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. 

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