Using a Double-Ender in Podcasting

Last week, we took a look at how to set up a free Mac podcasting setup. This included the software applications needed to record yourself, use a soundboard and have a co-host or interviewee talk to you via Talkshoe, Skype or some other VOIP product.

But while getting the software in place to run a podcast is fairly easy, getting a high-quality podcast out of it is less so, especially when you are trying to record a conversation over the Web. Voice communication on the Internet is notoriously fickle and your podcast is vulnerable to slowed connections, lags and poor audio quality.

However, there is a way around it and it involves using a technique developed in the 1980s for television interviews. In that era, before satellite television was common, doing a long-distance interview was tricky. However, a low-tech solution solved the problem and has made a resurgence among podcasters today.

What is a Double-Ender

The basic idea behind a double-ender is that, rather than having one person (usually the host) try to record both the participants, everyone records their own audio and it is assembled later.

For example, with a simple two-person podcast, both hosts record their own audio and whoever does the actual editing synchronizes the two feeds and produces a single audio file.

The advantages of this method are legion. First, the audio will be clearer as one’s sound will definitely be better at their own computer than it will be after it has traveled across the Web, often succumbing to VOIP issues such as echos and stutters. Second, since both participants are in separate channels, you can easily edit out coughs or other flubs from one line without impacting the other person’s audio. Finally, you have complete control over the audio quality and are able to record at very high level, unrestrained by connection limitations.

That being said, double-enders don’t work well with more than two people (triple-ender?). Syncing up more than two lines of audio can be a nightmare, even if it can theoretically work. Also, the more lines of audio you add, the more processing power you need to edit the podcast and the the less worthwhile it becomes as the improvement in audio quality seems less noticeable.

Other than that limitation, the main drawback is that it is more difficult to do and more time consuming. However, once you understand the process, it is pretty trivial to set up a simple double-ender.

How to Do a Double-Ender

If you want to try using a Double-Ender for your podcast, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

1. Follow the Steps From Last Week: Follow the guide from last week to get set up and talking to your co-host.
2. Both Hosts Record Their Audio: The host in the set up would have a copy of Audacity record 16ch (to record both vocals and soundboard) and the co-host would simply record their mic. For this purpose, it is usually easier to record in mono rather than stereo.
3. Synchronize the Recordings: Before starting the actual podcast, sync recording on both ends and sync up the podcasts. There are several ways to do this, one of the easiest involves having one party count the seconds on a stopwatch while the other does the same, timing out with the other person. What is needed is for both parties to make a controlled sound or series of sounds at the same time so they can be lined up later.
4. Do the Podcast As Usual: Next, do the podcast as normal, being sure to stop the recordings and save the files (in a high quality) after finishing.
5. Transfer the File: The hardest step is often to transfer the file. Since podcasts typically run 30-60 minutes and the audio should be in high quality, it can be many hundreds of megs. Use patience and a file host such as Filedropper to share the file(s) with the editor.
6. Paste the Files in Audacity: In audacity, create a new audio file with two tracks (use the “Tracks>Add Track” menu item) and paste two audio recordings, one into each track.
7. Sync the Tracks: Delete all of the content in both tracks up to the sync point created in step three and the tracks should be in step. However, some adjustments may be needed.

Once that is done, all that the editor has to do is edit the podcast as usual and, when done, mix it down and export it to MP3. The process shouldn’t take significantly longer than editing a podcast recorded directly from Skype or Talkshoe and may even save time if there are VOIP issues that would have to be cleaned up manually otherwise.

Bottom Line

Using a double-ender on your two-person podcast, despite seeming intimidating, is actually very easy to do and produces a much higher-quality podcast than recording directly off Talkshoe or your Skype connection. As such, it is likely worth doing if you can’t record the show face-to-face.

I was admittedly skeptical when my friends told me to try a double-ender for my podcast but, after doing it as an experiment, I have never gone back. It is now my main way of recording podcasts. The only thing that has changed is the addition of a soundboard for inserting audio into the live call.

If you record a two-person podcast and haven’t tried this method, you need to give it a shot. There is a bit of a learning curve but the rewards are well worth the pains.

Written by Jonathan Bailey from Plagiarism Today
Posted on September 3rd, 2009 and filed under Podcasting
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