Seven Top Errors in Production

There's a world of production tricks of the trade that can really help your Audio Drama. Understanding gating and compressing, as well as buying really state of the art equipment will certainly provide better options, it's also not in the budget of many people. So, I'm going to stick with the basics that everyone should consider.
1. Poor Microphone Recording
Much of the worst audio drama is not about using a really bad microphone, but even a good mic poorly. Make sure the actors keep an appropriate distance from the mic to give a clear recording. Use pop screens to cut sharp sounds. You can build your own.
2. Terrible Echo
Often times the recording is done in a room or rooms that have poor acoustics. The sound bounces back and forth, and unless your audio drama is situated in a room. You don't want that. Take the time to hang blankets, on the wall to baffle the sound. Consider recording in your walk in closet if you can make it especially quiet. You can always add in reverb later as you need it. Removing echo is something that is nearly impossible.
3. Inappropriate Music
Perhaps it is being brought up in a generation where music is ubiquitous but not all music in a show is good music. Consider music as an extra character in the show. If the music is taking all the attention away from the actors and the plot, or worse still the setting, remove it. I listened to an audio drama recently where two gentlemen were in a garden outside on a private estate and there was some kind of almost circus music playing in the background. Movies use music a lot for mood and that works well. Music in movies can be even more obtrusive than audio because the images help distance you from it. Music is so dangerous in audio drama that everything from a distracting mood music in the background to an inappropriate sting at the end of the scene can ruin the experience.
4. Actor's Takes
While officially this may be the director's job- that is making sure the actor provides multiple takes- it is especially important for a good producer to have an ear of what "sounds" natural. This is especially important if your actors come from all around the world. You need to make sure that the characters sound like they are in the same room. Too many audio dramas have actors reacting inappropriately to each other. Believability has to be your key.
5. Timing
This is so very important and often missed. Layering conversations so they run on top of each other. Cutting the space between lines, and just as importantly adding pause creates the illusion of a real conversation. A strong pause allows two things. It allows the audience to catch up with the information and process new events at the same time as the character and it creates an emotional statement of what the character is feeling. A long pause after some stunning news can set up anger, tears, and disbelief. A semi-regular pause can express thoughtfulness or deliberation. Good timing creates tension in a scene. Bad timing feels like bad high school theater.
6. Sound Beds
Recording in different locations creates a different "sound bed" in which your story is told. If some of your actors record at different times or different places you may have a problem of a different sounding "hiss" in your show. While I think a completely hiss-less recording sounds unnatural and kind of creepy, not having a unified sound to each of your scenes is equally problematic. You can hear voices pop-in and cut-out, and that is death to a believable radio play. Consider using electronic software to process out your hiss as much as possible and then record the hiss in your favorite recording room to layer over top of your production and give it a single sound. Be sure you don't over-produce your hiss out of your production though, as that often creates weird vocal effects to the character as part of the natural voice is filtered out.
7. Over Production
Knowing when to edit and when to leave alone is one of the hardest skills to maintain. Keeping a little imperfections in the acting can add authenticity. That is what most folks are listening for, an authentic experience.