Improve Your Podcast Sound with Audiochecker: A Step-by-Step GuideGood audio is the foundation of any successful podcast. Listeners forgive average content less often than poor sound, and clarity, balance, and consistency keep your audience engaged. Audiochecker is a suite of tools and test tracks designed to help podcasters identify and fix common audio problems quickly. This guide walks you through using Audiochecker from setup and diagnosis to correction and final verification.
What is Audiochecker?
Audiochecker provides standardized test tones, frequency sweeps, stereo imaging checks, phase and polarity tests, speech intelligibility samples, and level-calibration tracks. These tools let you objectively measure how your recording chain — microphone, interface, room, headphones/monitors, and software — behaves, so you can make precise adjustments instead of guessing.
Key benefits:
- Objective diagnostics to reveal issues you might not notice by ear.
- Time-saving workflows for tuning acoustics, levels, and monitoring.
- Compatibility with any DAW, recording device, or playback system.
Before you start: equipment checklist
Make sure you have:
- A microphone (dynamic or condenser) and stand.
- An audio interface or mixer (if applicable).
- Headphones and/or studio monitors.
- Your DAW or recording app installed.
- Audiochecker test files (download from the Audiochecker website) or an internet connection to stream them.
Step 1 — Set gain staging and levels
Why it matters: Incorrect input gain either results in low, noisy recordings or clipped, distorted audio.
How to do it:
- Open your DAW and create a mono track assigned to your microphone input.
- Play the Audiochecker 1 kHz tone at -12 dBFS (if available) or use a speech-level test track.
- With your microphone connected, set input gain so the DAW’s peak meter reads around -12 to -6 dBFS while speaking at typical loudness.
- Record short clips while speaking at normal and loud levels, then ensure no clipping occurs and that quieter speech still sits above the noise floor.
Tip: If your interface has a pad/switch for loud sources, use it for close-mic, loud hosts or guests.
Step 2 — Check frequency response and EQ needs
Why it matters: Room coloration, mic choice, and mic placement produce frequency imbalances that make voices sound muddy, thin, or harsh.
How to do it:
- Play Audiochecker frequency sweeps or pink noise through your monitoring system and listen for abnormalities.
- Record a short sample of speech and compare its spectrum to a reference. Many DAWs offer a real-time spectrum analyzer; set it to display 50 Hz–15 kHz.
- Use narrow-band sweeps from Audiochecker to isolate resonances (peaks) or nulls (dips) in your room or mic response.
- Apply corrective EQ: reduce problematic resonances with narrow cuts, and gently boost clarity (e.g., 3–6 kHz) or warmth (100–300 Hz) with wide, subtle bands.
Practical placements:
- Move the mic away from reflective surfaces if low-mid buildup occurs.
- Try off-axis positioning to reduce sibilance or proximity boost.
Step 3 — Test and fix stereo imaging and phase issues
Why it matters: Phase cancellation between multiple mics or reversed polarity can cause weak, hollow, or disappearing frequencies, especially in the low end.
How to do it:
- Play Audiochecker’s stereo imaging and phase test tracks through your monitors.
- Record a two-mic setup (e.g., host and guest) and use a polarity/phase meter or simply sum to mono and listen for level drops or comb filtering.
- If phase problems appear, try:
- Flipping polarity on one mic channel.
- Shifting one channel’s audio by a few milliseconds to align waveforms.
- Repositioning microphones to reduce overlap of sound sources.
Tip: When in doubt, check mono compatibility — your podcast may be played on mono devices or Bluetooth speakers.
Step 4 — Assess and improve speech intelligibility
Why it matters: Intelligibility determines whether listeners can understand content, especially over poor networks or small speakers.
How to do it:
- Use Audiochecker’s speech intelligibility tracks, which simulate different listening environments and codecs.
- Listen through earbuds, laptop speakers, and a phone to evaluate clarity.
- Apply mild multi-band compression or a de-esser for sibilance control. Consider a gentle high-shelf boost above 6–8 kHz to add air if needed.
- Use a noise gate or spectral noise reduction only sparingly — overuse can make speech sound unnatural.
Practical note: Consistent vocal performance helps more than heavy processing. Keep mic distance and angle consistent between episodes.
Step 5 — Calibrate monitoring and loudness
Why it matters: If your monitoring levels are inconsistent, you’ll make incorrect mixing choices; loudness normalization (streaming standards) affects perceived volume.
How to do it:
- Use Audiochecker calibration tones (often 1 kHz at a reference SPL or dBFS) to set headphone/monitor listening level to a comfortable reference.
- Mix with perceived levels around typical podcast reference loudness targets: aim for integrated LUFS between -16 and -14 LUFS for stereo/podcast masters (platforms vary).
- Run loudness meters in your DAW or a mastering tool to measure LUFS and true peak. Apply a limiter to catch peaks and adjust gain so integrated LUFS meets your chosen target.
Tip: Many platforms apply their own normalization. Aim for consistent LUFS across episodes rather than maximum loudness.
Step 6 — Record tests for distribution codecs
Why it matters: MP3/ AAC/ Opus compression can change tone and clarity. Testing helps you anticipate how your audio will sound after encoding.
How to do it:
- Export short test clips from your DAW at your standard podcast bitrate and format (e.g., 128–192 kbps MP3 or 64–96 kbps AAC for spoken word; Opus often offers better quality at low bitrates).
- Compare the encoded file against the original while listening for artifacts, loss of presence, or exaggerated sibilance.
- If the encoded version sounds thin, try slight pre-emphasis in the upper mids and highs or increase bitrate for critical clarity.
Step 7 — Build a quick troubleshooting checklist
Keep a one-page checklist based on Audiochecker findings to speed up episode prep:
- Input gain set: peaks around -6 to -12 dBFS.
- No clipping on loud speech.
- Phase/polarity checked for multi-mic setups.
- EQ applied for room/mic tendencies.
- Speech intelligibility verified on small speakers.
- LUFS measured and within target.
- Encoded test sounds acceptable.
Common problems Audiochecker reveals and fixes
- Low clarity / muddy sound: move mic, reduce 200–500 Hz, add slight 3–6 kHz boost.
- Harsh sibilance: use de-esser and adjust mic angle.
- Thin, weak voice: add low-mid around 120–300 Hz, check proximity effect.
- Comb filtering/phase issues: flip polarity or time-align mics.
- Inconsistent loudness: set and monitor LUFS, use gentle compression.
Final verification and routine
Before publishing each episode:
- Run essential Audiochecker tests: 1 kHz level check, brief speech intelligibility sample through your encoding chain, and a mono-sum check.
- Listen to a 30–60 second segment on at least two playback devices (phone and headphones).
- Confirm LUFS and true peak limits.
Closing note
Audiochecker won’t automatically fix every problem, but it gives repeatable, objective measurements that make troubleshooting faster and results more consistent. Pair its tests with good mic technique, consistent levels, and modest processing to produce a clear, engaging podcast that stands up across devices and platforms.
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