How I Podcast: Summer Album / Winter Album's Jody Avirgan

The beauty of podcasting is that anyone can do it. It is a rare medium that is almost so easy to do as consuming. And as such, there are no two people who do it exactly the same way. There are a lot of open -sized hardware and software solutions for possible podcasters, so the configurations execute from NPR studies to USB Skype platforms (the last of which became a kind of breach during pandemic).

This week, we talked to Jody Avirgan, who is coanfrerion “Summer album / winter album” With the leader of the American indie band The Hold Stable, Craig Finn. Each episode finds Avirgan and Finn discussing whether a classic album should be classified as a “summer album” or “winter album”.

Avirgan, who previously presents shows for radio, TED, Fivethirtyeight and ESPN, told us about his chosen podcasting configuration. Here is in your own words:

“Even when I worked at ESPN/Fivethirtyeight, I always had a home recording settings. Since he left, that he coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, I made my basement recording studio my main home. Actually, it is the kitchen of a basement studio apartment, so just out of pain, behind some curtains, there is a fridge (unplugged), sink and many cabinets.

“But I have hung tons of curtains, scattered soft things and I have put some sound damping panels. I think he is now cozy and quite warm. My microphone is an Electro-Voice Re27N/D, a study microphone of $ 500.

“To be clear: I do not make money RE27. We bought this microphone when I was staying 30 for 30. I left ESPN three weeks before the pandemic coup, and somewhere I wrote an email asking if they wanted them to return the microphone. I never received an answer, and I certainly didn't write a follow -up. Then I kept it. This is probably the reason why Disney's actions have dropped 20% in the last five years. It is a very warm microphone, but it is a giant.

“When I am on the road, Peco an AT2020-USB+, which connects directly to my computer and I can knock out the monitoring of anywhere, usually under a blanket in the closet of a hotel, which is the natural habitat of a podcaster.

“I execute my microphone through Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, a simple but powerful interface that allows me to control the levels of my microphone and direct directly to my computer, where I am often joining people through Zoom or Riverside. Always record a local backup file using Hindenburg, which I then keep in Dropbox. All roads finally lead to Dropbox.

“The only place that deviates from the typical podcaster kit 101 is in my headphones. Everyone has the Sony MDR-7506, and I have made my fair part of them, but I really like NTH-100 headphones. They are a little more comfortable, they look a little more slippery, and so far the filling has not broken into the way the landfill inevitably does, which leads one to find small black spots in the ears later of the recording.

“Like many podcasters, I have been making more and more videos lately. I have used description for years, but as the audio and video worlds have merged, I do almost my entire edition at this time. I make social videos of our conversations for “This day” and “Summer album / winter album“But also original things I have been playing on instagram.

“I am making a series every week where I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18077979169620570/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Try to guess the title from the cover of the New Yorker of that week, and recorded it in description and I turn it in about 20 minutes using a template I built. Description – I am a great admirer. It is very versatile, and it is good to work with a program that seems to give shit about what the podcasters want, instead of the protools.

“I guess I have also had to think about my visual configuration a fair amount. I bought the webcam that the Wirecutter recommended, but I honestly prefer the appearance of the MacBook camera, so it usually only uses it. In my experience, I put some books to show that I know how to read; A signed photo by George Mikan, on whom there was a bit in “Death in the wing”, and $ 28 in False Ikea plants.

“Block the view so that I don't think people can see that plants are there; But I like to know that they are there, and they will always be there, due to the plastics forever. “

Previously we have asked others about our hosts and favorite podcast producers to highlight their workflows: the equipment and software they use to do the job. The list so far includes: