Starting A Podcast? This is what you need
wanna start your own podcast? don’t know what equipment to get?
In this article i’m going to break down exactly what you need, and I will show you that it’s not that sophisticated actually. I will break down what equipment you need, what it’s for and how you can use your budget wisely for your purpose
So first of all, if I were you I would start with asking these questions:
where am I recording my podcast: Is it in the same place? do I wanna only record from home? maybe I wanna create a little home studio? Or maybe do I want to travel and interview people on the go, in different locations? Am I going to do real life interviews, or interviewing mainly remote?
So after you’ve gotten that answered and figured out, let’s get straight to it
5 things you need in order to record a good podcast:
a sound interface
a microphone
a computer
Headphones
Cable
Sound Interface
A sound interface interface Is the device that moves sound/signal through from your microphone to your computer, you connect it to the computer via USB for power, you set your audio input to it, and you’re golden.
usually that’s my go-to for a home studio, or a recording setup that Is permanent, that way you have your setup ready to go for your interviews from home/in a certain location.
Interfaces that connect to your computer are usually compact BUT
The reason I don’t really like it for traveling is that It can get a little messy and awkward to carry around everywhere, but that’s just my opinion. That said, I travel with an interface because I record music everywhere I go and it works well, Just not as ideal for if I wanna take it out quickly and start recording straight away.
For traveling I would use a portable sound interface
this Is a recorder like the ZOOM H6 that doesn’t need electricity (it’s battery powered). It is used as your interface and as your computer (it does the recording). It’s super nice to have and it’s even better if you’re on the go, you turn it on (takes 2 seconds), you plug your mic and KABOOM you’re recording. super fast, super efficient. Another thing I like about it is that it’s super reliable, and as long as you have batteries in it that are not empty, you’re golden.
computers can get stuck and have audio glitches at times, and these devices just don’t from what i’ve experienced
Microphone
Microphone connects to the interface/computer and delivers sound. the better the mic, the better you will sound.
I don’t really like USB mics so I don’t tell my clients to buy them. regardless, if you don’t have the budget for the whole studio thing and wanna simply record yourself you can always buy a “Blue Yeti” mic or one of the “Rode NT” mics.
I just don’t find them as good as the other mics out there so i’m not highly recommending them, but they get the job done
A Computer
the computer is basically used to take in the sound from your sound interface, and you can also use it to edit your podcast.
The better the computer, the more consistent you’ll sound. The computer won’t change the sound of the recording but If your computer is slow you might experience audio glitches, lags and so on.
Headphones
Headphones can be used for live interviews, if you wanna feel like you’re in a radio station and want to hear yourself and your guest more loud and clear
You’ll need some headphones specially if you’re recording remote interviews (zoom/skype calls) so there’s no “leaking“ from the computer audio into the microphone. once that happens it’s pretty annoying to listen to. try to get headphones with good isolation, and don’t blast the volume too loud so your mic doesn't pick the signal from your headphones
Cable
you will need an XLR cable to connect your microphone to your sound interface.
Please do yourself and me a favor, if you’re buying a mic and an interface with an XLR input, buy some good cables, a cable for $5 will usually deliver for a very short amount of time, then your recordings will start having weird hums and grainy noises because these cables are not durable at all.
Buy the ones that cost a little bit more and actually lasts longer
EQUIPMENT- MY RECOMMENDATION
Sound Interface
Scarlet 2i2
Nice Interface that is super common, it has 2 inputs for 2 mics, and is pretty cheap too, does the job for sure, i’ve used it myself for a few years and hadn’t had any problems with it, super durable:
https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B07QR73T66/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=scarlett+2i2&qid=1619588831&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-4
This is zoom H6 (portable interface)
with a Dynamic mic, pretty solid setup, if you want your sound to be very crispy and high notch out the bat, you might want to go with a better mic, but the mic it comes with definitely gets the job done
and I would add another mic for guest if you have one
I’d also buy a windscreen for it (and a cable of course if the mic comes without them)
MICS
Rode Podmic (100-120$)
This mic is amazing. It’s been invented in the past years specifically for podcasting.
gives you good results for sure, not as good as the SM7b but definitely professional dynamic sound:
https://www.amazon.com/Rode-Dynamic-Podcasting-Microphone-Headphones/dp/B08FJDP791/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3V575QK4P6UHN&dchild=1&keywords=rode+podmic&qid=1619583652&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=rode+%2Cmi%2C1004&sr=1-2
Sure Sm8
Super dynamic mic, Super durable, isolates your vocals in any situation basically. pretty flat sound but could really be used everywhere and anywhere. This is THE mic all the main stages in your favorite music festival use.
Fun fact- this mic has been dropped from the 8th floor of a building in an experiment done (by someone with probably more money than me probably), and the mic still worked like nothing has happened
i’d get a lil mic stand for it as well so you don’t have to hold it:
https://www.amazon.com/InnoGear-Upgraded-Adjustable-Microphone-Snowball/dp/B07F82BPLV/ref=sr_1_13_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=table+mic+stand&qid=1619587553&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-13-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExWEk4RkMzRllJUDVQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODc2MjQyTUlHOFMzS0w4NkdQJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4ODEyNTIxS09WTVkxWlJFRjM0JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
AKG P220 can also work (160-180$)
This is a condenser mic so I don’t recommend it for very loud settings, echoey rooms or to travel with. for non echoey rooms
sure SM7B (400-500$) - the GOAT
If you want the best quality mic for podcasting overall, this is the one. Rogan uses it, the bests use it for podcasting & music, it’s the most versatile mic out there, a bit pricy, but you definitely get what you pay for there and way more:
Lemme know if this was helpful,
PEACE!
Roy