New podcast studio offers production space to students around campus

Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing ways of communicating and thanks to a partnership with the New Media Institute at Grady College and the Entrepreneurship Program at Terry College, there is a new studio on campus available to produce podcasts. 

Studio Not Found is a new podcast studio on the fourth floor of Grady College and equipped with the most current sound equipment and acoustic design expressly for use by students and faculty producing podcasts. 

“We are hoping to see that physical spaces will create opportunities for more collisions and conversation that leads to increased collaboration among students,” said John Weatherford, a senior lecturer in the NMI and coordinator of the new space.

The idea for Studio Not Found is the result of a podcast project that David Sutherland’s MBA students produced. Sutherland, a retired lecturer of entrepreneurship and business innovation who still teaches part-time, taught the students, but when they produced their podcast, they had to use a local production studio, Tweed Recording, because there was no studio available to them on campus. Sutherland’s goal was to find a space on campus to produce the podcast and others like it, so he connected with Weatherford who offered the space and expertise to develop the studio. Sutherland financed the project and Weatherford designed the studio with help and advice from John Snyder, president of Tweed Recording. 

“NMI has the technology side and Terry has business side and that allows us to come together,” Sutherland said. 

Bob Pinckney, the Milton Anthony Greene Director of Entrepreneurship at Terry College, agrees. 

“This facility is top notch in terms of technology and ease of use,” Pinckney said, “but more importantly, it’s fantastic to collaborate in a way that brings greater opportunities to students and faculty.”

The completed studio features podcasting equipment including two Electro-Voice RE20 microphones and a Rodecaster Pro. Podcasters can also connect to a 4K monitor and use an iMac for post-production, while the soundproof wall padding absorbs echoes and helps with acoustics. Portable podcasting equipment including four Shure Beta 87As and a second Rodecaster Pro also can be checked out for remote recordings. 

To further the educational mission of the new studio, a team from NMI worked with Studio Not Found as its client for its final capstone project. The project included designing a website, training modules teaching novices how to use the equipment, producing test podcast episodes and creating social media channels and content. 

“We are grateful to David for his willingness to go for it and make this studio happen,” Weatherford concluded. “I am excited for the hundreds of students who will use this space for years to come.”

Students and faculty interested in using the space can reserve the studio online.