A Guide to Podcasting: Equipment Pt. 2

*** It should be noted that accessories and cables are not included in the set ups above. You’ll have to figure out what mic stands, cables, etc are needed for your set up.

LET’S WRAP IT UP

Again, these are just sample set ups. Mix and match to create your own or better yet, continue your research and truly build out your own. Remember, you can always start off small and upgrade when you’re ready. It’s easy to start with the Audio-Technica ATR2100 straight into your computer and see if podcasting is for you. If it is, build it out… add a recorder… then a mixer… then maybe some extras for guests… etc… etc. With the higher quality gear, you could also look at the used market to save some coin. And let’s not forget to mention that just because a mic is more expensive, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll like how you sound on it. As mentioned in part one, many podcasters end up sticking with the Audio-Technica ATR2100. Especially when they need multiples for co-hosts and guests. A mic like the Shure SM7b is great but some people prefer the Heil Sound PR40 because they like their voice on it better. There is a lot of personal preference in choosing a mic higher end mic. But again, you might just like a lower end mic and stick with it. Also, mic preamps in mixers play a role in the sound of the mics and it’s usually cheaper to try upgrading that first.

In case you are asking yourself, what about audio interfaces instead of mixers. First, let talk about the differences. An audio interface is meant to be a middle man between your digital computer and the analog mics, translating the signals. It will also send every input as it’s own individual signal to your software. Meaning 4 mics in, 4 inputs in the software. The mixer on the other hand can be both a middle man for digital to analog and analog to analog. It also provides physical controls as opposed to needing mostly software. Its problem is if it have USB out, they usually just output a stereo signal to your software, meaning no individual signals. Meaning 4 mics in, are outputted as 2 inputs (left and right) to your software. Now, in our view a mixer is better for podcasting as it is more versatile and can even be used for remote guests. While an audio interface would work great too, it’s most suited for when you absolutely need every input to be sent individually to your software. Like a band with multiple instruments to be mixed in software. For some suggested audio interfaces, check out the Equipment Guide Part 1.

While in the samples above the upgrade path seems to be going to a recorder, that also is not necessary. To save a little, you can just keep recording to your PC or Mac through software. Eventually though, we recommend a recorder because it’s just more reliable. Recording to your computer has it’s risks. If the software crashes or if the system crashes, you’ll probably lose whatever you were currently recording. While that might be rare, it just takes the one time to ruin your day. Plus, imagine it happening with a guest or co-host that just doesn’t have the time to re-record.

To wrap it up, figure out your budget and start there. You don’t need the best gear to have a great podcast. Having high quality audio is great but content is king. With the budget samples here, you should be able to achieve good sound quality, with the higher end samples you might achieve great sound quality… but neither will improve poor content. If you want to start a podcast and feel you can provide good content for your audience, don’t waste time saving up for a Shure SM7B because that’s what the big podcasters use… start where you can and start recording. The equipment can always be upgraded as your podcast grows.

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