Summary
Craig speaks with Ben Marino, the host of the Talk Active podcast. They discuss the technical aspects of creating and recording a podcast, as well as Ben’s journey from visual media to audio content creation. Through their conversation, we get a sense of the diverse backgrounds and experiences that podcasters bring to the medium and the importance of audio quality in podcasting.
Episode Audio
Drive and Audio Quality
In this short conversation, Craig speaks with Ben Marino, the host of the Talk Active podcast. Ben shares his experience with transitioning from visual media, such as video and photography, to audio content creation.
Ben explains that he initially started creating videos and reviews on YouTube, but later became interested in improving the audio quality of his work. He took photography classes and learned about the different terminology and technology used in the audio industry. Ben eventually decided to pivot towards creating audio content and started his own podcast.
During the conversation, Craig and Ben also discuss the technical aspects of podcasting, such as the microphones and audio equipment they use. Ben mentions using a Rode Pod mic and a Zoom ZDM1 mic for his podcast, and suggests the Zoom ZDM1 as a budget-friendly option for those just starting out in podcasting. Craig mentions using a Zoom H6 as an audio interface and an SM58 microphone with an XLR connection.
Overall, this conversation highlights the importance of audio quality in podcasting and the various technical considerations involved in setting up and recording a podcast. It also showcases the diversity of experiences and backgrounds that podcasters bring to the medium.
Transcript
00:00.00
Craig
Um, hello I’m Craig Constantine welcome this is the podcaster community show short conversations that are not just about podcasting because I like to take the scenic route. My guest today is Ben Marino welcome Ben how are you this morning I’m guessing.
00:15.70
Ben
Um I am feeling amazing and all right Craig um, yeah, thank you for having me here.
00:21.40
Craig
Ah, my pleasure I it I going to say it never ceases to startle me. But I mean that in a good way. Never ceases to like embarrassment of riches amaze me How many people are willing to just go I don’t know I’ll click the button and you know join me for a short podcast recording. And I think part of that my guess I’m I’m actually going to this is where we’re going my question I think part of that comes from there’s so much work that we do as the creators in our own shows that the idea of like oh I get to just show up and like just do the fun part of it and then like walk away.
00:51.33
Ben
Definitely. This is fun for me. The fact that you’re going to be the None recording and editing this and as you know a host on my own show I got to have a feel of you know, walking on my on my guest’s shoes. So.
Show more…
00:58.90
Craig
Right? ah.
01:08.88
Craig
Yeah, we we started off on a tangent talking about the platform that we’re using to record and like we were you know different ideas and geeking out on tools and all that cool stuff. Um.
01:11.56
Ben
This is definitely an experience.
01:16.88
Ben
Right.
01:22.21
Craig
Ah, so while we’re while we’re doing Meta Um, what’s the name of your show and where can people find your show.
01:26.91
Ben
Yes, um, we are talk active. Definitely you can find us at um, Spotify Apple Podcasts we have our own like um pod page I got a talk active page there.
01:39.30
Craig
Yeah I think that’s where I saw it? yeah.
01:42.89
Ben
Yes, sir and that’s what we talk about? um you know general stuff. We encourage the practice of wisdom courage Justice and moderation and within there That’s where we go Yes sir.
01:49.79
Craig
Um, or of that traffic want to make sure we get that in there because I don’t do show notes or intros or Outros for this show. Definitely go check out Ben’s work so let’s let’s give you an actual question makes a little easier right? So I know that you started working. Um.
02:04.17
Ben
Um.
02:09.26
Craig
I don’t know about why want say working for like a job but your initial creative efforts were in video in visual working in Youtube um, and then more recently you’ve I want say completely pivoted but you’ve pivoted toward working in audio and I’m wondering what. Was it about that change of medium that drew you from None to the other or maybe I’m oversimplifying but like what was it about the audio medium that made you want to switch that way.
02:30.24
Ben
Yeah, good. It’s different because um, ten years ago I started Youtube reviews and then um, that pushed me through because I had a daughter when Madison was born Fourteen years ago I took photography classes in New York institute
02:49.31
Craig
Um.
02:49.54
Ben
Institute of photography I finished the courses. So from there I evolved from photography to video then um I kind of like went to this of you know Youtube things shotgun microphones and it interests me.
03:04.19
Craig
Are.
03:05.98
Ben
I was like I’m nailing every single video exposure Iso shutter speed with all that terminology and you know technology in the world of camera but my audio sucks it definitely sucks. It doesn’t matches the people watching my video and my audio.
03:17.42
Craig
Um.
03:26.13
Ben
Definitely doesn’t deliver So I dig a little bit and then I saw like this is a different world a totally different world. That’s where it started.
03:31.81
Craig
Um I I’m gonna make a shout out to because we’re not recording the video but um, the obstacle is the way is definitely a thing that I know that you’re going to agree with and the the urge that um.
03:44.42
Ben
Um, yes.
03:51.20
Craig
Not everyone has to go Oh I’m I’m really not so good at this I Think that’s the thing I should do more of or that’s the thing and I have another data point which is you you don’t want to say popped you know, but like you popped into the podcaster community and asked a really dope question and I was like.
03:57.16
Ben
Oh yeah.
04:06.70
Ben
Yes, yeah.
04:10.40
Craig
That’s that’s a but yes, that’s like it’s nuts. Bolty techch thing about 32 bit versus 6 blah blah and there there are people in the community who know way more about like audio technical nuts and bolts who like chimed in and we all kind of went like well this is what we think and and it was like super helpful and everything but I was that was the first that I ever saw of you was your interaction there. So.
04:19.64
Ben
Right.
04:29.12
Craig
The the um I don’t know forces strong in you like I could just you came in the room and you’re like hey guys I got this really weird question have you always had that the that.
04:38.00
Ben
Yeah, in the past you know I I took the photography approach because in the past when I was in photography like really deep into it I was joining the canon forum. So there’s just a bunch of photographers there where prose from National geographic.
04:50.17
Craig
Um.
04:57.45
Ben
Everybody that shoots you know weddings and and and any events. So I kind of like diving deep into the podcasting realm and when I put into the search engine the infamous Seo the forum came up.
04:58.88
Craig
If.
05:13.93
Ben
So I was like hey these are bunch of you know, similar people. Yeah similar So I was like I have to join and ask and get the the people with similar um interests with me and pick their brains. So this is where we at.
05:16.14
Craig
Crazy diuded beep. Oh oh sorry some other people sorry.
05:28.28
Craig
Um, yeah, it it is well None of all I’m I’m you know I’m glad to hear you say that because that was so I created it in the sense that I built the thing but I didn’t build the community the community happened with all the people you know who engaged there. Um, but i.
05:37.55
Ben
Um, ah right? This beautiful thing sir.
05:47.15
Craig
I literally went oh I really wish I had a place and like you know there’s a subreddit for podcasting and there are a None platforms. You know every podcasting host has a community that’s to varying degrees slapped on or integrated into what they provide. Um so it wasn’t like we needed another Apple with another Apple like a piece of fruit.
05:51.91
Ben
Yeah, yeah.
06:03.38
Ben
In other words Craig you made it your group made it because the moment I type in podcast forum yours came up so that’s just a testament of what you have started. Yes.
06:06.80
Craig
Yeah, okay.
06:11.62
Craig
Um, it’s it said something? Yeah, but when I when you look at some of the threads when when None looks at the threads. It’s like yeah these so many threads are like really long and they’re technical and ah I wanted a place where that stuff would be. Um, immormortalized or like I wanted it to stick there so people could find it because that’s stuff’s like evergreen I didn’t want it to get lost. You know, like in Reddit it just like disappears or even like in a Facebook stream or a group it like washes back into the past. But anyway I don’t want to i’t go off on a tangent I never want to talk about my stuff I want talk about Ben’s stuff um so you’ve had that.
06:37.54
Ben
Definitely.
06:41.46
Ben
Um, right right.
06:50.99
Craig
Drive to challenge yourself or to seek out the learning based on where your challenges are um and you know like I always I say I have the privilege of glancing into people’s lives because I can see the video of where you’re sitting and I’m like yeah I happen to know that you also do voiceover work and.
06:58.00
Ben
Definitely.
07:07.81
Ben
Um, yeah.
07:09.74
Craig
As you were saying I wasn’t my my vocal skills weren’t so good I’m thinking man you really like embraced that you went podcasting is 1 thing but then to actually attempt to do voiceover work for other people’s projects so tell me about.
07:18.91
Ben
Um, oh yeah.
07:24.13
Craig
How you decided that. Okay I think I’ve gotten to a point now where you know 8020 I’ve gotten a pretty good blague up here on audio now I want to try and expand and find another challenge which is to like narrate somebody else’s ideas like how did how does how did that transition happen.
07:34.81
Ben
Oh yeah, it actually ah just transpired like ah this was an unfinished basement where I’m at and for the past two years there was like a lot of challenge. A lot of a lot of projects was in my head prior to then. But. I don’t have enough um capability to because the furtness is here. It’s so loud and it’s unfinished basement. There’s no way no doubt because we’re in the basement and the kids running upstairs and is thugging but as soon as there’s the.
07:58.62
Craig
Um, my work will be interrupted in any moment by. Ah yeah.
08:13.75
Ben
The basement was finished I told my wife I only need the little space so I can unleash some of my ideas and then it just happened it just happened I got like small stuff in there that I built Um, you know I have to put in a. Um, dy soundproing some you know some what you call this? Um, what you call it, you go to low those fiverr things. Yeah that’sulation panels and it’s just evolved and it just evolved from there So I’ll close it in put some.
08:28.99
Craig
Um.
08:35.15
Craig
Um, oh fiberglass insulation panels or whatever. Yeah furniture blankets right? right.
08:47.91
Ben
Sound blankets and I start sending out some building my fiverr gig voice 1 2 3 and then acx um some I send out the ah what do you call this additions so that you know people the author if they like them.
08:50.86
Craig
Um.
08:59.94
Craig
Yeah, yeah.
09:06.11
Ben
Then they’ going to send you an offer if you like the offer then you got it, You get the job as soon as you complete the handshake then you start recording and ah yeah, gladly I finished my second audiobook it was It was fun. It was definitely an experience.
09:10.53
Craig
Um.
09:25.53
Ben
Podcasters I would not advise it to a lot of people to do voiceover because it’s just more tedious work. It’s just more a little bit more careful because if you have like a background on editing the algorithm in narration is different. It’s kind of like a little bit more digging deep because if you upload stuff in there and Acx algorithm doesn’t pass. It. You got to re edit it So That’s that’s how it started I guess.
09:50.48
Craig
Um.
09:57.90
Craig
That’s my brain’s going in 2 directions one is like I’ve thought about that because people say Craig you should I’m like oh I don’t need another project but I I think your point about fiverr I don’t think I would have thought to just be like um, there’s a joke from the movement.
10:05.29
Ben
Have.
10:14.19
Ben
Right? yeah.
10:14.79
Craig
Groups that I hang out with it. They call it the the bleep at Button you know you just like Run don. No I’m going to do it just go and I’m thinking I could just hit that button and just get go to fiber and record hey this is what my voice sounds like want your book. You want your book the sound like my voice and see what happens.
10:25.56
Ben
Definitely it’s it’s something though you see see what I learned about that. It’s not how good is your voice. No narration is not how good your voice is. You’re not gonna be more than Morgan Freeman you know in a world.
10:38.40
Craig
Right.
10:41.89
Ben
It’s not going to be like that. What I learned after 2 audiobooks. Well I’m not an expert in it. But if you have that drive if you like to deliver if you like to um what he called this legitimately try to deliver the story to the listeners.
10:55.97
Craig
Um.
10:59.98
Ben
Regardless of how you sound if the author believes in you that would be the only person that you need to you know Impress Yeah, convince exactly definitely because everybody’s unique. We got different tones in our voice and you know.
11:04.88
Craig
Convince. Yeah, that’s a great point. That’s a great point about yeah.
11:17.50
Ben
Each microphone is not universal. Ah your microphone works on you I got my specialized microphone for right there? Ah yeah.
11:22.47
Craig
Yeah, hang it behind you. You have a road mike and a pop filter and I’m like like if I was going to do voiceover this this mic because people are often looking at me and because all I have a whole kit of portable stuff. This is a sure SM 58
11:37.19
Ben
Legend Legend Yeah definitely um, definitely it is. It is fun though. It is fun is.
11:38.78
Craig
And it has a built-in pop filter. But it’s just you know like if I get in there too close you can hear everything so I need a pop filter and you know it’s if I’m going to do voiceover, but that’s not hard I have I have stands and I’m just trying to avoid you’re trying to push me into the pit I’m like no I don’t want to do another thing. No I I feel. Yeah.
11:57.27
Ben
It’s a lot more different perspective for you know podcasters and if you want challenge you want to you know, um, not prove but you don’t have to prove you know to anybody what you can do but it’s just mini projects in a span of ah I would say four days
12:02.51
Craig
Um.
12:15.60
Ben
If I didn’t delay it. You can finish a 10000 word um audio book in maybe less than you know three days if you don’t rush plus the processing maybe 2 hours that’s it
12:22.94
Craig
Um, right, cool and you mentioned Acx just unpack like what what is that is an algorithm you have it a website. What is that.
12:32.45
Ben
Oh acx is audible Amazon owns it. So it’s ah yeah, that’s where the audible in Kindle would be pumped out. So if you’re an author that’s where you upload your book you know and narrators. That’s where they send their addition for.
12:40.99
Craig
Audible. Ah.
12:51.69
Ben
You know, um authors if they put some kind of like ah additionion. This is what you want to read then you’re going to read it and then you’re going to submit it. Your M P three Files files to them and wait and see if you get the job.
13:04.00
Craig
Sweet while we’re doing geek out stuff. What’s the mic you’re talking to if people are listening like let’s do a little audio nuts and bolts.
13:09.69
Ben
Oh this is the most current mic that I own. Um I’m a roadde guy so in the past two years podcasting I got the road pod mic. Um, that pod mic is amazing. My brother gave that as a birthday gift and it’s amazing.
13:16.68
Craig
Um.
13:28.41
Ben
Um, my second one behind that one. My main podcast thing one is the role pro caster this one I reviewed it? Um I have reviewed this Zoom zdm one. It’s just I would say for talking.
13:33.75
Craig
From.
13:46.90
Ben
Podcast thing with like if you got like a tight budget. You can get this for $49 like two weeks ago it is amazing and if you got like 4 you know group podcasts. That’s 4 microphones in the prize of one procaster. You know.
13:57.60
Craig
Um, yeah.
14:02.59
Craig
He write. Ah.
14:05.87
Ben
It comes with everything Craig the the pop filter is there everything this comes in it and it’s just amazing purely for podcasting banjo if you know banjo in Youtube he is a microphone guy. Um, he reads the you know 10 hertz to Twenty Thousand kilohertz
14:08.50
Craig
I have um.
14:22.77
Craig
Yeah.
14:24.99
Ben
This is just a ah plain simple. Ah, Zoom’s the Zoom Company’s response to rode. Yeah.
14:29.33
Craig
To road. Yeah because I’m using a zoom h six as the audio interface because this SM 58 that I’m talking to has an Xlr on it is that the one you guys is that Xlr or usb okay does it have a Usb on it though. The Zoom that you forgot. Okay.
14:43.33
Ben
Xlr I don’t use Usb at all that negative. Not this one I know the sure has one. Yeah, all xlrs right right.
14:48.72
Craig
Okay, so these are both xlrs yeah I’m not I’m not bitching I’m just saying like okay people. What do you got if you want to sound like Ben you have to be Ben and then you have to buy that Zoom brand microphone not Zoom the video group Zoom the hardware people. Yeah.
14:59.94
Ben
ZoomHSix is the one if I tell you a secret craig my paid audiobooks I record it all in ZoomH six I did I did not put anything in it I do have a warm like ah, a filter like a.
15:08.78
Craig
I Love the thing.
15:15.67
Craig
Um.
15:18.38
Ben
Like a device that you can put your mic in it and and that device tethered to the ZoomH six to make your voice a little bit warmer but I removed that Kiss you know the more complicated you are a stack of it.
15:24.30
Craig
Um.
15:30.20
Craig
Yeah.
15:32.56
Ben
Introduce this remnants and it’s gonna do like a lot of humming so I completely remove that.
15:35.95
Craig
Yeah, the biggest complaint that I have seen on the interwebs about the h six is the noise floor is apparently I mean it’s nice for ten years ago but the the noise floor on these the thing that I’m talking to isn’t the greatest and I think that was 1 thing that came up, you asked about was it an f three.
15:54.61
Ben
F three? Yeah yeah.
15:55.80
Craig
That what it was this this zoom f three the zoom f three is like what I have is a station wagon and the f three is like the maserati from Zoom and that has a significantly lower noise floor. So I hear and.
16:07.30
Ben
Interesting enough. Yeah for your one of your members broke it down and I kind of you know I kind of understand.
16:14.12
Craig
Yeah, I’m totally jelly because he doesn’t use it. He’s like yeah I got this f 3 over here and I’m like dude use the thing. But yeah.
16:20.61
Ben
And for and for recording audio books and sometimes you know um I got a segment in my podcast is called positive engagement I make narration while doing videos in while I nowrate I got some videos in there.
16:34.52
Craig
Um.
16:39.50
Ben
And showing them. This is you know this is that this is this if I’m going to buy the f three. Definitely The audience is not going to to ah recognize any difference by the end of the day.
16:50.49
Craig
Yeah, that’s like where are we going I’m going to MPThree at 100 it’s like you’re not going to need that I mean there there are beautiful things about the one of the biggest things about the f three is that it records in 32 a bit if people aren’t technical minded they’re and it just fall asleep.
16:55.40
Ben
Yeah.
17:02.78
Ben
Right.
17:05.48
Craig
Ah, but that 32 bit lets you go outdoors seems to be the biggest like you can get a good mic with a huge dynamic range capacity of the mic and the f three can keep up so you’re like oh you’re going to capture everything as opposed to having clipping in their quarter. But we’re off on a tangent. Um.
17:07.50
Ben
Um, yes, ah right.
17:20.42
Craig
And it’s 17 minutes in is there anything that’s now top of mind you’re like oh wait. We also need to talk about.
17:25.44
Ben
Ah, for me this is like what I said this is my None being a guest and I feel like the guest is like really having a easy life. Very easy life.
17:36.49
Craig
It. Well thank you very much I’m Goingnna take that as a compliment. Um I think it I’ve I really enjoy guessing I’ve done hundreds of these on this side and I’ve done dozens of the guest side and I find that. Because I understand so much about the process I love it’s it’s like if you’re really into making food when you go to a good restaurant. You really enjoy the food so I kind of feel like being a guest on a podcast when you’re a really good podcast chef it. It makes it that much more fun.
17:57.31
Ben
Um, right Definitely Oh yeah, that’s that’s makes the restaurant famous right? It better be.
18:11.22
Craig
Um, like I guess yeah, yeah, um, let’s see one last string to pull on how about um, well let’s do a phone one if you could have a billboard. This is a classic Tim Ferriss question billboard anywhere in the world. Um with anything on it. What would it say.
18:31.13
Ben
Um I will put in that billboard. My famous coat my personal coat I would put it in there make your own plan or you’ll be part of someone else’s plan. That would be my billboard coat in there. It’s like you know every day This is my thing Craig every day. Basically the coat of my podcast is just this courage. Um, what do you call this wisdom.
18:51.70
Craig
Man beautiful.
19:08.93
Ben
And moderation that’s the practice of stoicism. So that basically is what I practice but before I I practice my stoicism I always feed my soul. So I read the bible every single day So this is one point that I talk about um when you pray.
19:10.51
Craig
Ah.
19:24.22
Craig
And.
19:28.75
Ben
Because I’ve been raised by my grandmother by a single parent but ah I’ve been raised by my grandmother since I was small so she’s like deeply religious in the Philippines there’s more than 7000 islands and it’s one point in Asia has more churches the entire asian country.
19:45.00
Craig
Um.
19:47.60
Ben
That’s how much church is in there so I was deeply rooted in a religious country but I was taught to pray pray to god to talk to him and tell him what I want I don’t memorize any chance I don’t you know, like other you know I’m not bashing on any religion but they like to. To memorize the same sentence for None times to repent on their sin. We don’t practice that if I I did something I’ll tell god lord this is what I did and I’m gonna confess. Yeah, but that’s me talking towards him confessing towards him. But.
20:13.82
Craig
Yeah, this is my personal conversation right.
20:24.71
Ben
You know a handshake is not 1 hand there’s 2 hands so to be able to god to talk to me. What are you going to do I’m going to ask you that Craig what are you going to do.
20:26.26
Craig
Um.
20:38.61
Craig
Um, I feel like that conversation would have to happen through other people. So I have to be I’m feeling like I would have to be called I mean I am called and but generally speaking I would have to be called to.
20:45.41
Ben
That could happen to.
20:56.73
Craig
Figuratively go and help to go and figure out a way to create something that people need. Um so that I can see the response I need to see the efficacy as a word that I love very much I have to see how what I did affects the world.
21:00.49
Ben
Um, right.
21:13.42
Ben
Gotcha I mean ah, any answer for that one because God can manifest to other people but to me I don’t need to once again, look at you know other people and I’m going to ask you and like my manager my wife I’m going to ask for your opinion or your approval. Nope Good old approach. If I Want God to talk to me I’m going to open my bible. This has been in human race for like more than None of years. They tried to burn it. They tried to you know, get rid of it. They can’t so for God to be able to talk to me I picked up my bible.
21:33.60
Craig
Um.
21:50.80
Ben
And then how I translate it how I understand that scripture is going. You know my own understanding because he talked to me directly if you read None chapter John 3 16 this is your translation and this is how you understand it. That’s different from me. Because he talked differently to individuals so our understanding varies on how you reflect so that is part of the walk that I practice you know, um I picked up my bible and then I practice my stoic system because you know first and foremost I put him you know. Any other everybody else after you know like a lot of can of worms I want to open but I don’t want to open it anymore. But yeah, after the events that happened in my life things that you know, um I was I was in a bad accident I was really really bad accident Craig and.
22:33.84
Craig
Ah.
22:47.89
Ben
It almost took my life ah in that process I broke a couple of fe or how many feet were we have in our body again to yeah, you see? Yeah I I broke ah broke a couple of them the left 1 in 3 pieces and the right one was yeah split into it was pretty bad. Yeah.
22:52.24
Craig
To a couple right? Oh I.
23:05.67
Ben
Wake up call Big wake up call and the top of that to to add Ins insult to injury while I broke both in my femur. Um I cracked my C three. That’s a spinal. So ah yeah, it’s yeah, it’s pretty. Ah, it’s that’s a lot of wake up calls. So.
23:13.32
Craig
Kill cervical. Yeah cervical vertebrae number 3 That’s pretty high.
23:25.90
Ben
It just it just puts you down back to the ground and reflect how quick it happened I had a but bad car accident that was the the event and how quickly it is and given that I have a auto mechanic background.
23:40.31
Craig
Um.
23:42.71
Ben
I used to work on a big company called Carmax with and ah yeah, it was. It was a wakeup call and and that itself you know on top of that being raised by a christian background and I definitely I will not be ashamed that I turn.
23:45.41
Craig
You get a wake up call real quick.
24:00.95
Ben
Back and forgot about God and then this happened and you know it’s It’s just amazing how he communicates you know to different individual and circling back. That’s one of my reasons of making my podcast you know one way of.
24:03.14
Craig
Um.
24:16.10
Craig
Um I was just thinking That’s so we started all this talking about how did what? what drew you and now you started but I didn’t mean to cut you off? Well thank you for sharing. Um I I love on our conversation like oh let’s let’s go like Nerdy geek.
24:18.84
Ben
Yeah.
24:22.90
Ben
Yeah, definitely.
24:33.23
Craig
Technical stuff but then also let’s actually find out a little bit about what makes everybody tick. So thank you so much for sharing your story. Um Ben I will just say terrific. Thanks for taking the time. Thanks for dropping in I suspect our paths will cross again. Bye.
24:40.82
Ben
Definitely sir definitely Craig, thank you have a good day.