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Telephone Audio
I will be conducting a telephone interview and I don’t have the time or the resources to do it even halfway correct. The interviewee cannot do any type of internet audio, such as Skype, etc. Audio will be recorded by a side address condenser. I will speak into the mic and the mic will pick up the phone audio via its speakerphone. I’ll put the phone on books to get it close to the mic but not too close and try my best to get my speaking level and the phone’s speaker as close to each other in volume as I can. I will be going into a Shure X2U USB interface into Audacity.
So, not an ideal setup, but all I can do right now. Any suggestions on how to make this sound . . . intelligible? I considered EQ in post, but we won’t be on separate tracks, so I don’t think that is an option.
Or will I just have to live with what I get? Thanks! -
3 Replies
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Since you have pretty much precluded any chance of using better equipment or procedure, there is at least one opportunity still available for possible improvement.
At least run a couple of rehearsals “interviewing” friends or accomplices using your proposed setup and learn the optimal settings and positions for everything.
And if at all possible insist on the interviewee at the far end using a hard-wired land-line telephone. (If there are any left on the planet??)
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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder. -
Hello Tom and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.
If you have SKYPE on your computer, you can call his land line or cell phone from your SKYPE. There is a slight upgrade charge for this. $30.50 for 12 months of unlimited calls from the US & Canada from within the US. I have had it running on my MacBook Pro for years.
I also use a Plantronics .628 headset to keep the audio from bleeding from speaker to mic. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/861261-REG/Plantronics_81960_11_Audio_628_Stereo_USB.html/BI/8631/KBID/9745
If you have installed Call Recorder https://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/ on your computer, you can record both sides of the conversation to separate files. That’s $29.95 and well worth it.
You can choose to record mp3 or 16-bit wav files.
As Richard so wisely suggests, do some dry runs first.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum LeaderWant better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Ty Ford Blog: Ty Ford\’s Blog -
Richard and Ty–thanks for the tips and advice. I had not considered calling from my Skype account. I will definitely look into that.
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