Behind the Waveform: Editing "Distraction" for The Diamond Defense Podcast

Inside the Diamond Defense Podcast Editing Process

When I look back at the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for Episode 4 — Distraction — it feels less like a session file and more like multiple personal diaries told through fades, cuts, ripple deletes, and effects. The pauses and breaths trace one life’s journey through fear and emergence toward safety — and yes, badassery.

Each color-coded block represents a heartbeat: Martha’s story, Lisa’s insight, the silence we chose to hold, and the humor we used to cope and understand (re: purple fucking ponies).

Ep 4: Distraction DAW

Editing this one was different. It meant listening — again and again — to a traumatic story that happened to a dear friend. The episode is about distraction as a self-defense technique but editing it required the opposite: deep focus.

I do all of the editing and sound design — shaping the raw recordings, layering ambience, refining EQ, and carving space for the story to breathe. I use music licensed through Melodie, which allows me to find pieces that carry emotional resonance without overpowering the voice. Choosing the right cue is its own form of storytelling — matching melody to meaning.

To build the right pacing, I spent hours replaying the same few seconds of Martha’s voice — her calm, measured tone as she faced an intruder with a knife. I watched her waveform rise and fall until it felt like a pulse. Every click of the DAW mattered: where to fade, where to let silence linger, where to place the music so that courage echoed rather than crushed. Every decision needed to be precise.

Even though I handle the editing, this process is never solitary. Lisa, my co-producer and co-host, and I always hold at least two listening sessions together once I have a solid draft. We sit with the episode — virtually side by side — taking notes, discussing rhythm, emotional balance, and how the story lands. Those sessions help us agree on the final shape: what to expand, what to hold back, and when to simply let the guest's voice lead. And it's always about honoring the storyteller and their story with care and respect.

And through all of that listening, what I kept returning to was gratitude — gratitude for Martha’s courage to share her story, and for the chance to help her voice reach others in podcast form. It’s a privilege to witness her resilience, and to translate that strength into sound.

You’ll hear laughter, dark humor, truth, and resilience. But in this edit, what I really hear is survival in stereo.

This episode is available on October 7, 2025, at 9am on Buzzsprout and wherever you listen to podcasts.

🎧 Author’s Note

Technical & Production Details

• Editing & Sound Design: Kellie Raines

• Co-Producers/Co-Hosts: Lisa Thew and Kellie Raines

• DAW: Adobe Audition

• Music: Licensed through Melodie

• Final Mix: Two collaborative listening sessions before release to refine pacing, emotional tone, and flow.

All stories in the Diamond Defense Podcast are recorded and edited with care, empathy, and intention — each waveform shaped to honor the strength and dignity of every voice.