Hear about recording gear, mastering for streaming, workflows & much more in these new podcast episodes:

In these episodes you can learn about a documentary that opens up the world of autism through Gilbert Gottfried imitations, the joys and frustrations of mixing Superbowl commercials and big-budget mobile games, how to work on and finish personal projects and master your audio for online streaming services, and what it’s like to buy and test your first MS mic.

Featuring topics for hobbyists and pros alike, the insight found in these episodes will remind you that sound design really is a big, evolving world.

In this mini episode of ‘Tonebenders’, Timothy Muirhead takes us on a special walk in the woods to introduce his newly purchased MS mics. In this ASMR-inducing episode, Tim tests out his Sennheiser MKH 416 and MKH 30 in his first Mid-Side session. During the recording he not only shows off the professionalism of the mics and tranquility of the Northern Canadian forests around him, he also gives us a short look into his life as a sound designer and father. Though the episode is a quick 10 minutes, it is a delightful break for those of us who love to nerd out about pro mics, field recording, and enjoying life (plus, you might get a few cerebral goosebumps).

In the new episode of Smart Post Sound’s Smartcast, Larry Benjamin speaks with Loren Silber of Lime Studios in Santa Monica, CA. Loren talks about the beginnings of developing a studio and how sometimes creature comforts (free breakfast, a bar) can be just as important to clients as production quality. They also discuss workflow for games and commercials, mixing in 5.1, the loudness wars of Superbowl ads, and how when it comes to creative collaboration between client and studio or stubborn lead designers, communicators are irreplaceable.

In ‘BCAIGA’, Matthew Marteinsson and Gordon McGladdery discuss personal projects and how you can work on them effectively even when you think you have no spare time. They talk about scope and focusing on small victories, whether they be milestones or hours, to finish projects without deadlines. They also bring up the wisdom in understanding that finished is always better than perfect (since it’s difficult to evaluate progress on unfinished projects). Plus, they mention field recording workflows, stories about recording in scary places, the ever-growing role of audio in directing players in games, and in the memory of Saki Kaskas, to not forget to thank those in your life who have helped you move forward.

In the new episode of ‘Soundworks Collection’, Michael Coleman gets an opportunity to talk to Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams about his recent film Life, Animated. This documentary tells the story of Owen Suskind, who as a child was diagnosed with autism and unable to speak – that is, until his father honed his inner Iago and discovered a new way for them to communicate social understanding and empathy through Disney characters. In this interview you will hear about the development of the film from the studios of Skywalker Sound to the legal offices of indie film-supporting Disney. If you like the interview, be sure to check out the film on iTunes.

In this episode of ‘Soundworks Collection’, Ian Shepherd and Jon Tidey talk about optimizing tracks for online streaming. They talk about the different services available, such as SoundCloud and iTunes, and what format the file should be before you provide it to them. They also go into specifications and automatic compression from these services, loudness standards, what “Mastered for iTunes” means, the sins of the mp3 format, and much more. If the words ‘standards’ and ‘conversion’ make you timid, learn the ropes in this episode!