The Podcasters Podcast How to Start a Podcast- What Mic do I use?
Kane, Thom and Aaron have years of experience between them of helping hundreds of entrepreneurs and businesses start, scale and monetise their podcasts. On this episode they discuss the various setups you can use to record your podcast, from full studio setups to small, portable equipment and which they have found are the best quality for cost.
They also demonstrate all the dos and don’ts of microphone technique, room set up, and even what you should be wearing and how you should wear your hair while recording!
How to Start a Podcast- what kit? what mic?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Don’t stick to one way of doing remote interviews. We recommend cleanfeed, but there are other browser-based recording apps like zencastr and riverside.fm or you can use Skype or Zoom. Be flexible, if your guest doesn’t know how to use Zoom, for example, use something they do know how to use it’ll make them more comfortable.
- There are multiple set ups you can use to record from a full studio setup to a portable rig that you can set up anywhere. The Zoom H1N is a great portable audio device that comes with a lavalier microphone that you clip onto your shirt. It’s basically a really good quality Dictaphone. If you’re recording out and about using this, make sure you use a pop shield to reduce wind noise.
- Dynamic microphones like the Behringer XM8500 are robust and durable, condenser microphones like the Behringer C1 are very sensitive to movements and electronic noise. These are all XLR microphones, not USB.
- The Zoom PodTrak P4 is a compact, affordable, portable recorder unit that makes it really easy to capture audio and can record audio direct from a phone as well as USB mics and plugs into your PC via a USB and becomes, essentially, a USB microphone on your PC. It also splits the audio streams from separate mics/devices so they don’t interfere with each other, hopefully making editing easier.
- Boom are stands are better than tripod desk stands as they can be moved closer to you depending on whether you stand or sit far away from your desk. Moving the mic as close to your face as you can helps to reduce background sound and keep audio quality high.
- Make sure you’re recording in a quiet room with lots of soft furnishing to break up the sound, rather than a kitchen or bathroom which has a lot of reflective, hard surfaces. You can even record from under the cover on your bed or sofa cushions. However, if you’re recording from a location and want some background sound to add atmosphere, go for it, but acknowledge it and set the scene but make sure your voice is being picked up more loudly than the background sound.
BEST MOMENTS
‘You definitely need a pair of headphones, no matter how good quality, because you won’t be able to monitor the quality of your recording otherwise.’
‘As long as you’re close and present while using a Behringer C1 it won’t pick up background noise.’
‘You’ll never need a 3-metre-long XLR cable, 1-1.5m is more than enough. And you get what you pay for, so don’t buy cheap.’
‘Rhode NT1 and Blue Yeti are good, but more expensive than they should be. Samson Q2U USB/XLR mics are better value.’
‘The Double Ds: Distance and Direction are key to audio quality. Keep close to the mic and talk into the microphone, not into the side or the top.’
VALUABLE RESOURCES
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Kane Baron, Thom Luter & Aaron Nelson manage over 100 live podcasts Including Rob Moore, Kevin Clifton, Shaa Wasmand & more.
Helping Entrepreneurs Launch, Scale & Monetise their podcast for over 7 years.
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