What are the best podcast equipment options? What equipment do you need to record a podcast? These are some of the questions that many people who want to start their own podcast ask themselves. Fortunately, we have answers for you! In this post, we will see a guide on the best podcast equipment that is needed in order to record quality podcasts.
Equipment needed for recording a podcast
-High quality microphone
-Headphones (music through headphones can sometimes come in the recording)
-Sound board or another device of your choice to control audio levels and mix of sound.
-A place to record, either the same room as you would have a podcast (conference room where there is no noise), or a professionally treated studio.
-Recording equipment that will be compatible with your recording software.
Some people also make use of stand alone MP3 players, which generally need an AC adapter to charge the battery before they are used for mixing music, but allow for a less expensive setup in smaller spaces or when equipment has been unavailable at the time of setting up equipment for recording purposes.
Recording equipment recommendations
First, with regards to microphones. There are many other excellent options out there too (such as the Shure SM58), but I’ll try to keep it simple and say that when you’re first starting out in podcasting, either a large diaphragm condenser microphone is fine (and if you want an inexpensive microphone that performs well for its price point – the Audio Technica 2020 stands out). Secondly, with regards to audio interfaces. Regardless of what sound recording gear you have going into your computer’s sound card, something like a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 will enable users to plug their mic into one end and their instruments or guitars into the other. This is key because it eliminates noise interference from external sources
Microphone types and their uses
There are three general categories of microphones: dynamic, condenser, and ribbon. For each category, different types of microphones exist.
Examples: Dynamic – Shure SM 57; Condenser – AKG C414 XLS; Ribbon – Royer R-121s
Dynamic microphones are more often used for live recordings, drum overheads, vocals within a specific sweet spot and they’re also a good all-around mic. Condenser mics are usually better suited for recording guitars, vibes, horns – these aren’t the best for vocals though. Ribbon microphones are great when you want to gently capture sound without coloring it but they can be delicate and need extra care like cables which should be thicker than conventional ones.
The importance of soundproofing your studio space
Studio space for podcasting is an important thing to consider when it comes to the audio quality of your program.
The tiniest echoes or rustling from outside a studio are enough to advertise that you’re in an echo-prone area and can have listeners with less-than-ideal listening equipment hedging through your broadcast. By taking the time to soundproof, you allow yourself the opportunity to give out only high quality recordings.
Mixers, audio interfaces, and other gear that you may need to record a podcast
As far as audio interfaces go, there’s really not a clear winner since it depends on what system you’re using. A few plugins might be helpful to your podcast sound quality.
Mixers are an essential part of the podcasting equipment and make the low-fi sound less so. The mics capture vibrations in the voice and send them to the mixer, which rearranges them into a digital signal that then gets sent out to speakers through a cable (either XLR cables or speaker wire).
There are a variety of cables and adapters you may need to be able to plug in your audio recording equipment. The more devices you want to connect, the more cables that will be necessary. Here is the list of what could be needed for a microphone, if just using one device or accessory. A headphone cable with a 3.5 mm male end – For headphones and earphones (3-4 feet long). Standard XLR cable – Standard plugs for most microphones.
A pop filter (or windscreen) is a usually plastic mesh-like screen placed in front of the microphone to protect it from loud popping sounds caused by plosives (a word such as “puh”) and S’s.
A shock mount is designed to isolate your microphone input from vibrations which can include things from just holding the mic, like a person’s voice, tapping on the desk with their fingers, or even talking and moving around. It reduces ambient noise pickup so you’ll only be picking up sound meant for your sentence.
Editing software options for editing podcasts
The software which does all the important basics. The basic function of a DAW is to handle multitrack recording, audio editing, and mixing. FL Studio, Audacity are some popular options for this.
A mastering software – compressors and limiters will use at the end of the process to make your final production sound as good as possible. Some options here are Ozone’s suite or Waves’ L1 Ultramaximizer/MaxxVolume plug-ins – there are plenty more out there though, so be sure to explore all options before choosing the best one for you!
