The Internet and the creator economy have made it possible for almost anyone to produce media that can be consumed worldwide. And that’s a great thing! Kind of…
On one hand, this has led to a variety of perspectives being shared and heard, and it means that people can now make a living doing what they love. On the other hand, this surge in content has come at a cost—a severe decline in the quality of audio that audiences are consuming.
But that’s exactly why I’m here—to help you understand essential techniques that professionals have been using for decades to produce high-quality audio. You’ll learn how to implement these techniques into your own podcasts, live streams, or videos and sound professional in no time.
Setting Preamp Levels
If you’ve ever had to turn up the volume on a podcast or YouTube video only to be blasted by sudden distortion, you know how frustrating inconsistent audio can be. Fixing this puts you 75% of the way to sounding more professional.
It all starts with setting the microphone preamp level. This is the first step after confirming your mic is properly connected to your mixer or audio interface. Beginners often do a quick “check one, two,” set the preamp gain knob, and move on. But once the real recording begins and their voice volume increases, distortion sets in.
Instead, speak into the mic with the energy level you expect to have during your show. Adjust the preamp so the level meter on your mixer or recording software reads about -18 to -12 dBFS. This ensures enough headroom so that the audio doesn’t hit 0 dB, which would cause clipping and distortion.
Tools like the Mackie DLZ Creator make this easy with a “listen and set it for me” feature that automatically applies phantom power if needed and adjusts the preamp gain based on your voice. Digital audio uses a full scale meter ranging from -infinity to 0 dB. Audio will sound perfect up to 0 dB, but anything beyond that results in clipped waveforms and distorted sound. Leaving 12 to 18 dB of headroom ensures your loudest moments won’t clip.
Consistent Mic Technique
Maintaining a consistent distance from the mic is just as important as setting preamp levels. Moving closer or farther from the mic changes both the volume and tone of your voice. If you set preamp gain while the mic is a foot away and then move it to 3-6 inches during your recording, the audio will be significantly louder and could distort.
Keep the mic at a consistent distance during setup and recording. For the most professional results, adjust your distance when speaking softly (move closer) or loudly (move further away). A good starting point is 2-6 inches from the mic. The closer you are, the less gain you’ll need, and vice versa.
Monitoring with Headphones
While recording without headphones may be a stylistic choice (and admittedly, some people don’t like the way they look with them), headphones can be essential for catching issues during recording. Wearing headphones lets you monitor your voice for distortion and ensures levels are consistent.
Headphones are also crucial for group recordings, helping reduce instances of people talking over each other, which can be jarring for listeners.
Automix and Compression
In professional broadcasts, a team monitors and adjusts audio levels in real time, but if you’re working solo, managing sound quality can be intimidating. This is where features like those on the Mackie DLZ Creator shine. With dedicated faders for each microphone and an automix function, you can ensure balanced levels without constant manual adjustments.
Your show should be consistent not just within each episode but between episodes. If your show consistently requires the listener to crank up the volume, it’s a clear sign of an amateur production. Most platforms standardize audio levels, but not all of them will boost a quiet recording. That’s where compressors come in.
A compressor evens out the dynamic range of your audio. For example, if the signal surpasses a threshold of -18 dB with a 2:1 ratio, the compressor reduces gain by 1 dB for every 2 dB above that threshold. This smooths out peaks and allows you to use makeup gain to increase the overall level.
The Mackie DLZ Creator includes built-in compressors on each channel, helping you maintain consistency and maximize output without clipping. Remember, compressors do introduce subtle distortion, but when used properly, they enhance the audio without sounding harsh.
Mic Placement, EQ, and De-Essing
Your voice should sound balanced—not overly boomy or thin. Mic placement plays a key role; the closer you are to the mic, the more bass-heavy your voice sounds due to the proximity effect. Positioning affects tone, so experiment to find a natural balance.
After setting your mic placement, use EQ to clean up your audio. Most mics capture frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but the human voice mainly occupies the 100 Hz and up range. A high-pass filter can remove unwanted low frequencies. Engage the filter, increase the cutoff frequency until the voice thins out, then back off slightly.
For sibilant sounds (the sharp “s” and “t” noises), cutting frequencies between 4 kHz and 12 kHz with an EQ can help. However, a de-esser—essentially a frequency-targeted compressor—can do this more effectively by engaging only when needed, keeping the overall tone intact.
Noise Control
While it’s best to reduce noise at the source, sometimes a noise gate is necessary. Unlike a compressor, a noise gate mutes the audio when it falls below a threshold. This helps control room noise and mic leakage when you’re not speaking.
Whether you’re using a high-tech mixer like the Mackie DLZ Creator or recording in post-production, applying these techniques will elevate your audio quality and set you apart in the crowded content landscape. It’s great that anyone can create content, but maintaining high audio quality is key to standing out.