
#45 - Hot Lunch!
Series: SaltCast: the Backstory to Great Radio Storytelling
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Length: 00:10:11
Also in the SaltCast: the Backstory to Great Radio Storytelling series
#59 - Powered By Laughter
(00:13:11)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
At Salt we say "Music is emotional fascism." It's a bit tongue-in-cheek. But, the idea is that you want to be VERY careful when you choose to use music for scoring a story.
#58 - Dam Radio Story
(00:17:14)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Sometimes the first step is the hardest. Same with starting a story.
#57 - Song of Marconi
(00:07:31)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Artist and writer Dennis Downey's essay on Marconi, an early radio pioneer, and talking on the radio.
#56 - Dowser, Consultant to the Universe
(00:12:25)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Dowswer Glenn Johnson makes a mistake.
#53 - Left For Dead
(00:17:50)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
"Left for Dead" is probably the most gruesome story reported by a Salt student. It's not for the faint of heart.
#54 - No Brother of Mine
(00:27:24)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Diane Richard and her husband Todd Melby sure know how to pick a project with a long uphill road to the finish line. On this Saltcast, we talk with Diane and Richard about ...
#52 - Just Another Fish Story
(00:14:03)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
You didn’t hear this from me, but sometimes the best approach to working on a story is to not have much of a plan.
#51 - Portrait of a Psychic as a Young Man
(00:11:47)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Ninety-nine percent of the time, using the pronoun “I” in a story is a journalistic no-no. But sometimes, it's a useful storytelling tool.
#50 - Ghetto Life 101
(00:38:07)
From: Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
“Ghetto Life 101" is a high-water mark for radio documentary and the story featured on this edition of the Saltcast — our fiftieth!!
Piece Description
Ovens and sinks and a fridges, oh my.
No matter which way producer Audrey Dilling turned in the cafeteria kitchen at Biddeford High School, she was awash in sound, sound, and more sound. What’s a producer to do? Audrey has some answers on this Saltcast about hot lunch and recording.
One answer to the problem is to use two different mics — one for general ambiance, the other for specific sounds.
For general ambiance (and nearly all the sound you hear in Salt stories), Audrey used the reporter’s standard: Electrovoice RE-50. Works well in wind. Limits mic handling noise. It sounds good.
The other mic Audrey used is the Audio Technica 8035. It’s shotgun mic with a much narrower pick-up pattern for focused sound gathering.
If you are looking to buy only one mic, I recommend the RE-50. It’s a workhorse, takes a beating, and won’t disappoint. But, if you have some cash to invest in mics, having both of these can be a blessing. Ask Audrey.




