Podcast Technical Skills & Application 2

Question 1

What does the term 'bit depth' refer to in podcast audio recording?

Accepted Answer

The number of bits used to represent each audio sample

Answer

Bit depth determines the dynamic range and resolution of each audio sample; 16-bit and 24-bit are the most common for podcasting.

Question 2

Which microphone polar pattern is most effective for recording two hosts face-to-face at a single microphone?

Accepted Answer

Bidirectional (figure-8)

Answer

A bidirectional (figure-8) pattern picks up sound from front and back, making it ideal for two-person face-to-face interviews.

Question 3

What is the primary function of a de-esser in audio post-production?

Accepted Answer

Reducing harsh sibilant sounds like 'S' and 'SH'

Answer

A de-esser targets and attenuates high-frequency sibilance, preventing piercing 'S' and 'SH' sounds in vocal recordings.

Question 4

When exporting a podcast episode, what does 'joint stereo' MP3 encoding do differently than standard stereo?

Accepted Answer

Stores shared frequency information once to reduce file size

Answer

Joint stereo stores mid (shared) information once and encodes only the stereo difference separately, improving efficiency at lower bitrates.

Question 5

What recording issue does a 'noise gate' primarily solve?

Accepted Answer

Unwanted background noise during silent pauses

Answer

A noise gate mutes the audio signal when it falls below a set threshold, eliminating room noise during pauses between speech.

Podcast Practice Test