Recording in the bar, stupid or just awesome?

May 21, 2008 9:29 PM

So my buddy and I are starting a podcast. The catch? I want to record it at the bar.

We’ve got editing the audio well in hand. Content, organization, and hosting are all figured out already too. What we need some help with is logistics and recording equipment for bar noise. So I’ve got two questions, or rather, several questions in two headings:

One- one way or another we’re going to need some gear. We may not end up recording in the bar, but we’re podcasting either way. I’ve got an EEE pc 4G Surf that I expect will work just fine, but the built-in microphone sucks, especially with bar background noise. What kind of USB mics are out there that will minimize background noise and make bar recording pretty easy? Can they be had on a tight budget? Also, what do we need to consider when recording other than simply a pair of good microphones and a machine to do the recording?

Two- is recording in a bar a stupid idea? It’s a great little bar and brewery with a good mix of nerds, hippies and old guys with beards. If we record on a Sunday afternoon the only noise is the background music and the guys playing pool in the back. There’s not too many people to come tell us we look like dorks. It’s rare to meet an over-friendly drunk who wants to interrupt a conversation, but not unheard of. Interruptions from patrons, troublesome recording and looking like dorks are my partner’s biggest worries, but I figure we look like dorks every day so I’m not too concerned about that part. Is it worth the trouble?

posted by The Man from Lardfork to technology (14 comments total)

If you are going to edit/cut the conversation at all, the background music will sound really weird. If you aren't editing and you have good equipment, that may not be an issue.
posted by cushie at 9:52 PM on May 21, 2008

I think it's a great idea. You'll want to pay attention to the pickup pattern of whatever mic you're using. If you have a nice directed pattern, and some sort of decentish mic-stand arrangement, you could probably avoid a lot of the background noise. I'd wonder whether an expander may be an idea, but you'd probably be better to record as-is and do any processing in software later.

Just saw these today which seem to be designed for what you're doing (though I know nothing of their pattern). That's not an endorsement at all, I just saw them today...
posted by pompomtom at 9:54 PM on May 21, 2008

Interruptions from patrons sounds like more of an opportunity than a risk... would that not have the potential for interesting and spontaneous content? There's something to be said for a good trainwreck attracting a lot of listeners.
posted by txsebastien at 9:59 PM on May 21, 2008

What about a standalone recorder? The Zoom H4 is a very good, fairly compact stereo recorder. The sound quality is excellent, and the recorder is pretty compact. It will also act as a USB microphone if you do want to record straight to your computer.
posted by tomble at 10:24 PM on May 21, 2008

There's at least a couple of "pubcasts" out there that record on the scene. The ambient noise definitely adds to the character of the overall show, especially since in other ways it's the topic and energy, not the sound quality, that's most important. True, edits will be more noticeable, but if you leave nice long pauses between segments or thoughts you can just cross-fade and it sounds fine.

I use an Edirol R-1, which is frequently compared with the Zoom. I have the Edirol case with tripod mount and a tiny little five-inch tripod, and it works great. I've recorded on-the-spot restaurant reviews and frankly find them much more interesting to listen to than anything in a studio.
posted by pzarquon at 11:10 PM on May 21, 2008

If you get yourself a good microphone (eg I use a Shure SM58) via a good USB input (we have an old Roland input for this) and set your audio recording program to filter out a small decibel range, it should sound great.

We also have a Zoom which is excellent.

Great idea! A casual setting should make your show sound more interesting and natural. Good luck with it.
posted by wingless_angel at 1:19 AM on May 22, 2008

Contact these guys. They record their podcast at local pubs and don't seem to run into too much trouble with background noise.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:37 AM on May 22, 2008

Can you hook up more than one microphone? The background noise will be much more subdued if you get the mic close to your mouth. If you each hold a mic, you can speak to each other naturally. If a drunk wanders up, one of you holds your mic for him/her/it.

The Zoom H4 mentioned above will take a couple of microphone inputs, so it might be a good choice. It would be more portable than a laptop.
posted by echo target at 7:23 AM on May 22, 2008

Excellent, this is great. Thank you all very much. It's good to know that there's other people out there doing this kind of podcast. Somehow it didn't even occur to us to see if there was.

"Pickup pattern" is the bit of vocabulary I've been missing. Can anyone else offer some criteria to look for while researching microphones and recorders?
posted by The Man from Lardfork at 7:23 AM on May 22, 2008

I guess I should have previewed:

Can you hook up more than one microphone?

Sure can. The EEE PC has three USB slots. Provided we can find good enough USB mics and use the EEE, we're planning on a pair of microphones. I'll keep looking into dedicated recorders, but at the moment our budget is pretty tight, so it's the EEE PC for us.
posted by The Man from Lardfork at 7:53 AM on May 22, 2008

A few friends did this for a while (kulture kast) till the bar in question closed. Seemed to work pretty well. They used a couple of Blue Snowball usb mics and garageband. As long as you stick close to the mic, the background noise isn't to bad, and can be a nice ambiance.

I'd suggest recording a couple hours of background noise from the bar as well, and use it to patch under any spots that need to get edited together.
posted by alikins at 9:37 AM on May 22, 2008

I'd get either a USB sound card, with a stereo mic, or a standalone recorder. I like to use my ipod with a TuneTalk & some cheap $25 mics off ebay, assembled from online plans, if you're really on the cheap. Use Levelator for volume expansion & compression.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:58 PM on May 22, 2008

I use a Marantz for all of my recording and really enjoy it. Go to www.transom.org for more suggestions on recorders/mikes.

I've recorded with loud noise and music in the background. It's important to tape 2-3 minutes both before and after your interview ends so you can blend it in for ambient sound...
posted by melodykramer at 4:03 PM on May 23, 2008

Lavalier microphones are great for reducing background noise. Most reality-style TV shows are shot using them. Try getting a couple of inexpensive ones like these (NB: I've never used that particular mic) and a USB adapter like this one.
posted by dersins at 10:13 AM on May 29, 2008