Steve Ahern explores some new studio trends.
Podcasting and video streaming have changed the traditional thinking about studios.
The visual aspect is now important, as well as the traditional concerns of functionality and acoustics.
Recently in Ireland, I visited the Bauer Media studios in Dublin and was impressed with the way the Sport Talk studios were fitted out with sporting memorabilia surrounding the desks, which were just that, desks, not mixer panels. The desks had microphones on them and the mixing was done outside in the control room. The studio was of course set up with lights and cameras so that snippets of the live radio show could be captured for social media turnaround and longer form content could be made into podcasts.
In London at the BBC, I experienced the British national broadcaster’s new podcast studio set up. The studios are like small tv studios, with screens that change the logos, depending which program recording in there. As well as branding screens, one of the notable points in these studios was the extra set dressings. Cushions were stacked in boxes out of sight ready to be taken out when the show was being recorded to dress the neutral coloured lounges. There were branded mugs and other logo items available as well.
In Amsterdam at the IBC Conference, I was struck by what I considered the most innovative element of all, special microphone windsocks.
Coloured mic socks with the station logo on them have been around forever, but this year at IBC there was a new twist. Shaped mic socks.
Mark Bibby, the proprietor of Foam Conversion Audio, explained that the shaped foam pop-guards are mostly placed on a table and are meant to be in shot for the video filming. He acknowledges that some shapes may not be as acoustically perfect as a normal windsock, but the fact that they can bring in extra revenue for podcasters makes the potential audio quality compromise worthwhile.
Podcasters had commissioned pop guards for a chocolate promotion (Kinder Surprise), for the Barbie Movie, Oreos and a tomato sauce brand. As well as in the studio, some were also used at press conferences.
Another company, also displaying at IBC made a special windsock design for a radio station’s Taylor Swift promotions (main pic).
Mark Bibby told me more about his products.
Transcript
We’ve been making windshields, branded windshields, for about 15 years. Normally a set, a standard range of shapes and sizes, but over the last two or three years, people are coming to us with more unusual ideas, with podcasting and TikTok and YouTube taking off.
People want something that’s going to stand out a little bit more than a standard windshield. So, yeah, we’ve started doing things. A teapot here or a brand of an advertiser…
I think with things like, as you can see here ,with Barbie, these are just a really good tool for advertising, press conferences, etc. They just grab people’s attention a little bit more than a standard windshield. And they do the same at the show as well.
They’re probably one of the most photographed things at IBC, I would imagine. And what’s this one, the teapot here?
This is for a podcast in the UK. The company just wanted something that was really going to catch your attention and draw the viewer in, so they came to us with rough ideas. We let them know what we can do, what we can’t do, and normally find a solution.
And, of course, the practical question, does it change the microphone acoustics?
In general, no. They’re still functioning microphone windshields. They still do what they’re supposed to do obviously sometimes they’ve got to be a bit bigger than normal, so they may have a very slight impact on the on the sound but it’s aesthetics against the sound quality.
For these customers the most important thing is being seen so a slight loss in quality of sound is more than offset by the visual aspect of the product.
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