Behind the Scenes: Making an Episode of the Bangkok Podcast [S7, E48]

In a first, the Bangkok Podcast turns its focus on itself as Greg
and Ed explain the process by which they create two shows almost
every week of the year. The boys begin discussing their approach
to brainstorming topics for new shows. Given that the podcast has
been around for more than 10 years and there are more than 700
back episodes in total, coming up with fresh ideas is not easy.
So the guys tend to mine their personal experiences, the lives of
their friends, evergreen news stories that highlight perennial
issues with Thai society, and of course, suggestions from
listeners. (In fact, if you have any good ideas, please send them
in!)


Does the podcast follow a script? Conversationally, no. Greg and
Ed simply have a topic and bullet points and they flow from
there, but there is a structure to the show that includes
background music, cues, and common themes. What about the
recording process? Well, as two tech geeks, the guys do take
advantage of semi-professional gear. Ed speaks into a dynamic
microphone connected to a digital mixer that acts as an interface
to his Windows 11 PC. Greg records with a condenser microphone
connected to his MacBook Air. They record separately at home
while on a Facebook call, and then upload the audio to a Google
Drive folder. Greg then typically does the edit, recently with an
open source but professional tool known as Reaper. 


As for posting, the podcast uses a platform called Libsyn, which
allows them to upload an episode to one location and then have it
dispersed to multiple outlets. 


When it comes to general advice, Ed encourages newbies to go easy
on the technology. Today, the barriers to entry are low, and a
couple iPhones with lav mics are probably all that are necessary
to get started. However, over time, mastering better technology
is undoubtedly key to making your life easier. 


Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the
show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on
Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our
website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info
than you need to know.