The purpose of The Audio Penguin blog is to discuss the use of sound creatively in virtually any setting other than just listening to traditional pop or classical music. (There are many websites for that.) One of my greatest interests is in the use of sound composition intended for theatre and dance performances, and I…
WAYS TO MIC MIKE
You have this great voice actor, Mike Green, who you want to record for a radio commercial, audiobook, podcast, or audio drama. You just don’t know what microphone to use. In the modern audio world, the word “microphone” is abbreviated “mic” but pronounced “mike” just like your talent. Also, the word “mic” is used as…
THE DEATH OF RADIO DRAMA IS EXAGGERATED
When one mentions the word “radio drama,“ at least to people of a certain age, they immediately talk about “old time” radio drama: thriller serials like “The Green Hornet” or “The Shadow,” radio soap operas like “The Romance of Helen Trent” or “The Guiding Light,” or most famously, anthology radio dramas such as Lux Radio…
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT MEDIA PRODUCTION USING VOICE
The human voice may be the most powerful tool of communication in existence. Even very ancient orators have been lauded throughout history. Until nearly the end of the 19th century it was impossible to preserve human speech. One had to be there to listen in person. With the invention of the phonograph (first cylinder then…
LISTEN LOCAL
One of the most unusual composers working today is Joseph Bertolozzi. He has created two acclaimed albums of music solely using from sounds produced with two major structures: The Mid Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, NY and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. He did it by using mallets and contact microphones to develop gamelan-like percussion sounds derived…
EAR ORIENTED WRITING
Written English and spoken English are really two different languages. In most school English courses the emphasis is on correct written English. But the kind of diction (choice of words) suitable for a research paper or essay is often hard to understand when heard read out loud. When writing for podcasts or radio spots, one…
WHY SOUND?
Actually, radio is the most visual of all media. It creates pictures in your head, where they mean the most. A picture you invent in your head has more impact and staying power than one you simply observe. Sound is often more involving than an image because it seems all around you. Here is a…