Diffusers — What They Actually Do (and Why They Matter)
Release Date: 10/13/2025
Every Breath You Take (Out): Should You De-Breath Your Audio?
The Pro Audio Suite
Breaths — they’re natural, emotional, and sometimes downright necessary. But should they always stay in your voice tracks? This week, the crew dives into the great de-breathing debate, inspired by a post from voice actor on how breaths act as “unseen punctuation.” Robbo, AP, George the Tech, and Robert Marshall discuss when removing them improves clarity and when it strips away the performance. Along the way, they touch on AI voices, happy accidents, and the fine art of keeping things human — from Sting’s laugh on Roxanne to Chad Smith breaking a drumstick mid-take. They also chat...
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iPhone Update: You Can Now Pick Your Mic!
The Pro Audio Suite
Finally! Apple’s latest iOS 26 update gives users control over which mic their iPhone or iPad apps use. Whether you’re recording with AirPods, a PASport VO, or your favourite external mic, you can now select your input per app — a massive leap for voice actors, podcasters, and mobile content creators. The team also unpacks the new AirPods Pro 3 and their surprisingly usable mic quality, adaptive noise reduction, and hearing-aid features. As always, the conversation goes off the rails (in the best way) with plenty of laughs and gear talk. 🎙️ In this episode: Choosing your mic per...
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Reflection Filters – Help or Hype?
The Pro Audio Suite
This week, the crew takes a hard look at reflection filters — those curved bits of foam and metal you often see sitting behind microphones. Do they really make your recordings sound better, or are they just clever marketing? George “The Tech” Whittam, Robbo, Robert Marshall, and Andrew Peters break down what reflection filters actually do (and don’t do), why they often make voiceovers sound worse, and what to invest in instead if you want to improve your room sound. From the SE Electronics RF-X to the Aston Halo, the team compares designs, materials, and real-world results — and...
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Diffusers — What They Actually Do (and Why They Matter)
The Pro Audio Suite
Ever wondered what those strange wooden grids on studio walls actually do? In this week’s episode, the guys dive into diffusers — how they work, when to use them, and why your small booth might not be the best place for one. We also chat about the brand-new Austrian Audio CC8 Supercardioid — the latest addition to their small-diaphragm condenser range — and how it performs in real-world sessions. From quadratic and skyline diffusers to the mysterious Fresnel-style designs, we break down what each type does to your sound, and why diffusion is often misunderstood. George shares insights...
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Hunting Down Gremlins in Your Signal Chain
The Pro Audio Suite
Levels mysteriously rising and falling with no changes in your setup? In this episode of The Pro Audio Suite, we go hunting for those dreaded signal-chain gremlins. From flaky TRS connections that drop a balanced leg and cause sudden 6 dB losses, to patchbay switches that “moved themselves,” to the quirks of send/return jacks on interfaces like the Audient iD series—we unpack the common culprits behind random level swings. We also share a practical, step-by-step troubleshooting method called binary reduction: change one thing at a time, ideally from the middle of the chain, and halve...
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The Pro Audio Suite – Rooms: Why Size (and Shape) Matters
The Pro Audio Suite
This week the guys take a quick dive into one of the biggest factors that can make or break your booth sound: the room itself. From walk-in wardrobes to DIY blanket forts and even apartments in Rome, we talk about what really matters when it comes to room size, shape, reflections, and treatment. Spoiler alert: bigger isn’t always better, but dead is definitely good. Thanks to our sponsors TriBooth (use code TRIPAP200 for $200 off) and Austrian Audio – making passion heard. Edited by Andrew Peters. Mixed by Robbo. Recorded via Source Connect with tech support from George “The Tech”...
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Outboard Gear: Investment or Indulgence?
The Pro Audio Suite
This week on The Pro Audio Suite, the team dives into a question every engineer, producer, and voice actor has wrestled with: is outboard gear still worth the space and the spend? From vintage LA-2As and Neve compressors to Avalons, VariMus, and the rise of clones and plug-ins, we break down: Whether classic hardware really goes up in value Why collectors, commercial studios, and voice actors see things differently The surprising role of AI in modeling old gear When plug-ins are “close enough”… and when they’re not Tales of gear that doubled in value (and some that didn’t...
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Audio Mythbusters: 6 Studio Myths That Need Bin-ning
The Pro Audio Suite
We’re busting some of the biggest myths still floating around VO and podcast studios. From noise gates that wreck your takes to USB mics that promise “pro quality” but rarely deliver, we cut through the nonsense and share what actually works. In this episode: Noise gates: why they usually cause more harm than good Noise reduction: AI vs old-school fingerprint NR USB mics: when they fail and why they’re limiting Expensive mics: shiny gear doesn’t fix a bad room Coaching: how much do you really need once you’re working? Booths & acoustics: why treatment matters more...
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Back to His Roots: George’s One-Case Location VO Rig
The Pro Audio Suite
George heads out on a time-sensitive PSA to capture wild VO lines at an actor’s house — and rebuilds a lean, one-case kit on the fly. We dig into what made the rig work, why he chose an onboard recorder for redundancy, mic choices (NTG-4 vs NTG-5), and a stack of road-tested tips from our early days hauling DA-88s, DATs and Franken-booms. What we cover: Packing everything into a Pelican 1510 (laptop, interface, mic, stand, boom) Primary vs backup: PortCaster with onboard record + laptop DAW Why the NTG-4 worked (once the low-cut was off) and when the NTG-5 is nicer Quiet-room...
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Source-Connect Bridge Explained
The Pro Audio Suite
Ever been caught in a panic when Source-Connect 3 won’t talk to Source-Connect 4? You’re not alone. In this week’s Pro Audio Suite, the team dives into the Source-Connect Bridge—what it is, why it exists, and how it can save your session. Robbo shares a real-world case of a talent stuck between versions, Robert explains how the Bridge works behind the scenes, and George breaks down when it’s the best option (hint: travelling VO talent on Windows, we’re looking at you). We also get sidetracked on long VO sessions, Apple’s memo banning typewriters in 1980, and why agencies...
info_outlineEver wondered what those strange wooden grids on studio walls actually do? In this week’s episode, the guys dive into diffusers — how they work, when to use them, and why your small booth might not be the best place for one.
We also chat about the brand-new Austrian Audio CC8 Supercardioid — the latest addition to their small-diaphragm condenser range — and how it performs in real-world sessions.
From quadratic and skyline diffusers to the mysterious Fresnel-style designs, we break down what each type does to your sound, and why diffusion is often misunderstood.
George shares insights from a beautifully treated garden-shed studio (yes, really), Robbo recalls diffusers hanging as ceiling “clouds” at Foxtel, and the crew even take a detour into restaurant acoustics — because if you can’t hear your dining partner, maybe they need better room treatment too!
Whether you’re building a home studio or just want your booth to sound a little bigger, this one’s packed with real-world advice (and a few laughs along the way).
🎧 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
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Austrian Audio CC8 Supercardioid (and upcoming release)
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Quadratic, skyline, and Fresnel diffusers
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Tube traps and hybrid panels
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Auralex and GIK Acoustics products
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RPG diffusers
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Blackbird Studios Nashville
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Soundprint App (for measuring restaurant noise levels)
🔊 SPONSORS
Tri-Booth — Get $200 off your Tri-Booth with the code TRIPAP200 at tribooth.com
Austrian Audio — Makers of the OC818, OC18, and the brand-new CC8 Supercardioid. Making passion heard.
🌐 LINKS
🎧 www.proaudiosuite.com
🎥 YouTube: @proaudiosuitepodcast
💬 Join the discussion: Pro Audio Suite Facebook Group