Podcasting Equipment Guide

13 January 2008 · 29 Comments · gear, podcasting, tutorial

On The Air

So, you’re thinking about podcasting and have no idea where to start. Or maybe you tried recording using your computer’s built-in microphone, or the USB headset you bought to use with Skype, and realized just how bad that sounds.

My hope is that this article detailing different setups I’ve used over the last few years will assist you in putting together a recording rig that suits both your needs and budget. Please feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments section at the end of the article.

Some Background Noise

I started podcasting in January of 2007, with the launch of the Hivelogic Radio Show. I recorded a total of 13 episodes, interviewing friends across the industries of design, development, photography, and illustration. It was great fun, but the episodes I most enjoyed were the ones I recorded with my friend (and nemesis) John Gruber.

This lead to the creation of The Talk Show, where Gruber and I talk about topics like Apple and Mac OS X, movies, baseball, and even fatherhood. At the time of this writing (January 2008) we have about 10,000 listeners.

People often write in to ask my advice about podcast recording equipment. What gear should they buy? Is an expensive setup going to make a big difference? What’s the minimum investment they need to get going?

While I’m certainly not a recording professional, I do have a few friends who are experts, and between their advice and my own experiences over the last few years, I’ve created a few different configurations that should fit a variety of different budgets and goals.

A Note about Software

I’m a Mac user, so the software I’ll be recommending is for Mac OS X. If you’re a PC user, please feel free to share your software recommendations in the comments section. Cakewalk Sonar LE for Windows comes bundled with the Samson mics I recommend (but not with the Shure SM7B), and this software should do the job for most Windows users.

A Note about Latency

Latency (a time delay between the moment you start speaking and the moment your voice is recorded or is heard in your headphones) can be a problem in many audio recording situations, but it can be especially noticeable when you’re recording with a USB microphone or when using a slower computer.

Less expensive setups, like the Entry Level setup below that make use of a straight-in USB connection often suffer from latency to a greater degree than Midrange or Prosumer setups. If you do a lot of recording or plan to, it might be a good idea to skip right to one of the higher end setups.

Put My Kid Through College: Use My Affiliate Links

If you decide to buy any of this gear, consider clicking the links below when you buy. I’ll get a couple bucks through Amazon’s associate program, and you’ll be helping me save up for Joel to go to college.

The Entry Level Setup

It’s actually possible to start your podcasting efforts with a surprisingly inexpensive investment, about $175. The Samson C01U is proof of this. It’s an excellent entry-level podcasting microphone. I actually recorded most of the Hivelogic Radio Show episodes with this mic, and while I did eventually outgrow it, it served me very well as a starting point. This pack includes a stand, and a shock-mount, mandatory for recording good audio. The pop-filter is also important in eliminating “plosives” and other annoying, amateurish mouth noises. Trust me, you want one of these.

Hardware:

Software:

  • GarageBand for OS X (part of iLife, usually bundled with a new Mac)

    and optionally, for more granular editing

If you’d rather not buy the whole setup, you can buy the C01U microphone all by itself for $85.

The Midrange Setup

Maybe you’ve been podcasting for a little while, and you’re ready to move on to a slightly better setup. Or perhaps you just want to start out with a more professional sound. For just $330, this is the setup for you. You’ll spend a bit more, but you’ll have superior control of your audio without spending a fortune. Several of the last Hivelogic episodes and the first few The Talk Show episodes were recorded with this setup.

The difference between a condenser mic running through a decent pre-amp and running on phantom power is quite noticeable. And although there is some learning curve, the advantages of tweaking your audio with a more professional-grade application like SoundStudio 3 are huge.

Hardware:

The microphone plugs into the M-Audio preamp with the XLR cable, and the M-Audio plugs into the back of your computer with an included USB cable. The M-Audio drivers are updated regurlarly, and provide you with an audio input to record with any software.

You can tweak your input levels, and even plug in a set of headphones to listen to yourself while you record without the latency of a USB connection.

Software:

If you’re upgrading from the Entry Level setup above or if you don’t want the stand and shock-mount, you can just buy the mic by itself and use your old stand, shock-mount, and pop-filter because the externally, the microphones are the same.

The Prosumer Setup

Maybe you’ve been recording for a while, and you’re ready to upgrade, or perhaps you’re prepared to make a more serious investment from the get-go, because you just don’t play around. Either way, you’re ready for professional gear, and this is the good stuff, right here. You’ll spend about $700, but if you’re serious and want to do things right, it’s worth every penny.

Hardware:

Software:

The Shure SM7B is simply amazing. Super tight. Rolls off the low-end so you don’t sound boomy. Built-in shock mount. Included windscreen so there’s no cumbersome pop-filter. This mic is used across the broadcasting and recording industries, and because it’s dynamic, you’ll eliminate most (if not all) of the background noise commonly picked up by a condenser mic.

The Heil Silent Microphone boom means you can sit or stand and move around while you’re recording, and pull or adjust the microphone at any time, without any sound.

The Shure SM7B is somewhat “gain hungry,” meaning that it requires a lot of quiet gain. This isn’t a problem in a professional studio, but in your home studio, you’ll need to boost the signal quite a bit, but without introducing additional noise or hiss. You can accomplish this with the PreSonus TubePRE, a relatively quiet microphone (and instrument) preamp.

Just plug the Shure into the TubePRE to boost the signal before plugging it into the M-Audio Firewire Solo, which connects to your computer with a Firewire 400 style cable, again using the M-Audio drivers to create your sound input device.

A Bit of Advice about Technique

If you listen closely to some of the The Talk Show episodes, you may notice a difference – sometimes significant – between Gruber’s audio and my own. Whereas my audio is pretty good quality, Gruber’s is (usually) quite mediocre. Although prior to Episode 14, Gruber was using a more entry-level setup, this is not solely to blame for his audio quality. In fact, I used the very same mic he’s using for all of the Hivelogic podcasts, so it can’t be to blame.

Rather, the problem is inconsistent mic-addressing technique. One must speak right into the “sweet spot” of a microphone at all times, and the only way to do this is to listen to yourself when you record.

If you’ve ever used software like Skype to talk to people over the interwebs, you may have noticed something missing, but not quite been able to identify what it was. Next time, compare the difference between a Skype call and a call over a land-line, and you may discover that what’s missing is your own voice coming back to you in the ear-piece. That’s right, land-lines pick up your own voice from the phone’s mouthpiece and play it back to you in the ear-piece, quietly providing you with just enough feedback so that you can hear how you sound. Some cell phones work the very same way.

It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it makes a difference.

The same thing is true when you record a podcast, but it’s even more important that you listen to yourself during a recording. You can keep the volume quite low, but hearing your own voice is the only way for you to truly see how your recorded audio is going to sound.

Why do you think professional recording artists, radio talk show hosts, and DJ’s wear headphones? Certainly not because they look or feel good. It’s to hear themselves and their mic technique.

Fortunately, it is possible to overcome bad technique with good editing, so if Gruber and I sound good to your ear, you have our recording engineer Ryan Irelan to thank.

It’s a Wrap

Hopefully this article has been useful to you. Audio recording is a big territory with lots of room for ideas, thoughts, and opinions, and I know I still have a lot to learn. Please feel free to add your comments below and share your audio recording recommendation and tips.

Comments

Mark Boszko · 13 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

In your midrange setup, you have a USB mic, but say to connect it via XLR to the preamp. I do believe that USB mic does not have an XLR connection, so perhaps that's not the mic you meant to put in that position?

Dan Benjamin · 13 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

@Mark Boszko - thanks, I've fixed the link!

Geoffrey Grosenbach · 13 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

That's great advice. I've also found that one's technique makes a big difference in the final sound. Performing a great sounding voiceover is a skill and is worth learning (I'm still working on it).

I've also found that the placement of the mic can reduce background noises. Generally speaking, I try to get it as far away from the computer as possible, and also use a SE Reflexion filter, which helps somewhat.

Justin Williams · 13 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

Are you and gruber recording two separate audio tracks and combining in post or just recording a Skype conversation?

Mark Boszko · 13 January 2008 at 04:01 PM

Heh--- "Gruber’s is (usually) quite mediocre". Way to throw Gruber under the bus. ;-)

Excellent recommendations all around. Different people prefer different sounds in a mic, so that can be quite subjective, but the ones you recommend are good solid choices. I've got a C01U that I use for an awful lot of my day-to-day recording, but I *love* my Heil PR-40.

I've seen various recommendations for monitoring your own voice with a Skype call, and all of the in-Mac options (like SoundSource) seem to introduce just enough delay to be distracting rather than helpful. Plugging your headphones into one of the mic pre's with that option usually works fine. Better yet, run your mic through an external mixer before it hits the computer, and run the computer output back into a line-in channel on the mixer, and feed both through your headphones.

If you're recording Skype calls, I'd also recommend these great tutorials over at Blogarithms. (I am not affiliated with them in any way, but I do love me some Levelator action.)

Ryan Irelan · 13 January 2008 at 05:01 PM

Justin: Dan and John each record their own audio and then it is synched up in post production. I believe they still use Skype or iChat audio to hear each other during the recording of the show. The technique is called a "double ender."

Jason Seifer · 13 January 2008 at 08:01 PM

This is all great advice which I wish was around when we got set up for our podcast. After reading a bunch of reviews and talking to Miles Forrest, we wound up going with the Samson C03U with a spider mount, pop filter, and mic stand.

The point you make about the latency with usb mics is definitely valid. It is impossible to follow along, even at low volume, with that echo in your ear. Some of the newer USB mics that are coming out, though, combat this by placing an audio out jack directly on the microphone.

Great article. I'd love to see more -- especially about the post production and editing.

John Saba · 14 January 2008 at 10:01 AM

Speaking of podcasting, when can we expect the next in the supposedly weekly episodes of 'The Talk Show'?

A Macworld keynote predictions episode would be a good idea. Your 'The Beat Goes On' keynote prediction episode was entertaining and proved to be quite accurate.

Jory · 14 January 2008 at 02:01 PM

Glad to see you're recommending the Shure SM-7. I am a recording engineer and the SM-7 is a mic I recommend to voice actors who need a home setup. I concur with you that it is the best choice and for all the reasons you mentioned.

Ast A. Moore · 14 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

Just a note on your noise reduction. It's way to drastic. I just listened to Episode 13 and it it goes all the way down to -90db. Try with more subtle settings like -6 or -9db. That should be enough in most cases. Try to eliminate noise in the recording (that is, in the room). Also, play with other noise reduction settings, such as attack, hold, and release times. A little bit of noise is always better than gaps of no signal in between phrases or even words within one phrase. Complete noise reduction creates a very unnatural silence and distracts the listener.

One more note. This time on the compression in your mp3 or AAC files. Here's a trick to drastically reduce the file size for spoken word. Encode at 24kHz or even at 22kHz. You can get amazingly good sounding mp3s of spoken word encoded at 48 kbps, 22KHz, mono. This will soften many harsh high-frequency sounds without taking away from clarity.

Matt Otto · 14 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

Its important to note that an XLR to XLR cable is not entirely accurate. Because there are XLR cables that run male to male or female to female. For podcasting purposes you want a XLR male to XLR female.

Dan Benjamin · 14 January 2008 at 03:01 PM

@Matt Otto - check the links, they're for the cables you describe.

David Zinger · 14 January 2008 at 05:01 PM

I was just looking for some podcast information. I appreciate how you addressed it to the different levels of podcasters. Thanks for the buzz from the hive.

DougT · 14 January 2008 at 09:01 PM

Great post - thanks for the helpful info.

One item wasn't quite clear -- is the cat (in photo) required? ;-)

Josh · 14 January 2008 at 09:01 PM

Thank you for recommending that podcasters listen to their voice as they record! I think a lot of poor audio quality issues could be caught if podcasters listened to their showed it was being recorded.

Looking forward to new episodes of The Talk Show, even if I still can't tell your voice from Gruber's.

Adam Jeanguenat · 15 January 2008 at 09:01 AM

Just a note -- Soundtrack Pro 2 is now available as part of Apple's Logic Studio, which sells for $499 after the amazing price drop a few months ago. This is arguably a better fit for people primarily working with audio.

Rory · 15 January 2008 at 09:01 AM

I am by no means a professional or even amateur recorder of sound, but I find Amadeus Pro just as good for editing as Sound Studio 3 (in the ways I've used it), and it's $40 – half the price of Sound Studio. It can use Audio Units, record sound, apply filters, set markers, convert file formats, and do the other standard audio editing operations.

Todd · 15 January 2008 at 09:01 AM

What about recording a phone interview? How does that work?
Also, I love the use of the "Used Car Salesman" plea, "Help me out here, I've got kids to feed and educate!"
Thanks for all this great info, I look forward to more posts.

Adam Jeanguenat · 15 January 2008 at 09:01 AM

Whoops, previous comment was a little terse; I some how submitted when I meant to put in a carriage return. I wanted to add that this is great info, and being an audio guy, I can't say I would have recommended anything different for budget-conscious people wanting to get started with podcasting.

The Electro-Voice RE20 is also an excellent pro mic that's become a bit of a standard in the broadcast industry, but it's a bit pricier than the SM7B.

I'll be looking forward to future episodes of The Talk Show.

Murali · 17 January 2008 at 05:01 PM

Great information. Thanks for sharing it. I intend to buy one of your suggested microphones for creating a screencast at work. I use windows. At present when I record stuff to my PC, I can't hear my own voice in the headsets. Do you know what I must do in order to hear my voice after the PC records it (I realize that there may be a latency if I use the entry level mic)?

Martin Westin · 18 January 2008 at 02:01 PM

Good post, Dan.

I'd like to mention Audacity. It is a more than descent audio recorder/editor software. It does not cost a dime and is available for "all" operating systems. It would be a good alternative in both the entry and medium packages.

At the more professional level a cheap ProTools setup would not be a bad choice. IMHO is is by far the simplest and most competent audio-software around. Lear to use the left mouse button and 4 key-commands and you have the every-day operation down. It requires a compatible audio-interface to run. The Firewire Solo is one of those interfaces.

Steven · 19 January 2008 at 12:01 AM

Dan,
For future reference (just in case anyone did not know), that sound of your own voice in your ear is called "sidetone." The early Bell system folks devoloped it as a sort of low-tech self-diagnostic, attenuated to where it was just loud enough to be detectable, but not so loud as to interfere with your ability to carry on a conversation. The sidetone is fed back from the outgoing audio signal, such that if you cannot hear yourself in the earpiece, chances are the person you are speaking to isn't hearing you, either. This is just an audio adaptation of an electronic feedback loop, which allows an amplifier or other circuit to regulate itself by measuring its own output. In this case, the amplifier logic happens to be your own brain.

Have you ever noticed that when you speak into a telephone handset or a mic headset without this audio feedback, you intuitively think that the device is "dead." That's because, if you've spent any amount of time using land-line telephones (not a given in this day and age), your brain has been conditioned to the presence of sidetone and it's absence as a symptom of malfunction. And this is exactly what it was meant to do.

All this is to say that sidetone should be on the list of features for any headset one is considering.

--From an old Navy communications guy.

Dan Benjamin · 19 January 2008 at 08:01 AM

@Steven - that's precisely what I was talking about - thank you for this explanation.

AJ · 02 February 2008 at 02:02 PM

I'd suggest using Blue Snowball (it's about $100) -usb powered, and has some of the best audio quality I've heard, certainly in comparable models, and also in many more expensive mics... I've even used it over a Neumann TLM103 on occasion!

Ryan Price · 23 February 2008 at 03:02 AM

Nice tips, Dan. I certainly get asked a lot, and I'm always saying "don't worry about tools until you know what you want to say". Still, folks seem to be obsessed with the hands-on parts of podcasting, so any useful pages I can point people to are helpful. I've talked about this a bit on my site and at BarCamp and BlogOrlando. I always record the session audio and post it to RyanPriceMedia.com

Keep up the great work on the shows.

Paul · 03 April 2008 at 01:04 PM

I was doing research on this when I stumbled upon your blog, thanks for all the great info. I was wondering if you're aware of the Behringer Podcastudio Kit. Does it look like a good alternative to the Samson Podcasting Kit? Piece of crap? It seems like a good value, unless I'm missing something.

http://www.behringer.com/PODCASTUDIO-FIREWIRE/index.cfm?lang=ENG

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Amber · 28 April 2008 at 12:04 PM

What kind of equipment do I need to hook up a phone line to my Behringer podcasting equipment?

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