In the Clubhouse: Audio Electronics Explained - Part 2

“I think, you know, in terms of quality and even the manufacturing, I’ve been very pleased with what I’ve been seeing from quote-unquote competitors. And as far as competing, I think the Pod Mobile is kind of different in the application and though there’s a lot of overlap and one can choose to, for certain applications, it can choose from multiple options, the packaging and the range of things that Power Mobile does is quite different.” -- Fernando Eid Pires

This episode's the second half of The Power of Sound Clubhouse chat with panelists Steve Irby and Fernando Pires as we talk about condenser mics vs dynamic mics, Fernando's priorities when it comes to designing audio equipment and comparing technical numbers to real-world performance.

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Changing Up Your Gear

The second half of our Clubhouse discussion starts as we continue to talk about audio specifications, the math behind decibel ratings, and whether condenser mics or dynamic mics offer the best bang for your audio buck. Fernando offers an example of how what seem to be ideal numbers on paper can sometimes fail to account for practical reality and a podcaster's unique circumstances. "My advice for the consumer," he tells us, "is that if you go with the numbers and you're about to change up your gear with hopes to improve it that much... get the product from a place that it can be returned."

Publishing the Truth

George Whittam joins the conversation with a question to our panelists about the latest buzz surrounding 32-bit float audio, just what that phrase really means, and how useful it might be for a device as versatile as Fernando’s PodMobile. Fernando and Steve share their thoughts about balancing cost and efficiency in audio equipment, and whether it’s more important to compete with the numbers across the industry or with the user experience. “We’re at the point,” Steve explains, “where we want to say, what we publish is true, you know, and there is a lot of pressure to publish a certain number, maybe with a certain type of a measurement that doesn’t really matter. So you get the pressure to do that.”

A Life Transformed

We wrap up the conversation with a more in-depth look at some of the design decisions that went into the PodMobile's audio ports and interfaces, how early user feedback led to Fernando adjusting his original plans to make it more robust, and the unique "blend mode" he designed to offer spatial-audio recording. As we close, he looks back at the circumstances that led to his meeting Steve and joining Kicker. "My life has been transformed entirely top to bottom in every way," Fernando says. "And that's amazing. Like, gosh, like how far it goes when, when you, you know, aiming for the long haul. And I don't see how that could have been the case if you had compromised on your values."

Episode Summary