaks. Why? Using this method ensures that the beginning, middle, and end of a story are captured. The author also offers several editing tips, such as overlapping the ends of each clip, and using the rubber bands to draw small fade-in and fade-outs. By listening to the audio first, the editor can hear any clumsy transitions or glitches and adjust as needed. In the end, the author explains that it’s much easier to repair a handful of video transitions that to try to fix the sound. It’s an interesting take, and one that I’ll have to consider when moving on to video.

For inspiration, I watched a few videos that use audio design in very interesting ways.  

Research to Inform

Gone in 60 Seconds Fight Scene
There’s a lot of sound to break down in Gone in 60 Second’s famous fight scene, but let’s start with the obvious — the sharp, high-pitched shatter of breaking glass. That sound effect, followed by the pipe falling onto the concrete, immediately grabs the viewer’s attention. It signals an obvious shift in what’s about to happen. But my favorite part? The music changes from a traditional percussion score to an adrenaline-pumping electronic beat.

Next, each punch is emphasized with deep thuds that feel physically jarring. The designers use plenty of sound effects, like footsteps scraping across the floor and objects clattering, that help create a sense of chaos. The initial ambient noise — car traffic and back-alley steam — is reduced, allowing the fight sounds to dominate. The pacing of sound effects aligns directly with the choreography which, of course, ends with the loud explosion of all the cars.

Breaking Bad — Say My Name Scene
The sound design in this scene from Breaking Bad stands out for its deliberate use of silence that heightens the perceived tension. Walter White, the main character of the series, speaks with clarity, though there is a subtle reverb that adds an imposing weight to his words. The ambient desert sound is incredible — the wind and sand create an extreme sense of isolation. It amplifies the disrupting sound effect of Walter tossing the bag of meth. It crunches in his hand, then drops like a bomb to open the scene with a loud thump. 

The extended pause between each line of dialogue is used to build suspense, making the viewer wait cautiously with anticipation. No music is required. This minimalist approach enhances the psychological power struggle that turns a quiet moment into one of the show’s most tense confrontations.

Jeb Corliss "Grinding The Crack"
On the opposite end of the sound design spectrum is “Grinding the Crack,” which uses music but minimal dialogue. The sound design in this video intensifies the adrenaline of Jeb Corliss’s wingsuit flight by pairing intense visuals with the haunting track “Sail,” by AWOLNATION. The music’s opening beat, paired with the scene at the top of the mountain, foreshadow something extreme. There’s are some simple sound effects of Corliss attaching his gear, but the only dialogue is Corliss counting down. “10 seconds,” he says, followed by, “3,2,1…” The opening line of the song, “Sail,” aligns perfectly with his jump into the abyss.

The remaining 3 minutes consists of different views of the descent, and the soundtrack’s pulsing rhythm mirrors the speed and danger of the fall. It creates an emotional tension. Synchronization between the musical beats and flight maneuvers enhance the viewing experience. Ambient wind is used sparingly, and only to highlight a few scenes, making the video more cinematic. Essentially, it’s a music video, but I honestly cannot think of a more extraordinary example that marries sound and picture so perfectly.

Create

After watching plenty of instructional and inspirational videos, I finally worked up the nerve to start recording. I decided to try Adobe Audtion, since I’m very familiar with most of the other Adobe products, and figured this might help streamline the process once I get into Adobe Premier. This was also an opportunity to test my new USB studio condenser microphone. I toyed with the volume levels, distance, and pop screen.

Then, I just started ripping the lines from my script. I’d record a sentence or two, then play it back. I’d test the sound, adjust the various settings, then record again. After listening to each take, I marked up the script in pencil and took another stab. It was an intense learning process that happened over several days. 

In the meantime, I also started to research music and sound effects. The ambient audio and both of the musical tracks I used came from Adobe Stock. I sourced the sound effects from Pixabay. Arranging the music, ambient audio, sound effects, and dialogue took longer than expected. But, when the pace and sound finally arrived at somewhat of a professional level, I was ecstatic. The “Podcast Voice” preset for the dialoge even managed to make my voice sound a bit more bearable. Take a listen on Soundcloud, and let me know what you think!