Getting started doing tape syncs 🎤
Michael Castañeda offers tips for making recordings sound great
This week, I'm thrilled to introduce you to one of my oldest and best podcast besties, Michael Castañeda. He edits, mixes, and masters my podcast Private Parts Unknown, and we've also done several professional projects together, most recently Girlboss Radio and Paypal's Never Stand Still. His work ethic, punctuality, and reliability are second to none. He’s nice. He's always down for whatever. And after doing KCRW's Radio Race together a couple of times, I can tell you he's a good hang even when it's midnight and we've been working all day. He's the best.
If you're an indie podcaster eager to get started in the industry, tape sync gigs can be a good way to get your foot in the door. However, I didn't even realize that was a job for my first few years podcasting, so I thought Mike would be the perfect person to give y’all an intro — plus, some recording tips. ⬇️
What were you doing before working in audio, and how did you make the pivot? What was your first gig in audio production?
MC: Failed. Musician. After it became painfully obvious in community college I'd never make a living as a trumpet player, I switched gears to audio, transferred to UCSD, and graduated right after the crash in 2008. A college buddy got me working one day on a reality TV set for America's Next Top Model, and I turned that into five and a half years of work. I left in 2016 and decided to record freelance. A friend of mine is a high school band director, and my first paid gig was recording his marching band. A childhood friend who is a podcaster suggested I look into the podcast industry for work. And since 2016, I've been recording and mixing podcasts.
That's when we first started working together! Can you describe what a "tape sync" is and when you realized that was a thing in the audio industry?
MC: I was hired by The BBC last month to do a tape sync for their show The Reunion. I was in Los Angeles recording Richard Curtis the director of the movie Love Actually in his home in Los Angeles while he spoke with cast and crew about the filming of the movie. Everyone was in a different location, in a different city around the world, and had a different engineer recording each person, and it was edited together in post-production. Everyone was on the same zoom call, but they each had their own engineer record their end of the conversation. This is common for radio and podcasts that have big budgets. I learned about tape syncs from a fellow Los Angeles audio engineer Stephen Colon. He let me assist him on several recordings for a podcast with Jeremy Zimmer, who is the CEO for UTA. He threw me in the deep end, and it was a great experience. The last recording we did together was with Tyra Banks, who was my first boss in reality TV, small world!
What was your first gig as a tape sync?
MC: My first solo tape sync was with the author Jonathan Lethem for the podcast Big Think. It took place at his office on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, Ca. I used Stephen's Zoom F8 recorder and a Shure Beta 87A microphone on a boom pole while sitting behind Jonathan. Typically I record from behind, so I have total control of where the mic is, and the interviewee doesn't have to worry about the recording. I'm wearing headphones and listening to what is being recorded. My goal is to keep the mic at a 45-degree angle from the front of their mouth. Like when you're at the dentist getting X-Rays. Most tape syncs are 60 minutes plus, so it can be nerve-racking, but it makes for good recordings.
You've had a number of gigs that have turned into more extended work. What's your advice for nailing a tape sync so well that they ask you to stick around for more?
MC: If someone is paying me to do something, I take it very seriously. My philosophy is that my next recording is always my most important recording. Last month, I recorded a big Hollywood director for the BBC, but if Jane Smith hires me tomorrow for their sports podcast about their local roller derby team, that's the most important recording I have. I'm up the night before setting up all my gear (and backup gear) in a pile to load into my car. I show up to the recording EARLY and make sure I have more than enough time to load in and set up. A couple of years ago, I applied for a tape sync and didn't get it. They told me they would hang on to my info in case another came up. From my experience, that means, "Hey, we gave it to someone else that has a better resume than you, so f*ck off." But to my surprise, they contacted me over a year later with editing work that turned into four months of steady work at a great rate. So don't dismiss jobs that you don't get!
You also edit, mix, and master for many clients, from publicly traded companies to indie producers. What is essential to your process for a final edit, mix, and master that you're proud of?
MC: Tips for great pandemic recordings are 1) It's all about the room. Find a quiet room with things in it that absorb sound. 2) Learn the basics of recording. I'm not saying that you need to learn how to record the Berlin Philharmonic, but the average person has a much better understanding of how to take a photo than how to record a conversation. For example, if I'm taking a photo of my girlfriend in front of the Eiffel Tower, Courtney knows not to walk in front of my camera as I'm taking the photo. If she did, she would ruin the shot. The average person doesn't know that moving around in their chair will be audible in the recording. If your mic is on the table in front of you and you are constantly hitting the table during the interview, the mic is going to record that sound. Experiment BEFORE your recording with the best position for your mic/laptop. Too far away, and you'll hear a lot of the room. Too close, and you'll constantly clip/be too loud.
That’s so true — the best tip for post-production is nailing the recording. Any other advice for up-and-coming audio engineers that will make you a producer's best friend?
MC: By far the most important thing is the room you are recording in. If you record your podcast in a kitchen with tile floors (sound bouncing everywhere), loud appliances (refrigerator humming), the windows open (gardeners cutting the grass outside), there is no way to remove that from your recordings. What you want is a room that is acoustically as dead as possible, i.e., rooms that have carpets, upholstered furniture, lots of books, etc. When it comes to gear, I hesitate to say you SHOULD do anything because the first rule of recording is that there are no rules. BUT, for an interview or conversational podcast, I recommend using a dynamic microphone for your recordings and not a condenser microphone. You can go to YouTube University if you want to know the difference between dynamic and condenser microphones, but what's important is that dynamic microphones are more forgiving in non-recording studio environments. Also, I live and die by having backups, so if you're being paid to do a recording, always have a backup recorder and microphone.
Anything else you'd like to add?
MC: Although content is Queen, that does NOT mean that having bad audio is okay. The framing of "if I can only focus on one thing, I want to have great content" is lazy. Why not have both be great? Having good audio for your podcast is easier than you think. If you need help, please reach out to your podcast bestie. I'll make sure you sound good.
Thank you, Michael!
Have more questions about audio engineering? Michael has generously offered to answer any burning follow-up questions. All you have to do is reach out to him via email at plasticaudiopa@gmail.com.
➡️ Follow Michael on Twitter @plasticaudio and Instagram @plasticaudio.
Why didn’t conversational podcasts make more ‘Best of 2021’ lists? - Eric Silver, head of creative at Multitude, noticed a shocking lack of conversational podcasts on most ‘Best of’ lists for 2021. This article examines the formats that dominated industry favorites and why conversational podcasts are often overlooked.
Ratethispodcast.com added support for Spotify's new podcast ratings - There’s now Spotify support for podcasters who use the popular ratings site Ratethispodcast.com (like me!). I love having an easy way to encourage listeners to rate and review across multiple platforms.
A recent study of 1,076 podcasters included zero female experts - ImprovePodcasts.com released a study compiling some podcast statistics, and sadly, not a single female expert was asked to participate. With so many incredible women shaping the podcasting landscape today, how did this happen, and what does it say about where we’re at with gender in podcasting?
Producer, Death, Sexy & Money (full-time) at WNYC Studios | New York, NY
Producer, Today Explained (full-time) at Vox Media | Remote
Producer I, Criminal Productions (full-time) at Vox Media | Remote
Supervising Producer, Criminal Productions (full-time) at Vox Media | Remote
Operations Specialist (full-time) at Kast Media | Remote
LOLITA PODCAST - Jamie Loftus's Lolita Podcast has been my walking partner this week. I put off listening to this series because I hadn't read the book, but don't let that stop you! She quickly brings listeners up to speed. Over ten episodes, Loftus traces how the tragic literary character Dolores Haze became the iconic youth sexpot — aka "nymphet" omg barf — we know simply as Lolita. It's fascinating and truly disturbing how the Nabokov classic got misinterpreted on such a widespread cultural level.
Arianna Huffington explains how her mother influenced her, her unique path to fame, and how burnout finally caught up with her at the height of her success. Producing this episode, I was delighted by her. She was an unexpectedly interesting guest, and I loved learning more about how her brain works.
It's the old internet vs. the new internet… except somehow all the players are the same? Host Mesh Lekhani gives a whimsical play-by-play of the recent Twitter debate between former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz about Web2 and Web3.
This week’s Play It Forward comes all the way from Africa! Precious Samson recommends:
Summary from the description: On the 20th of October, 2020, the Nigerian state unleashed military personnel on peaceful protesters advocating the abolition of the murderous and abusive Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), and requesting police reform. In the year since then, there has been extreme gaslighting, obfuscation of facts, and denial of the carnage and deaths that happened at the Lekki Toll Gates. We must never ever forget what the #ENDSARS protests were about, the response of the Nigerian government, and that very many people died, were horrifically injured, and have had their lives changed forever.
And make sure to check out Precious’s podcast. Start with:
This episode is one of her favorites because “I had my girls on it.” Hell yes to friendship all around the world. Thanks for writing in, Precious!
➡️ Here’s the link to submit for future editions.
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
Who are a few of your podcast besties that you work with or bounce ideas off of? (Shameless suggestion, but send them this newsletter!)
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.