This episode marks a significant milestone for the podcast — Episode 100! As I near my two-year anniversary, I want to thank you all for tuning in and joining me on this auditory journey.
Today, I’m getting a little whacky and getting into the world of immersive audio. I’m stoked to share this episode with you and it’s a little different from the traditional catalog. I’m exploring the landscape of ambisonic and 3D audio experiences.
Sponsor Shoutout: Riverside.fm
Riverside.fm makes it easy to record high-fidelity audio and 4K video right from your browser, helping podcasters produce professional-quality content effortlessly. Use promo code CLIPPED for 20% off at checkout.
What is Immersive Audio?
Immersive audio, or ambisonic audio, is akin to surround sound in a theater but designed for headphone listeners.
It allows you to experience sound from various directions, enhancing the auditory landscape of podcasts. This technology can transport listeners directly into the environment of the narrative, making it feel as if you're right there in the scene — be it a bustling city diner or a serene park.
Featured Gear: The Zoom H3 VR Ambisonic Microphone
Today, I'm using the Zoom H3 VR Ambisonic microphone, which captures sound from every direction, enriching the listener's experience with a vivid 3D sound sphere.
This technology is perfect for podcasters looking to elevate their audio storytelling with realistic soundscapes.
Why Use Immersive Audio?
It adds a layer of depth to your podcast, allowing listeners to feel more connected to the content.
Whether you're producing a narrative podcast or a more traditional interview-based show, immersive audio can bring your stories to life in a uniquely compelling way.
Challenges of Immersive Audio
Venturing into immersive audio comes with its challenges, from selecting the right equipment to mastering the mix in post-production.
I’ll discuss the hurdles podcasters might face, such as the learning curve associated with new technologies and the investment in high-quality gear needed to achieve the best results.
Call to Action
Have you experimented with immersive audio in your podcasting? I'd love to hear about your experiences and challenges.
Connect with me on Instagram at Podcast Haven, or join our mailing list at PodcastHaven.com to get more insights and a free copy of my ebook, "The Four Pillars of Podcasting.
[00:00:00] The aim of this episode is to teach you four things.
[00:00:04] One, what ambisonic audio is.
[00:00:07] Two, the microphone that I'm using to record in like a 3D sphere.
[00:00:14] Then we're going to talk about the advantages of using immersive audio and why and when and where you would want to use it.
[00:00:20] And then I'm going to talk about some of the challenges from an audio engineer standpoint of how to pull off immersive audio.
[00:00:40] What up potty people and welcome back to Clipped.
[00:00:43] As always, I'm Eric your host and Clip brings you podcast production tips or resources, industry insights and conversations with my potty pals all aimed to help you become a better more efficient podcaster.
[00:00:55] I'm on a mission to help you start grow and monetize your show.
[00:01:00] Yes. Thank you for joining me once again guys.
[00:01:03] This is episode 100.
[00:01:05] I can't believe we made it this far.
[00:01:07] 100 episodes in surrounding the corner on almost two years, I think.
[00:01:13] I think two years is June but in any case, appreciate you being here and I thought for this episode being that it's 100 that we would do something fun.
[00:01:22] And this episode is going to be all about immersive audio and ambisonic audio, which I'm going to get more into.
[00:01:30] But if you're interested in learning about immersive audio, think of it almost like being in a theater where there's surround sound and nowadays a lot of the headphones that you wear when you listen to podcasts can replicate that 3d immersive audio experience.
[00:01:49] And it's becoming more and more popular with podcasts.
[00:01:51] A lot of big production houses are releasing podcasts in an immersive format where you might like hear something over here and hear something over here.
[00:02:01] Maybe there's dialogue, maybe a sound effect comes in from behind you.
[00:02:05] And so that's what I'm going to be talking about today.
[00:02:08] The aim of this episode is to teach you four things.
[00:02:12] One, what ambisonic audio is.
[00:02:15] Two, the microphone that I'm using to record in like a 3d sphere.
[00:02:22] Then we're going to talk about the advantages of using immersive audio and why and when and where you would want to use it.
[00:02:28] And then I'm going to talk about some of the challenges from an audio engineer standpoint of how to pull off immersive audio.
[00:02:36] But first before we get into it, I want to give a shout out to this show's sponsor.
[00:02:40] That's Riverside.
[00:02:41] Riverside is an awesome place to record 4k remote video podcasts online all through your web browser.
[00:02:48] You can also get high fidelity audio and it's all through your web browser.
[00:02:52] It's at a low cost and they've got a slew of other tools.
[00:02:56] AI show notes, transcriptions, magic audio.
[00:03:00] That's Riverside.fm and the production tools there can take your podcast from zero to hero.
[00:03:08] So check out Riverside.fm and use promo code clipped at checkout for 20% off.
[00:03:13] Okay, so what is immersive audio?
[00:03:16] Well, maybe the best way to explain it is to kind of think about it like a movie or television show, although just audio.
[00:03:24] And so let's say there's a scene where someone's at a diner, maybe you hear like the coffee being poured in the background
[00:03:31] and the sound of like pancakes on the griddle or eggs being cracked, all while still listening to the dialogue
[00:03:38] combined with all those sounds that are happening in the background.
[00:03:42] And with immersive audio, you know, maybe the griddle in the coffee is in the left side of your headphones.
[00:03:51] The dialogue is straight down the middle and maybe over on the right side, you're hearing the sounds of like New York City.
[00:03:59] Say it's a diner in New York and there's like cars driving by and you throw on your headphones
[00:04:04] and you're hearing all of that in a 3D sphere around your head.
[00:04:09] And that's really what immersive audio is.
[00:04:11] It doesn't necessarily have to always be 3D but at least some kind of stereo image where you're hearing like the environmental sounds
[00:04:20] and like I mentioned in the intro, a lot of today's headphones, you can achieve that.
[00:04:26] I know with Apple AirPods, you have to turn on spatial audio.
[00:04:29] And then if you recorded a podcast like I'm doing outside right now, you can hear the birds, you can hear my voice.
[00:04:36] There might be an airplane that flies overhead and you're going to hear all that in your headphones in like an immersive experience.
[00:04:45] And I guess why would you want to do this?
[00:04:47] Why would you want immersive audio?
[00:04:49] Because we're so used to listening to podcast interviews in like a studio where the sound is really tight knit.
[00:04:58] There's not a lot of background noise or reverb or fire engines going by.
[00:05:03] It's acoustically treated typically, so there's not a lot of reverb.
[00:05:07] It's just that direct sound like right up on the microphone.
[00:05:12] And yeah, that's how I've been trained is studio recordings.
[00:05:16] I spent a lot of time in voiceover and like post production.
[00:05:19] And in those cases, you're in a vocal booth and you're just getting the sound of the mic right up in your face broadcast.
[00:05:25] And I've talked a lot about this on the blog and in the podcast.
[00:05:28] And that's kind of what I've always wanted to achieve as an engineer.
[00:05:32] But honestly, it's getting a little boring and I find myself wanting to explore like new technologies and new techniques.
[00:05:40] And I don't know, I thought this was pretty cool if you're watching this.
[00:05:43] This is my backyard and you're hearing all these birds are going crazy right now.
[00:05:47] There's an airplane flying overhead currently the Van Nuys Airport is a private jet actually.
[00:05:53] So the Van Nuys Airport is not too far and they fly overhead and they the Van Nuys Airport is a private airport only.
[00:06:00] And so that's where they're going.
[00:06:03] And I don't know it's kind of cool.
[00:06:04] So I'm gonna leave that in.
[00:06:05] I'm not even going to attempt to take that out or pause.
[00:06:08] And I guess the reason in doing so is just to create for the listener for all this stuff to make them feel like they're in the story with you.
[00:06:19] I could have someone sitting across from me and doing an interview outside like this.
[00:06:24] And I actually think that's a cool concept.
[00:06:25] Like I think, you know, your traditional podcaster maybe you're not all that interested in this but me being like an audio guy.
[00:06:33] I think it's fun to explore these concepts and they're starting to happen more and more immersive podcasts in just like the interview conversation style, the solo cast style like I'm doing.
[00:06:44] And then unlike the larger scale big productions where maybe it's a scripted podcast and so there's different scenes and they're recorded and you're putting in sound effects in an immersive environment or maybe they're just straight up recorded outdoors
[00:07:02] or recorded in an environment where they're capturing like those natural sounds and sound effects to keep in.
[00:07:11] And so it feels as a listener like you're there with them.
[00:07:15] And I think that's important because as listeners obviously you want to feel like we're connected and this is a great way to do that.
[00:07:25] And it just adds more elements.
[00:07:27] It's art really and you're adding more elements to your art.
[00:07:30] So that's why you would want to do it.
[00:07:33] To experiment, to add like an artistic vibe and god damn to just mix it up so you're not always so like worried in the studio and hearing shit in the background.
[00:07:43] You're like oh I gotta pause or you know I think my gardener's here now if he literally comes in Moe's in the backyard I will have to pause and he will be doing that.
[00:07:53] I think that's him now.
[00:07:57] We'll work with it. Fuck it. Let's do it.
[00:07:59] Okay and so how do you achieve this?
[00:08:01] Well one, you could just take your typical podcast microphone out here and it'll pick up a little bit of the sound.
[00:08:07] If you hold it close to your mouth it'll mostly pick up your mouth if you're using a dynamic microphone but chances are it'll also pick up a little bit of the surroundings
[00:08:17] and that's probably the easiest way to get started is literally go outside or go into a cafe and record and you're gonna get that natural environment and it'll feel immersive.
[00:08:28] The other way is to use a condenser microphone which we don't typically recommend for podcasts because condenser microphones do pick up everything around them and not necessarily just the voice.
[00:08:41] So you could use a condenser microphone and that'll pick up your voice and more.
[00:08:48] You might have to play with the settings a little bit in both of these but that's a great simple easy way to get started.
[00:08:54] Go outside, go in your car, go on a hike, whatever the vibe of your show is if there's like an immersive environment to add to the feel of your show.
[00:09:06] Take your typical podcast mic and go do that.
[00:09:08] What I'm using right here, I just bought, I'm excited, it's a Zoom H3VR Ambosonic microphone so it's really windy.
[00:09:17] One thing that I don't want is a ton of wind.
[00:09:20] I'm in a city that's typically windy.
[00:09:22] So let's just show you.
[00:09:23] So there's actually four microphones.
[00:09:25] Those microphones are picking up sound in all directions and so that's why you put on headphones when you listen to this and or in your car, whatever, you're gonna hear a blend of all of this.
[00:09:36] So this is a special microphone.
[00:09:37] It's an ambosonic microphone.
[00:09:39] Captures sound in the 3D sphere.
[00:09:43] So unlimited direction around your head.
[00:09:46] Think of it like a globe and it's picking up sound at all angles.
[00:09:50] And again, that's the Zoom H3VR Ambosonic microphone.
[00:09:54] So if you really want to get involved in like the immersive thing, you could get a microphone like this.
[00:09:59] I know Road makes one.
[00:10:00] There's more that are coming out on the market.
[00:10:03] So that's another way if you really want to get like audio nerdy and do this, you can.
[00:10:12] Alright baby, so we are back.
[00:10:14] So talk about immersive.
[00:10:16] That was like way too crazy.
[00:10:18] I had to leave the...
[00:10:20] I would have been recording like four feet from the gardener mowing the lawn.
[00:10:24] So fuck that.
[00:10:26] So the advantages of using immersive audio would be just enhancing your show with realistic soundscapes.
[00:10:34] So let's say in the event that you have a narrative podcast,
[00:10:38] you could record a ton of different soundscapes outside to add color and flavor
[00:10:45] and to really paint a picture for the listener, but it doesn't have to stop at narrative.
[00:10:49] Even if it's just an interview show.
[00:10:52] Maybe you go outside and you record it occasionally.
[00:10:56] Maybe you have a show that just naturally lends itself to being recorded in soundscapes.
[00:11:03] Maybe it's a travel show.
[00:11:04] Hell, if you're in Italy or France or something like that.
[00:11:07] You could capture all the sounds of those cities.
[00:11:12] And for any type of show, whether it's a solo cast or an interview,
[00:11:16] you could, if you really wanted to get like better dialogue,
[00:11:23] you could just record your podcast as you normally would,
[00:11:27] like in your home studio or whatever with your typical podcast microphone.
[00:11:32] But then you could take like a handheld recorder like the Zoom H6 is a great one.
[00:11:37] I love that.
[00:11:38] I've owned that for a long time.
[00:11:40] Or the mic that I'm using right now, the Zoom HR...
[00:11:43] What is it?
[00:11:44] The Zoom H3 VR, because it's got the multiple capsules that I showed you.
[00:11:50] And you could go and record soundscapes and sound effects.
[00:11:53] And then in post production, mix those in so the dialogue is super clear upfront on like a broadcast mic.
[00:11:59] But then you've got all that ancillary stuff that you could mix in,
[00:12:04] whether it's like the sound of cars or the ocean or the wind, whatever it is.
[00:12:11] Mix that in and create that vibe.
[00:12:14] So it works really well kind of in any circumstance,
[00:12:17] although it has to be like an auditory experience that you like
[00:12:22] and that you think your listeners will like.
[00:12:27] Because there's something to be said obviously for just the podcast done,
[00:12:31] like in a studio sounds great, you're just listening.
[00:12:33] But if you want to add some flavor,
[00:12:35] I think your listeners will really kind of enjoy being like a murderer.
[00:12:41] You're immersed in the story with you and feel more connected to you.
[00:12:44] It's like watching a movie with all those sound effects and the...
[00:12:47] I don't know, like it's an action movie.
[00:12:49] There's bullets flying from the right of your head, explosions in the back,
[00:12:52] and you can create that with a little know-how.
[00:12:57] And I think using in the right circumstances, your listeners will love it.
[00:13:09] There's the Gardner again.
[00:13:10] Oh well.
[00:13:13] The possibilities are endless.
[00:13:15] And I think more and more we're going to see these podcasts that are almost like a movie,
[00:13:19] but just audio.
[00:13:22] And it may not be for everyone.
[00:13:23] So I get that and that kind of leads me to the next segment,
[00:13:27] which is challenges from an audio perspective.
[00:13:31] If you're not like kind of a savvy engineer,
[00:13:34] you don't have one on your team,
[00:13:35] it's going to be hard to...
[00:13:38] One, if you want like the fancy gear,
[00:13:41] you're going to have to buy that,
[00:13:42] you're going to have to learn it.
[00:13:43] And then in post-production,
[00:13:45] you're going to have to mix it in a way that makes sense.
[00:13:48] Levels, left, right stereo imaging.
[00:13:52] Maybe you're doing even like surround sound.
[00:13:55] I know on...
[00:13:56] Like I mentioned on the Apple AirPods,
[00:13:57] you can turn on spatial mode
[00:13:59] and then you can hear everything.
[00:14:01] Your listener can hear everything
[00:14:03] so you have to know how to mix
[00:14:05] in that kind of style and surround sound or ambisonics.
[00:14:08] That's a challenge.
[00:14:09] Is the barriers and even the technical barriers
[00:14:12] and even some of the financial barriers to entry.
[00:14:14] So keep that in mind.
[00:14:16] And it can be overwhelming.
[00:14:18] And I think it is a little challenging to make it sound good.
[00:14:20] Like I can hear my voice is a little off-axis right now.
[00:14:23] So when I edit this, I'm going to have to play around.
[00:14:26] Probably you're hearing the edited version.
[00:14:28] So scratch that.
[00:14:30] But yeah, those are the challenges
[00:14:32] and maybe you don't want this.
[00:14:33] Maybe you just want that upfront studio sound for your show.
[00:14:37] If your show is part of your business or your brand
[00:14:40] or it's how you market and sell your products and services
[00:14:42] and position yourself as a thought leader.
[00:14:45] Yeah, this could probably come in handy here and there.
[00:14:48] But in that case,
[00:14:51] you just might want to do the typical podcast style.
[00:14:55] I like to experiment.
[00:14:56] Part of this show is to just teach you guys
[00:14:58] about things that are happening in the podcast world
[00:15:00] and maybe open your eyes.
[00:15:01] Maybe it's something you want to try.
[00:15:03] If so, I would love that.
[00:15:05] I love talking about audio.
[00:15:07] I love trying to help you guys and talk about trends
[00:15:10] and things happening in the space.
[00:15:12] So that's kind of it, guys.
[00:15:14] I want to give you one challenge moving forward
[00:15:17] is to give it a go.
[00:15:19] Try recording your podcasts in an environment
[00:15:22] that you usually don't.
[00:15:24] Make sure it kind of relates to the vibe of your show.
[00:15:27] Like for instance, if it's like a travel podcast.
[00:15:30] Boom, go out somewhere.
[00:15:33] If your podcast is about trains,
[00:15:35] which I know is super niche,
[00:15:37] but go to a train station,
[00:15:38] get some of those sounds of the train.
[00:15:40] It's funny. There's a guy I follow on Instagram.
[00:15:42] I'll have to put his speaking of trains.
[00:15:44] I'll have to put his handle in the show notes
[00:15:46] because I can't do it off the top of my head,
[00:15:48] but he's in the UK and his whole thing is about trains
[00:15:50] and he gets pumped.
[00:15:52] He knows like all these vintage,
[00:15:54] he calls them locomotives, which I love too
[00:15:56] and he gets all excited
[00:15:57] and he knows like the history of trains
[00:15:59] and like the model of like train
[00:16:01] on the tracks at that moment.
[00:16:03] And he like chases them around
[00:16:05] so he can like catch them.
[00:16:06] But in any case,
[00:16:07] that could be something that you could do.
[00:16:11] Yeah, so I say try it.
[00:16:14] See how it goes and if you like it,
[00:16:17] drop me a line.
[00:16:19] The podcast Haven on Instagram,
[00:16:21] that's really the best place to reach me.
[00:16:23] Slide into my DMs.
[00:16:24] Let's talk about podcasting
[00:16:26] and sign up for the mailing list.
[00:16:28] When you sign up,
[00:16:30] you can reply to me and ask me questions,
[00:16:33] ask me for feedback.
[00:16:35] You can go to thepodcasthaven.com
[00:16:38] and there's a big thing on the front of the homepage
[00:16:40] where you can click and subscribe to the email list.
[00:16:42] You also get a free copy of my ebook,
[00:16:46] The Four Pillars of Podcasting.
[00:16:48] It's going to teach you how to take your show
[00:16:50] from pre-production through launch and marketing.
[00:16:52] So if you sign up,
[00:16:54] you'll get a free copy of that
[00:16:55] and you can reply and hit me up
[00:16:57] and ask me some questions about immersive
[00:16:59] and bisonic audio.
[00:17:02] Until next time, keep listening,
[00:17:04] keep engaging, keep creating.
[00:17:06] I'm out.