58. How to sound great on location

Award-winning journalist Nance Haxton shares her top tips for recording a podcast on location. Aptly, this interview was also done on location - in New Farm Park, Brisbane in the back of Nance's Kombi Mildred!

Find out more about Nance HERE

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(This audio was taken from a video made for my Free Your Podcasting Voice in 7 Days. Find out more HERE)

Transcript

Sally:

This one's for the podcasters. If this isn't you, please keep listening anyway, you'll hear some fascinating insights from a highly experienced award-winning journalist. And our focus is how to sound great on location.

I'm Sally Prosser, former TV reporter, former PR pro, and currently on a mission to help you find your voice and speak with confidence. You're listening to That Voice Podcast, no matter who you are or what you do, your voice matters. So unless you've sworn a lifetime vow of silence, this is the podcast for you.

Hello and welcome back to That Voice Podcast. If you're here for the first time, welcome - love that you're here. You'll learn that I use the word love very liberally, and I'm excited to share something a little bit different for this episode. It's the audio taken from a video I made with a friend of mine in the park, in the back of her gorgeous Kombi van. I'm talking about Nance, Haxton the wandering journo. So Nance is a dual Walkley award winning journalist. To give you an idea, the Walkleys are arguably the most prestigious awards in journalism. I sponsor the Kennedy Awards, so can't speak too much out of school. So Nance is a highly experienced journalist and podcaster. She's most well known for her podcast called Streets of Your Town, where she travels all over Australia (that's been affected a bit by COVID), but she travels all over Australia to share stories which highlight a different slice of Australian life. And the reason we made the video is because I wanted to share some really practical tips about recording on location, specifically, recording a podcast on location. As you'll hear recording in-person on location with all that atmosphere can create podcasting gold, but it also has its challenges as Nance explains.

Now, before I switch us back to our chat, I would love to invite you to join our Members Only community members only is an online subscription-based membership for all things, voice communication and confidence, you know, is your fear of public speaking, holding you back in your life? Do you feel like you're struggling to get your message heard, whether that's across a meeting table or across the webcam? Or do you feel like you're thrown into these speaking situations without any guidance or support? If that's you honestly, we can't have that! Get on over to members only and join a growing bunch of fabulous people from all walks of life who are taking control of their speaking - and of course having lots of fun along the way. So head over to sallyprosser.com.au, or click the link in the show notes to join us in Members Only, I would really love to see you there.

Okay, now let's head over to New Farm park in Brisbane, Australia. It's a beautiful winter's afternoon when Nance Haxton and I have set up camp in the back of her Kombi named Mildred.

Here I am with Mildred and Nance Haxton - The Wandering Journo and all of the interviews are done on location. This is the office. This is Mildred and Nance tells some fantastic stories from people right around Queensland and even Australia. Would that be right?

Nance:

It's true. Mildred is behaving herself today, which is fantastic. We haven't broken down. So it's a we'll talk podcasting.

Sally:

Fantastic. It's so great to do your interviews on location, Nance I'm sure you'll agree because you can talk to people and you can get a sense of the place. And there's a lot more ambience.

Nance:

Absolutely that Atmos is absolute gold as we call it in the industry, that atmosphere that we hear all around us and even getting a little bit of now, that's what takes people to a place when you're, when you're listening to a podcast I think.

Sally:

Yeah, it absolutely does. But being in the outdoors does present its own challenges with not just your audio equipment, but also your voice. And that's what we'll be talking about in this video. So I'm going to get comfy next to Nance. First of all, tell us a bit more about this Atmos. Why is it so important and how can it add to a podcast?

Nance:

I think this is what differentiates doing a face-to-face podcast from the hundreds of thousands of podcasts that people do in their bedrooms are on Skype with fairly average audio is when you and I are talking here in Mildred. And if we discussed Mildred a little bit while we're chatting and you imagine this is just on audio it's, it's all of the crows in the background, it's that wind coming through the trees. And it's those little details that I think absolutely lift your podcast above the so many others that are missing that and are just in a vacuous studio.

Sally:

So tell us, how do you get that wind going through the trees without it sounding like you're recording in a cyclone?

Nance:

It's true. Well, one of my best tips is actually what you're wearing here. Um, I quite often find the hat is really handy with your microphone. So perhaps if I get out my little tape recorder and I'll show you what I use. So this is my little zoom. This is my handy friend. As you can see, it is so small, so light. So recording in the field doesn't have to be complex is what I would say can be as simple as using your handy little zoom recorder like that. Um, but this is where the hat comes in. If this is a wind coming this way, just, you know, it's as simple as using that as a bit of a wind sock, these bits of foam don't throw them away. When you, when you buy your tape recorder, they are like gold, because that actually does also block a little bit of that wind noise.

Sally:

Fantastic. I talk a little bit in the course. Hopefully you've watched the other videos where we talk about the popper stopper in front of the microphone, helping with those pop sounds like the p's and the t's. It does the same thing for the wind.

Nance:

Yes. And getting used to your equipment, I think is, is a big thing as well. Everyone has a different strength of voice. So for me and yourself probably we've got fairly good, strong booming voices. We just need to put the microphone a fair way away. But, and to avoid that poppiness maybe you might need to put it to the side. You need to experiment with your equipment to figure that out yourself so that when you're in the field, you're not thinking, Ooh, what's the best thing. It should be a bit more natural by that stage.

Sally:

That's a fantastic tip. So I have a lot of people who say to me, Oh, I sound too quiet. That could just be as simple as holding your microphone a little bit closer to your mouth.

Nance:

For sure. And experimenting at home to make sure. Okay. So if it is closer, you are more likely to pop, but it's maybe as simple as putting it close, but just over to the side, like I tend to be a bit plosive in the way that I speak. And I find honestly, moving the mic to a bit of an angle fixes most of that.

Sally:

Fantastic. So what else do you need to think about. What about the guest? Because the guest is often not used to working with any microphones - let alone a microphone outside.

Nance:

I think this is what I like about my one microphone technique, much as it's simple, for me being a bit of a technophobe as well, but they don't have to think about, Oh, how am I sitting with the microphone? It takes all that away because I like my podcast to be fairly immersive. I don't want people to be distracted. I want them to be themselves. So I'm looking after the microphone. So I move my microphone back and forth trying to avoid scratching noises. So no bracelets, no sharp nails, again, experimenting at home with how you do that. Talk to the dog while you're recording and figure out where those little scratching noises are coming. Maybe a stand would help. I often find the stands that you can get for microphones, make it harder, uh, check all of the connections if you're using a microphone, sometimes those connections get loose. It's really worth, just experimenting. And also if you can having headphones, if that doesn't bother you, it's probably about the best thing you can do. You're hearing it live, you know, what's working and whether you're hearing crows too loudly, basically, and things like that.

Sally:

I love that, that's one thing that you can gain from interviewing people live is they don't have to worry about their gear. You know, a lot of people I interview are overseas. And so I rely on them, go somewhere quiet and the internet working in their microphone, working, and all of those things can add to the stress that your guest might be under before they speak to you. And as you rightly said, you really want them to be as relaxed and natural as possible.

Nance:

You might make them at a pub or a cafe, and you can integrate that into the podcast, it makes it so much more spontaneous. You're not just going over a list of questions. You're really bouncing off everything that's happening all around you, which I think makes a much more interesting interview.

Sally:

Absolutely. And what voice vocal technique do you take a different approach when you're outside as opposed to in the studio?

Nance:

I suppose in the studio, if anything, I'm probably a bit more reserved. So outside, I actually take that opportunity to really, really let loose to be myself almost as if I'm performing on stage a bit, but there is a real talent to getting used to being yourself, uh, in a podcast and not using a fake voice. So I imagine you probably do talk about that. We don't do newsreader voices in podcast is, or what people think is a newsreaders sing-songy voice. Uh, it's really important to, uh, sometimes I even imagine myself talking to my best friend, if I'm a bit nervous, uh, Sally, I will honestly think of my Kerry my bridesmaid at my wedding, as if I'm telling her this story and asking her a question and it completely changes the tone of my voice. So you can do that without the other person knowing it's just a bit of visualizing, which I have found to be very helpful.

Sally:

I love that. Yes, I've got some podcasting friends who really want to get these famous, fantastic guests on with them when they do this. So starstruck and nervous about having someone so fantastic that they admire so much on the podcast it can affect the voice.

Nance:

Don't imagine you're talking to a thousand people, um, that, that might be listening to your podcast. You are take advantage of that intimacy. It comes from talking to one person, uh, as if you were in the little dinner party with them, it it's just remarkable what you can get from people when you take the time to meet them, to be with them, to share that energy. It's what motivates me to get in Mildred and drive to the other side of Queensland. Sometimes those interviews that you just can't do on ZOOM.

Sally:

Yeah. Well said, and even just sitting here in the back, there's definitely an atmosphere about being in a Kombi. I feel more relaxed. I've got my hat on. I got my skirt on we're in the park and this would be pretty hard to channel this same energy at home. I probably could, but here it's just on a plate for us.

Nance:

Yes it's just that spontaneity that you get from being with each other, I mean, your voice is like your thumbprint. It's so unique, Sally. Everyone has that. And I love being able to really get people to that relaxed point where you feel like you're getting to know them just by listening to that voice, that intimacy of the voice, nothing can change that and doing it face to face. There is nothing between you and the voice. It's like, you're sitting there with them. There's no computer, Skypey kind of you know sound. It might be a bit of at most, but like I say, you can actually add to it and refer to it at times, rather than seeing it as distracting. Some of the best interviews have sort of talked about the kids wandering through, you know, and that leaves you in different ways with your questions, it's good to be ready to be spontaneous, even edit things out later who cares, you can just give it a go. Absolutely. And I find that often the thing I think I would edit out, I'm like for sure. And as you say, you're sitting there in person with somebody and the listener has that feeling like they're sitting there with you as well.

Nance:

It's so true. I mean, one of my favourite interviews that I did for Streets of Your Town, which is one of my podcasts, was with a cricketing legend, uh, Julia Price, who we just wandered through the markets in Tasmania. And I taped all this coffee atmos, which I thought, ah, I might not use it, but we, we started with getting the coffee, putting in the order. And then this crazy guy who was the barista and in the end, I didn't edit that out. And I don't regret that. I actually really like it. I think podcasting - take advantage of that intimacy and that people are, you know, listening while they're folding the clothes or going on a walk or jogging or driving somewhere interesting. You know, they've got a bit of time to give you so you can take them on a bit of a journey.

Sally:

Yeah. I love that. And it's worth remembering as well. When you've got the natural sound, you don't need to use it necessarily at the same time as you're having the chat, you can get the in media, it's called different things the NATSOUND the NATSOT.

Nance:

That's a great point that you bring up Sally, because I do try and remember wherever you are. And at the end of today, if I was doing this podcast, I would just type the Atmos for Natsot for two minutes. So that you've got that as a spare track. Uh, you might not use it, but it will never sound the same typing that this is unique. The sound of this spot will never sound the same anywhere else. So take two minutes of your time to get it.

Sally:

Fantastic, was there anything else you wanted to add just to enjoy podcasting?

Nance:

What a fun, medium to be involved in. Like I've got three or four podcasts on the run now, all on my wandering journo brand, you know, some the passion projects and some, you know, Griffith university is getting me to do some. It's just, it is so fun. I wake up every morning and I'm not bored. I just wonder what today will bring. And that's, you know, there's not many jobs that can do that.

Sally:

And one final question, what would you say to people who might be watching this and they're keen to start a podcast, but they've got something holding them back. Why should they go for it?

Nance:

Because I think it's just a unique way of meeting people and people are really open to podcasting. Now, I think they'd almost be more interested in doing a podcast type of story. And I think the advantage of audio is that people aren't intimidated by that video and not distracted by thinking how's my lipstick. What is my hair okay? That just connecting with you and you can do that on a zoom link as well. But I think when you're face to face, it's just so powerful to be able to get that little moment where you're, you're, you're connecting, you're talking about a topic that you're passionate about. Podcasting it's, it's a blast. Just enjoy it. Find that little niche of something that, that you really are fascinated by, and I'm sure you'll take other people on the ride with you.

Sally:

Nance. Thank you so much.

Oh, I love Nance so much. If you'd like to find out more about Nance and her podcasts, head to www.nancehaxton.com.au. I'll also link in the show notes and keep your eye on my socials for the video version of this chat. Believe me, Mildred is too fabulous for just an audio track. And also if you're listening, can you do me a favor and let me know how you find this podcast? Because like week after week, I see the downloads coming in, but I hardly get any love in my inbox. So I'd love to check if the stats correlate with real people and I'd love to say hello of course. See what I mean about loving the word love anyway, have a great day. And I hope to see you in Members Only.