Masterclass: Sound Design with Axel Kacoutié (Part 3)

To finish off Axel Kacoutié’s Sound Design Masterclass we present to you his 3rd instalment, where he has put together his top tips on mixing.

Editing your podcast can seem like the trickiest part of the process, but in reality all you need is a digital audio workstation (DAW) that suits your needs and some simple editing tips. With a bit of practice and following this videos guidance, you can then make something truly magical!
Axel’s top tips on mixing your podcast brings you everything you need to know about using audio software to edit and mix multiple tracks, and how to use the right tools to get a polished sound from start to finish.
Axel will break down:
  • The importance of EQ and removing unwanted noise.
  • Understanding what compression is and how it can improve the sound of your podcast.
  • How to pace out your podcast to give it room to breathe.
  • How to mix your podcast overall and perfect the levels.
We also recommend going through Axel’s worksheet alongside this video, where you will find a glossary of terms and definitions as well as answers to questions you may have.

Axel Kacoutié HeadshotAbout Your Instructor: Axel Kacoutié- Sound Designer, The Guardian

I am the Guardian’s theme composer and Sound Designer for their daily news podcast called, Today in Focus. It took a long time to accept the title of “sound designer” as it was drilled into me when studying Music Production for Media at Ravensbourne University. I thought I should mainly focus on the music whilst students on the Sound Design course did their thing. At that time, I was solely focused on being a composer who wanted to write music for TV and film or collaborating with singer/songwriters.

Fast forward to today. I quickly understood that separating my skills would do me no good. My musical understanding of the rhythm of speech and mood in the delivery makes me understand how to pace an interview or build that sonic world that feels necessary when describing what it’s like inside a black hole. Music is sound, and sound is music, and it’s the words that gel it all together. With that synthesis that I apply to my practice, it’s led me to create work for the BBC, Channel 4, NOWNESS, feature in the Barbican, and win several national and international awards.

Additional Items 

Axel has generously put together additional resources, references and a glossary of terms you can look to help you create the best sounding podcast.

Download Axel’s – Sound Design Worksheet