Level Up Your Audio

Recently, I finished narrating an audiobook edition of my upcoming book of fables. I thought it’d be worth collecting all the knowledge I’ve gained on audio production through the recording process.

Even if you’re not doing any audio recording, these tips can help you elevate your microphone audio in online meetings and presentations.

The way we show up online is heavily affected by our audio quality (even more than video!) I’ve gotten lots of compliments on the clarity of my audio—I’m convinced investing in my audio setup has elevated my ability to express myself clearly and get my point across. I hope it can help you do the same.

Let’s get into it!

Before I began recording, I did a consultation with an audio engineer to make sure my home office setup was good to go for recording. Luckily, I had already invested a fair bit of time getting a good setup for recording YouTube videos, running live teaching sessions, and so on. The audio engineer confirmed that my setup was far ahead of most first-time narrators, so I didn’t need to change much. Still, I learned a few more lessons on recording process through our discussions. (I share some links to equipments here, but have no affiliations—just sharing based on my personal experience.)

With all that said, here are my best tips to level up your audio recording:

Get An External Microphone: If you can afford it, a great USB microphone is the simplest way to dramatically improve your audio. Laptop microphones are simply too limiting. In our modern world of remote work, I think you need to (and deserve to) show up sounding great. I can personally recommend the Blue Yeti or Elgato Wave 3. I used the Blue Yeti for many years, then switched to the Elgato Wave because I like its smaller form factor and compatibility with the excellent Elgato mic arm. (I also use the Elgato Key Light, and generally find Elgato products to be rugged and high quality. I spoke about it more in my video on Leveling Up Your Video Setup.)

Position & Angle Your Microphone: I’d recommend getting microphone stand/arm to position the mic close to you. Keep it away from any speakers if possible, and try to keep it in the same place. Make sure to find out the ideal position and angle for your specific microphone—each one is slightly different. For example with the Blue Yeti, you should ideally be speaking directly into the part just above the “Blue” logo.

Adjust Input Levels: The biggest struggle with audio is ensuring you don’t hit “peaks,” which result in distorted sound. Whichever software you use to record, you want to avoid hitting “peaks” at any point, so dial down then input volume until it’s just right. Ensure the input levels for your microphone are not too high. You can manually adjust the gain on most microphones, but also make sure to check the Input Volume for your operating system. (In macOS for example, this can be found in Sound Settings -> Input -> Select your microphone -> Input volume.) One thing I love about the Elgato Wave 3 is that its physical volume knob maps to the OS input level, so I don’t have to worry about a separate Gain level. Most audio recording software will show you a live preview of your input, with green being A-OK and red being too loud. Test it out with a few ranges where you’re talking loudly to ensure you’re within the ideal range.

Remove Room Echo: Walk around your room and clap. If the clap is a flat sound, you’re good. If you hear an echo, something in that area needs to be covered up to prevent it. This might mean putting a blanket on a hardwood floor or the bottom of a door frame. Or it cold mean putting up cushions against a mirror.

Soothe Your Vocal Chords: What you eat and drink can affect your voice significantly. Drinking tea and water helps a lot, as does avoiding fatty foods to avoid phlegm buildups.

Don’t Record Bored: Your excitement and energy will be present in the audio, and consequently will be absent if you’re feeling down. Amp yourself up with music, movement, or stretching. If you’re feeling anxious, try deep breathing.

Warm-up First: Practice the material for a few minutes while recording, and listen to it back. Do any adjustments needed before you start the final recording. It’ll give your voice a chance to warm up, and identify and lingering audio issues.

I hope these tips help you in your own audio recording journey! For my own setup, I did a bunch of these modifications back in 2020, and haven’t really had to change it since. I still get compliments on my video and audio pretty much every time I join a Zoom call 😅 A little work goes a long way.

P.S. You might also enjoy my breakdown on improving your video setup: Leveling Up Your Video Setup: Lighting + DSLR Camera Tips.