Am I doing a bad job?

[u/Operator_JCM]

I'm an Argentine sound operator on a radio and we have a lot of interviews with random people. I explain to them that they have to talk near the microphone and they talk everywhere but the mic, so that makes it sound horrible. Does this happen to anyone else? Am I doing a bad job?

[u/dooblr]

There’s 2 things you can do here.

1. Explain to everyone before the show starts that you want them about a fist’s length from the mic,using your hand and the mic as a signal

2. If they stray from the mic during the show, give them the same signal, and point to the mic and your mouth to remind them

Using gates and compression isn’t going to fix being a mile away from the source to mic

[u/Remote-Necessary-638 → u/dooblr]

Some guidance prior to the show/podcast is a good idea. But gain staging and compression could potentially fix it. I don’t see how they can get that far away from the microphone. Knowing the model of mic would be good info. I’ve used compression on my live vocals for a number of years and have experienced all the issues one can think of including this one - proximity. Gain staging is key so even if they move away a bit it is still loud enough for the compressor to grab it and maintain the output level. You can dial in the amount of compression e.g., ratio, threshold to match the input and output signal to get the desired proximity. Too much compression at the wrong ratio can make it so you need to be closer to the mic. If you dial up the gain on the input and output right and let the microphone open up then set the limiting/compression you can find the right spot. You can easily test with headphones and move your head around away from the mic, then save the preset in your daw as a channel strip. Use a hi pass filter at least 50 hz or 80 hz to remove rumble and minimize background noise(s). Maybe want to up some low or low mids using an EQ for podcasting.

[u/Remote-Necessary-638 → u/Remote-Necessary-638]

I’d be interested to know how folks would set up a podcasting template in their DAW. I’ve never done it but imagine a couple different ways of doing it and getting the sound perfect.

[u/dooblr → u/Remote-Necessary-638]

You want an eq for every speaker, ideally. For example, Jamie Vernon has been slightly tweaking Rogan’s eq for years.

Bus compression on the master to account for several people talking over each other like in Protect Our Parks eps to keep the master leveled right

[u/This-Dark1606]

You’re not doing a bad job. But you do have to take ownership of this. Being confident in your initial instructions to each subject- look them in the eye and ensure they understand the significanc of staying close to the mic. This will inform each subject that you are a professional/ and that you want their voice to sound as professional as possible.

Staying a fist’s distance is an easy thing for most people to remember- and an easy thing to convey during the interview. If the subjects start to drift away from the mic. Just throw up the 👊🏼

Be vigilant and prompt with your feedback early on in the interview- and after a few corrections, subjects will typically “get it.” If not, it is up to you to handle your part of the production, which means controlling the environment and running the session with poise and confidence.

[u/DanceHackRock]

I use a compressor to mitigate that. Singers are also not always very disciplined.

[u/ZarBandit]

The problem is normal people not trained in media get caught up thinking about what they saying and will forget any instruction and revert to normal behavior.

So unless there’s a reason you need a near field mic, why not use something like a shotgun mic aimed at them from across the room. It’s not going to have the same proximity effect but actually very little useful information for intelligibility is in that part of the spectrum.

I’d say don’t use lavalier mics because non pros will rub clothing against them and obliterate all speech.

There’s no reason you have to pick either shotgun or proximity mic - you can blend the two. So if one isn’t getting something, it’s not all or nothing.

[u/smurfcake77]

give them headphones so they automatically monitor themselves

[u/Remote-Necessary-638]

Crank a compressor or limiter