Table of contents

1. Equipment

2. Studio Ground Rules

3. Setting Up

4. Sound Check

5. Remote Interviews

6. Before You Leave

7. General FAQs

8. Troubleshooting & Advanced FAQs

Common House Chattanooga
Podcast Room Manual

Welcome to Studio 3, our in-House podcast suite.

Our hope is that it provides a space for our members to create engaging content and share meaningful conversations that build community (one of our core values!). 

To help familiarize you with the space, we’ve worked with Ambedo Audio to create this comprehensive manual that outlines how to use our podcast equipment, studio ground rules, and FAQs. If you have any questions that aren’t covered below, simply reach out to Concierge. 

Table of contents

Equipment • Studio Ground Rules • Setting Up • Sound Check • Remote Interviews • Before You Leave

General FAQs • Troubleshooting

Equipment

We’ve set you up for success. Studio 3 is stocked with top-end tech that will allow you to record clean, professional voiceover and interviews for your podcast in a setup that’s straightforward and plug-and-play. In the space, you’ll find the following equipment:

Studio Ground Rules

To ensure that all of our members are able to effectively use Studio 3 and the equipment, we ask that you follow a few simple ground rules: 

1. Be respectful of the studio. Don’t leave it messy, and return everything to where it was when you found it.

2. Please don’t unplug anything from the RODECaster Pro. Keep the microphone cables and headphone cables plugged in where they are - they’re labeled accordingly, and having them unplugged and plugged in the wrong place could cause confusion for the next member to use the room. Similarly, please don’t unplug the XLR cables from the microphones and rearrange them. 

3. Please don’t put the microphones on the floor. They’re expensive and not indestructible (and it’s a lot easier to knock them over and damage them if they’re off the table and on the floor). 

4. While you can adjust the height of the microphones on the stand to get them into a comfortable position, please don’t unscrew the two knobs on either side of the body of the microphone to remove the microphone from the bracket/mic stand. 

5. Please don’t adjust the settings on the back of the microphones.

6. Please don’t adjust the advanced settings through the touch screen or for each channel. They’re set up in a way that allows each member to just plug-and-play, and switching them up might make it difficult for the next member to easily set up and use the equipment.

Setting Up

If you are doing a remote interview, or if someone is coming to meet you in the room, plan to arrive in the space 15 minutes before your scheduled interview or meeting time in order to get comfortable and set up the equipment. 

When you first get in the room, you’ll see the four mics (labeled #1, #2, #3, and #4) and their corresponding headphones in bags next to them, along with the RODECaster Pro on the table. Feel free to arrange the microphones in a way that everyone has enough space and is able to make eye contact with each other - if the microphones are too close together, the audio could bleed between the microphones and make it harder to edit in post-production. If you’re not using all four microphones, please leave the unused headphones in their bags. 

If you need to plug in any laptops, there are three open outlets underneath the table. Please don’t unplug anything that’s already plugged in, like the RODECaster Pro. Plugging into the well below the table is safer than plugging into the sockets in the wall so that no cords get tripped over or unplugged unexpectedly. 

If one person is both participating and engineering the recording session, have them sit at the #1 microphone and move the RODECaster Pro next to them. If there’s two of you in the room, sit the other person at the #3 microphone so it’s easy to make eye contact with each other. 

You don’t need to turn on the microphones or headphones - please don’t adjust the settings on the back of the Shure SM7Bs. 

Once everyone’s setup and comfortable, press the red power button on the back of the RODECaster Pro to turn it on. 

There will be a delay before the LED touch screen and the different lights on the front of the RODECaster Pro turn on.

Turn on your laptop and open your digital audio workstation (DAW) — this could be Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, Hindenburg, Garage Band, Audacity. There are many different platforms available, and the RODECaster Pro doesn’t have any compatibility issues and will work with whichever DAW you use. There’s a USB cable plugged into the RODECaster Pro to connect to your laptop. Make sure to accept the RODECaster Pro as an input in your DAW. 

It’s recommended that you set each source you’re using as a separate mono channel in each track in your DAW - for example: Mic 1 to Channel 1 in your DAW, Mic 2 to Channel 2, etc. This will make editing and post-production easier. 

Sound Check

Once you have your channels setup in your DAW and you can see that they’re recognizing the inputs from the microphones, it’s time to check your levels and make sure everything’s set for you to start recording. 

The Shure SM7b is a dynamic microphone, which means that it captures sound primarily from in front of them and doesn’t pick up a lot of outside room tone. In order to get the best possible recording from the SM7bs, you want to keep your mouth about an inch away from the microphone. Keep your chair close to the edge of the table - when we get in the middle of an interview, it’s natural to pull away from the table and microphone as we get more excited and comfortable, so having your chair close will help you keep close to the microphone throughout the recording. With your chair close to the table, move the mic stand close to you and adjust the height and distance of the stand so that the microphone is in place - see the photo below to see the optimal position for the SM7B.

On the digital touch screen, there’s a bold dash in the middle of each channel - this is the optimal level or “sweet spot” that you want for each of your outputs. The level on the touch screen will show you where you’re at when you’re checking levels, and you want the level to fluctuate around that bold dash without getting too low in the green or too high in the red. To adjust the level to get it into that sweet spot, use the corresponding fader (#1 for Mic 1, etc.) to either raise or lower the level. Do this for each of the microphones that you’re using, and make sure that you also see the levels in your DAW when doing your sound checks. For the most part, you should only need to make minor adjustments to the fader - if you need to push it all the way up and you’re still not getting enough level, the microphone might be too far away from your mouth to pick up a good enough signal.

Once you have your mic levels set, make sure that everyone can hear through their headphones and use the corresponding knob (#1 for Headphone 1, etc.) to adjust if someone wants it louder or quieter.

After that, you’re ready to start recording. Do not use the big “REC” button on the RODECaster Pro - instead, record everything through your DAW. The RODECaster Pro acts like an audio interface, producing the output that you need into your DAW, which allows you to ensure that you’re recording to your computer and allows you to just unplug your laptop at the end of recording and not have to worry about extracting and sharing files from the RODECaster Pro. 

Hit record in your DAW, check to make sure that you can see that each channel is recording and picking up the input from the mics, and you’re good to go to start!

Remote Interview Recording

In theory, the RODECaster Pro allows you to simultaneously record the four SM7b microphones in Studio 3, including one remote guest via a phone call on the smartphone channel (connected via the TRRS cable), and another remote guest either via a phone call or Internet platform on the USB channel.

If you don’t have a TRRS cord, or you’re having issues with it, connect your phone via Bluetooth by pressing and holding the button at the top of the Bluetooth channel fader until you see a prompt come up on the digital touch screen asking if you would like to pair a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Select “Yes”, and you’ll see a prompt that says that the RODECaster Pro is now discoverable, and the button on the channel fader will light up and blink. Now, click “RODECaster Pro” on the Bluetooth menu on your phone to connect. 

PRO TIP: If you’re recording via a phone call, the audio quality and connection is normally stronger through calls in apps like Slack, Discord, Line, or any other Internet-based calling service, although you can still get a quality recording from a call through your phone.

If your remote interview is joining via the Internet (e.g. Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, etc.), the most effective way is through the USB cable and onto the USB channel. Once you have the USB cable plugged into your laptop, you’ll be able to simultaneously feed the input from your Internet browser into the RODECaster Pro and record all of the individual channels from the RODECaster Pro into your DAW. If you’re using an Internet platform (like those listed above) for your remote interview, you will also need to set the RODECaster Pro as the input and output device from within the app. 

As soon as you plug in the USB cable, your computer may automatically set the RODECaster Pro as the audio device for both the input and output. If it doesn’t, you may need to do this manually in your computer’s sound settings to make sure that it recognizes both of those functions. Make sure your computer is not muted and has ample volume - if your computer is muted or it’s too quiet, you won’t be able to hear it or get a clear enough signal on the RODECaster Pro. Slide the USB channel fader to make sure that you’re seeing the level on the digital touch screen, then use the fader to fine tune the level just like you did for the microphones in the studio. [This is the same process if you want to play sound clips, music beds, or pre-recorded interviews from your computer during your recording instead of doing a remote interview.]

[PRO TIP: If you’re using your computer or phone as an input, make sure to turn off all other notifications while you’re recording so you don’t have any unwanted sounds or interruptions.]

If you have trouble connecting the output from your computer to the RODECaster Pro via the USB cable, you can also connect it via Bluetooth just like you would with a smartphone. 

Before You Leave

Before you leave the Podcast Room, here’s a checklist to make sure that you have everything and that you return the setup and room to the way you found it for the next member.

1. Double check in your DAW that each channel recorded the conversation without any glitches or fall-offs. 

2. Save your DAW session somewhere it’ll be safe - if you have the space on your computer, that’ll work, but it’s recommended to use an external hard drive or thumb drive as the safest option. Double check that it saved properly.

3. If you changed any of the channel or advanced settings on the RODECaster Pro, please go back and make sure to reset them to the way they were before.

4. Turn off the RODECaster Pro by pressing the red button on the back of the panel.

5. Put the headphones you used back in their respective bags and keep them next to their microphone. 

6. Setup the microphones and RODECaster Pro on the table the way that you found them. 

7. Rearrange the chairs so that there’s one in front of each microphone.

8. Clean up any trash left in the room.

 General FAQs

Simply shoot Concierge a note or log into your Member Portal to book the Studio, free of charge.

We’d love for you to mention that you’re recording from Common House! We’ve included a few talking points below. That said, you know your podcast brand better than anyone, so please feel free to adapt. 

“...recording from Common House, Chattanooga’s modern social club - a place to dine, co-work, and discover. Common House is committed to fostering community through weekly programming, like wine tastings, wellness classes, continued learning, and live music on the rooftop terrace. Come discover all Common House has to discover. From daily programming and dining to co-working space, childcare, a gym, and outdoor pool, there’s something for everyone. More at “common house dot com.”

Due to the equipment setup required, we ask that members only reserve Studio 3 for podcast recordings. However, we have two additional rooms in the House that are bookable for meetings, phone calls, etc. To reserve, log into your Member Portal and navigate to the “Book a Space” section. 

Good question. Below are a few tips that will help maximize your recording and minimize post-production edits:

1. Don’t chew gum or eat during the recording. If you have to take a drink - a good idea to keep your voice clear - turn your mouth away from the mic to minimize the risk of it picking up sound that you have to edit out later.

2. Don’t make any unnecessary noise that the mics could pick up. These types of sounds can be distracting for the audience, and they can be difficult to edit out in post-production. This includes:

   • Phone notifications

   • Chair squeaks or swivels

   • Tapping on the table with a pen, pencil, finger, etc.

   • A clicking sound from a mouse

   • Jewelry that jingles like a bracelet

   • Foot tapping under the table

   • Bumps on the table if you touch it or push off of it

3. Try to keep your chair where it is and don’t push it back - you’ll find when you edit the recording that your levels, clarity, and audio quality are a lot worse than they were when you were in the correct position close to the mic, and editing that problem in post-production is not an easy fix.

4. Periodically glance over at your DAW to make sure that the recording is still going and that there aren’t any technical issues - better to catch these in the moment than after you finish the conversation.

Troubleshooting & Advanced Setting FAQs

First, make sure your headphone cable is plugged in all the way to the RODECaster Pro. Next, make sure the respective headphone knob is turned up. If it is and you still can’t hear it, make sure the respective fader isn’t at the bottom of the channel. If it is and you still can’t hear it, check to make sure that the respective channel isn’t muted - at the bottom of each channel fader there are two buttons, and the one on the right is the Mute button.

The other button at the bottom of each channel fader is the Solo button, which mutes all other channels except the one selected.

The default setting for the RODECaster Pro is to apply a high-pass filter, noise gate, de-esser, compressor, APHEX Aural Exciter and Big Bottom processors to each mic channel. To turn those off in order to only produce a clean signal for a mic channel, click the numbered button above its channel fader - a settings menu will come up on the digital touch screen like the one shown below. Select “Audio Processing” and uncheck all of the listed processors. Repeat this for each of the channels you wish to have a clean signal for into your DAW. Please remember after you finish recording to go back and switch the processors back on for each channel you used before leaving the podcast room, so it’s ready for the next member to use.

If the output is too low from your device, you can push the channel fader all the way up and still not be able to get it into that sweet spot around the bold dash. Make sure that the volume on your device is high enough to send a strong enough signal into the RODECaster Pro, then use the channel fader to fine tune the level into the sweet spot.

This is what’s called “clipping” - when the level on a channel is too high and part of the signal is over-compressed, giving a crunching or piercing sort of sound that’s unappealing to the ear. To avoid this, bring the respective fader down until the level is back in the sweet spot around the bold dash.

In the advanced settings of the RODECaster Pro, each microphone channel is setup to where you should be able to just plug-and-play. But, someone who previously used the equipment may have changed these settings and forgotten to change them back. Press the button at the top of the microphone’s respective channel fader, which will pull up the channel settings page. Click “Microphone” and make sure that “Dynamic” is selected. If that doesn’t fix the issue, click “Level” and make sure that “Phantom Power” is turned on. If that still doesn’t fix it, make sure that the value on the “Level” page is at 35. The reason the microphone can be plugged in and still not get a level is because, with dynamic mics like the SM7b, they need an external “phantom” power source, as well as gain boost because their output level on their own is not sufficient to get a good quality recording. 

The RODECaster Pro should be set to turn on the mix-minus on the USB track to eliminate that issue. But, if a member who previously used the room turned it off for some reason, they might have forgotten to toggle it back on before they left. To turn it back on, click the “Settings” button on the digital touch screen, then “Advanced” > “Audio” > “Processing” and switching on “USB Mix-minus.” The Mix-minus is automatically applied to both the smartphone and Bluetooth channels, so you should only run into this problem if you’re connecting via USB.

We’ve set up the RODECaster Pro to default to multitrack channel outputs, but a previous member may have toggled it off and forgotten to turn it back on before they left. To turn it back on, click the “Settings” button on the digital touch screen, then “Advanced” > “Audio” > “Multitrack” and selecting “USB.”