Clean Cut Audio | The Science of Sound and the Art of Great Podcast Audio Clean Cut Audio

I wanted the opportunity to let you all know that I'm taking a break from the podcast for a while! I plan on coming back in a few months with a greater sense of purpose, focus, and a stronger grasp of how I can best educate those who are looking to make their podcasts sounds better!

 

If you're looking to stay connected and updated, you can keep up with what's going on in the Discord server or on Patreon!

 

Thank you all so much, and I'll still be seeing you most weeks over on the YouTube channel.

 

Links: Clean Cut Audiophiles Discord Server

 

 

My Signal Chain

Hardware:

Audio Interface: Apogee Ensemble

Microphone: Shure SM7b

Headphones: Audio-Technia ATH-M50x

Earbuds: Klipsch R6i II

Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS7

Mic Stand: Rode PS1A Boom Arm

 

Software:

IzoTope RX6 Mouth De-Click

IzoTope RX6 Voice De-Noise

FabFilter ProQ3

Waves Vocal Rider

Waves CLA-2A

oeksound Soothe2

Waves WLM Meter

Waves Durrough Meter

Waves Abbey Road Studio3

 

-Save 10% off the plugins above with this affiliate link from Waves!-

 

*most of these links are affiliate links

 

Midroll Song: Road Trip by Joakim Karud

Closing Song: Rainy Days by Joakim Karud

http://www.joakimkarud.com

 

For more info, or to ask any questions, check out my website and reach out to hello@cleancutaudio.com

It's very important to know that every compressor is different and it will make your audio sound differently depending on how it processes the gain reduction. There is a time and place for every different style of compressor, and in this episode we listen to 4 different styles of compression at 3 different amounts of compression applied to my voice.

 
 

JOIN THE FUN ON PATREON!

 
 

Links:

Join the Clean Cut Audiophiles Discord Server!

Clean Cut Audio on YouTube

UA Article on Compressor Topologies

4SoundEngineers Article of Compressor Topologies

IzoTope's 4 Different Types of Compressors

SoundBridge Article on Types of Compressors

 

Compressors sampled in this episode:

VCA: API 2500 Stereo Buss Compressor by Waves

FET: CLA-76 Compressor by Waves

Optical: CLA-2A Compressor by Waves

Vari-Mu: u73b by Audified

 

 

My Signal Chain

 

Hardware:

Audio Interface: Apogee Ensemble

Microphone: Shure SM7b

Headphones: Audio-Technia ATH-M50x

Earbuds: Klipsch R6i II

Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS7

Mic Stand: Rode PS1A Boom Arm

 

Software:

IzoTope RX6 Mouth De-Click

IzoTope RX6 Voice De-Noise

FabFilter ProQ3

Waves Vocal Rider

Waves CLA-2A

oeksound Soothe2

Waves LinMB

Waves WLM Meter

Waves Durrough Meter

Waves Abbey Road Studio3

 
 

-Save 10% off the plugins above with this affiliate link from Waves!-

 
 

*most of these links are affiliate links

 

Midroll Song: Road Trip by Joakim Karud

Closing Song: Something New by Joakim Karud

http://www.joakimkarud.com

 
 

For more info, or to ask any questions, check out my website and reach out to hello@cleancutaudio.com

Compression is a topic I've covered extensively (but also not nearly enough) on my YouTube channel. Even with all the hours of teaching I've done on the topic, I've barely touched on the other incredible effects and benefits of learning proper compression techniques.

 

While a perfectly dialed in compressor will certainly help level out your dynamic range and save your listeners ears from being blown out by sudden changes in loudness, it will also impart a beautiful tone and character to your voice that can otherwise sound bland and lifeless. Not even mentioning the sonic characteristics of hardware and analog emulated plugins, compression can add warmth and body to your voice that is otherwise unattainable, leaving your listeners with a more pleasing and intimate experience.

 

In this episode we go over the basics of compression, why it can add so much life to a podcast, and we listen to several examples of different intensities of compression to analyze the life it will give to a recording, and we'll learn to identify how much is too much.

 

 

JOIN THE FUN ON PATREON!
 
 
Links:

10% off all merch, all proceeds benefiting the humane society

Basic YouTube Video on Compression

Join the Clean Cut Audiophiles Discord Server!

LA-2A Compressor Classic Optical Compressor

CLA-2A Compressor

 
 

My Signal Chain

 

Hardware:

Audio Interface: Apogee Ensemble

Microphone: Shure SM7b

Headphones: Audio-Technia ATH-M50x

Earbuds: Klipsch R6i II

Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS7

Mic Stand: Rode PS1A Boom Arm

 

Software:

IzoTope RX6 Mouth De-Click

IzoTope RX6 Voice De-Noise

FabFilter ProQ3

Waves Vocal Rider

Waves CLA-2A
Apogee Digital ModComp

oeksound Soothe2

Waves LinMB

Waves WLM Meter

Waves Durrough Meter

Waves Abbey Road Studio3

 

-Save 10% off the plugins above with this affiliate link from Waves!-

 

*most of these links are affiliate links

 
 

Midroll Song: Road Trip by Joakim Karud

http://www.joakimkarud.com

 
 

For more info, or to ask any questions, check out my website and reach out to hello@cleancutaudio.com

Death has a crazy way of putting a lot of things into perspective. With the recent passing on my dog and best friend Levi, I've been thinking a lot about what audio and podcasting REALLY means to me. It got me thinking of the Alexander Supertramp quote "Happiness is only real when shared". We as podcasters tend to hole ourselves in a spare bedroom, walk in closet, or any location that is completely separated from the sounds and sights of the rest of the world. It can get lonely, and that loneliness and isolation can really get in the way of progress.

 

This week I'm revising the concept of community, this time VERY determined to provide a safe place for listeners of this podcast, viewers of my videos, and I to freely express ideas, theories, tips, and techniques that will not only result in a better sounding podcast, but a more fulfilling experience along the way.

 

 

JOIN THE FUN ON PATREON!

 

 

 

Links:

10% off all merch, all proceeds benefiting the humane society

Previous Episode on Community

Community Vlog on YouTube

Levi the Pitbull

Clean Cut Audio on Twitter

 

 

My Signal Chain

 

Hardware:

Audio Interface: Apogee Ensemble

Microphone: Shure SM7b

Headphones: Audio-Technia ATH-M50x

Earbuds: Klipsch R6i II

Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS7

Mic Stand: Rode PS1A Boom Arm

 

Software:

IzoTope RX6 Mouth De-Click

IzoTope RX6 Voice De-Noise

FabFilter ProQ3

Waves Vocal Rider

Waves CLA-2A

oeksound Soothe2

Waves LinMB

Waves WLM Meter

Waves Durrough Meter

Waves Abbey Road Studio3

 

 

-Save 10% off the plugins above with this affiliate link from Waves!-

 

*most of these links are affiliate links

 

 

 

Midroll Song: Road Trip by Joakim Karud

Closing Song: Harmony by Joakim Karud

 

http://www.joakimkarud.com

 

 

 

For more info, or to ask any questions, check out my website and reach out to hello@cleancutaudio.com

Something I've been seeing recently in Facebook groups and forums is people claiming they can't be great at audio because they don't have a degree or formal education in audio engineering. If that's you, let me offer some personal insight. I'm one of those chumps who spent 4 years and a TON of money on a degree in audio engineering, and I've lived to regret it. The REAL learning happened after college when I was working with some very experienced and prolific audio engineers who, guess what, never had ANY formal education in audio engineering.

 

The thing that really took my production to the next level was watching professionals do what they do best. To this day, I still spends hours every week, sometimes every day on several different paid platforms where I can watch audio engineers work and talk about their processes.

 

In this episode I offer suggestions on how you can learn how to be GREAT at audio and produce incredible podcasts without any type of formal education, including a new service I'll be offering called MixLab. Be sure to check it out in the links below!

 

 

JOIN THE FUN ON PATREON!

 
 
 

Links:

Clean Cut Audio Mixlab

Podcast Engineering School

Podcast Engineering Show

Taylor Larson

Instagram from my Former Life as a Woodworker

Nail the Mix

 

 
My Signal Chain

 

Hardware:

Audio Interface: Apogee Ensemble

Microphone: Shure SM7b

Headphones: Audio-Technia ATH-M50x

Earbuds: Klipsch R6i II

Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS7

Mic Stand: Rode PS1A Boom Arm

 

Software:

IzoTope RX6 Mouth De-Click

IzoTope RX6 Voice De-Noise

FabFilter ProQ3

Waves Vocal Rider

Waves CLA-2A

oeksound Soothe2

Waves LinMB

Waves WLM Meter

Waves Durrough Meter

Waves Abbey Road Studio3

 

 

-Save 10% off the plugins above with this affiliate link from Waves!-

 

 

*most of these links are affiliate links

 

 

Midroll Song: Road Trip by Joakim Karud

 

Closing Song: If I Could I'd... by Joakim Karud

 

http://www.joakimkarud.com

 

 
 

For more info, or to ask any questions, check out my website and reach out to hello@cleancutaudio.com

Many folks think noise reduction is something that can only be done in post production, but I'm here to tell you that's a bald-faced lie. The best noise reduction is accomplished WHILE recording your podcast! "The best offense is a great defense" type of vibes. There are SO many things we can do to make sure that noise (see also: unwanted sound) is never captured in the first place!

 

In this episode you'll learn a little bit about soundproofing and why it's unattainable for more people, microphone techniques that will almost eliminate noise (with listening examples of course!), some physical objects we can incorporate into our space to contain noise, and if all else fails, how to fix it in post.

 

 
JOIN THE FUN ON PATREON!

 
 
 

Links:

Preamp Noise Comparison Episode

Frequency and Wavelength 101 Episode

Waves NS1

Waves X-Noise

Waves Z-Noise

IzoTope RX 7

GoBo

 
 

 

My Signal Chain

 

Hardware:

Audio Interface: Apogee Ensemble

Microphone: Shure SM7b

Headphones: Audio-Technia ATH-M50x

Earbuds: Klipsch R6i II

Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS7

Mic Stand: Rode PS1A Boom Arm

 

Software:
Avid Pro Tools 2020.5.0

IzoTope RX6 Mouth De-Click

IzoTope RX6 Voice De-Noise

FabFilter ProQ3

Waves Vocal Rider

Waves CLA-2A

oeksound Soothe2

Waves LinMB

Waves WLM Meter

Waves Durrough Meter

Waves Abbey Road Studio3

 

-Save 10% off the plugins above with this affiliate link from Waves!-

 
 

*most of these links are affiliate links

 
 

Midroll Song: Road Trip by Joakim Karud

Closing Song: Holiday Blues by Joakim Karud

 

http://www.joakimkarud.com

 
 

For more info, or to ask any questions, check out my website and reach out to hello@cleancutaudio.com