Episode 52
The Everglades Show
September 2, 2016 · Mike Murphy
Ep52: THE EVERGLADES SHOW How To Record on Location (Part 3) This episode was recorded in a swamp! Episode Summary: Facts about The Florida Everglades Tips & Tricks for How To Podcast on Location Introduction to Noise Removal
Episode Summary: Part 3 of the on-location podcasting series, recorded in the Florida Everglades — real facts about the ecosystem, on-location recording tips, and a first introduction to noise removal.
What You’ll Learn
- The final part of a 3-part mobile podcasting series, recorded in the Florida Everglades
- Real facts about the Everglades ecosystem and alligator-vs-crocodile trivia
- What went wrong during the on-location recording, and the lessons learned
- A first introduction to noise removal in Audacity, Auphonic, and Adobe Audition
Mobile podcasting series:
- Part 1 (Episode 48): San Francisco, CA
- Part 2 (Episode 50): Naples, FL Beach
- Part 3 (this episode): The Florida Everglades
The Podcaster’s Toolkit
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Everglades Facts
- One out of every three Floridians (roughly 8 million people) relies on the Everglades for water supply.
- Often described as a swamp or forested wetland, it’s actually a very slow-moving river.
- Home to 73 threatened or endangered species.
- Mosquitoes are a genuinely important link in the food chain — and very much alive and well.
- Everglades National Park spans 1.5 million acres, the 3rd largest national park in the lower 48, behind Yellowstone (2nd) and Death Valley (1st).
Alligator vs. crocodile: alligators live mainly in freshwater; crocodiles live in salt or brackish water. Everglades National Park is the only place on Earth where both can be spotted in the same body of water. Alligators lean black or dark grey; crocodiles are green-grey. Crocodiles have more V-shaped snouts; alligators are wide and flat. Crocs can reach 20 feet; American alligators typically top out around 13–15 feet.
Airboats are the main mode of transportation through the Everglades — invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
Tips for On-Location Podcasting
Recording outside is inherently distracting, so the top priority is preparation from home: connect all gear and cables, load batteries, set everything up so nothing gets forgotten, and write a detailed script or outline in advance. Charge batteries, pack chargers, and bring portable backup chargers (Anker is the go-to brand). Format memory cards ahead of time, and sync/clear space on iPhone and iPad.
Supply kit: microfiber and regular towels, lip balm, sunscreen, bug spray, water, snacks — common sense and preparation cover most of it.
Lemons to Lemonade
The Everglades recording session ran into real problems: the script wasn’t fully dialed in before recording started, too much was attempted at once (BTS footage, GoPro time-lapse, and audio all simultaneously), and once the generator on the airboat kicked in, clean audio became impossible — on an island surrounded by alligators, there wasn’t much room to relocate away from the noise.
Noise Removal
Most audio editors include noise removal tools. Audacity and Auphonic both offer solid free noise removal. Use caution — overly aggressive removal introduces distortion and “digital artifacting” in voice recordings.
In Adobe Audition: Noise Reduction, Adaptive Noise Reduction, and the Essential Sound panel (Repair Sound) all offer different approaches.