A quality conference call recording/podcast all starts with the original recording. If the sound quality on the live call is poor, sound quality in both the original recording and the output file will be poor as well. Bottom line? Use the best equipment you can, and control your environment the best you can. The better the sound quality we have to start with, the better the sound quality will be in the end product.
The following are a few points to help ensure a quality recording:
- Use a good quality telephone
- No speaker phones. Speaker phones pick up all ambient background sounds and we usually get an echo from various sources.
- No VOIP. VOIP clips the high and low end of the voice signal. Also you are extremely susceptible to clicks and pops when the digital signal is converted to analog.
- No cell phones. The tiny microphone picks up higher frequency background noises. While you may not hear the noises during the live call, the recording picks up and records every sound coming in.
- Headsets. We have experimented with some headsets and found them to be acceptable if you keep the microphone away from being directly in front of your mouth. This helps to cut down on the microphone picking up your breath, as well as the hard t’s and p’s in your speech.
- Speak clearly and slowly. When presenting, speak a bit slower than you normally would to ensure that your attendees can hear and understand you and that the recording is consistently clear and crisp.
- Try not to move around unnecessarily. Most noises created in a Chariperson/Presenter’s environment will be heard both on the live call and in the call recording. (Noises can include a headset wire rubbing against the collar of a shirt, rustling papers, typing, ringing phone, breathing into the mouthpiece of a phone or headset etc.)
