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Should you’re simply beginning out with podcasting, it is tremendous vital to have the proper gear. That is why we have put collectively an inventory of 5 implausible gear kits for newbies. These kits include every thing you want, like microphones, headphones, and recording software program, to verify your podcast sounds superior.
We consulted our thriving neighborhood of entrepreneurs—a lot of whom have profitable podcasts!—over at SPI Pro for this text.
Whereas loads of podcast gear guides will counsel mics and different gear by worth, this information capabilities just a little otherwise. Every of those kits represents a really perfect podcast gear listing primarily based on a sure persona. Is audio high quality completely paramount to you, or do it’s worthwhile to sound good on a price range? Are you on the go loads, or recording out of your workplace? Do you report in individual, with multiple visitor, or do you solely report your podcast over the web?
No matter your “persona,” this text offers you, if not a buying listing, not less than a superb place to begin.
Click on a hyperlink under to leap to the equipment that finest describes you.
The Jetsetter
The Audiophile
The Frugal Podcaster
The In-Person Host
The YouTuber
Word — the value for every equipment was calculated earlier than tax and transport. Costs are an estimate solely and should have fluctuated since this text was written.
On Blue Yetis (A Resounding “No!”)
I’ve to get one thing out of the way in which earlier than we proceed. After I polled our SPI Pro neighborhood on their favourite podcasting mics, there was one throughline: positively not a Blue Yeti.
Should you’re unfamiliar with Blue Yeti microphones, their recognition is comprehensible at first look. At underneath $100, they appear to supply an all-in-one answer, coming with a built-in stand and a lovely design (even in flamingo pink).
However the response from our Professionals couldn’t be clearer.
The Yeti slamming ranged from phrases like “mine broke in underneath one yr” to “I hate them” and “nice promoting price range, low-cost worth level.” “It’s designed to convey the viewers right into a enjoyable atmosphere,” mentioned one Professional, “which most individuals aren’t in… until you’re in your yard along with your goats and chickens and speaking about farm life.”
The Jetsetter: A Mic Equipment for Podcasters in Movement
$450
For podcasters on the go, it is vital to have light-weight, moveable gear that may simply be taken from place to put. Right here’s the best equipment:
Mic: The Rode VideoMic NTG is a shotgun mic made for cameras, however at 3.32 ounces, it’s the right microphone for on-the-go podcasting as effectively. You possibly can join it on to your laptop computer or smartphone.
Stand: At 4 oz, the Rode Tripod Mini Stand is the right stand for an on-the-go podcast equipment.
Headphones: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones supply nice sound high quality and are additionally foldable, making them simple to pack and tackle the go. As with all of those kits, having a stable pair of studio monitor headphones is essential so you may get a good suggestion of how your recording will sound in real-time.
Distant Recording Answer: An answer like Squadcast is important for distant podcast recording, and each supply high-quality audio and video recording capabilities. There are some variations between each platforms which can or might not be negatable relying in your scenario (if you’d like the sharpest-possible video, solely Riverside can report concurrently in 4k, for instance). Because the variations can be finest lined in a second article, we’ll go away it to you to determine—each are wonderful choices at comparable worth factors.
With this podcast equipment, you can produce high-quality podcasts regardless of the place you’re.
The Audiophile: A Podcasting Setup for Discerning Ears
$900
For podcasters who’re severe about audio high quality and have a vast price range, listed here are some high-end gear choices we suggest.
Mic: A toss-up between the Shure SM7B and the Heil PR40!
The Shure SM7B is well-liked for a motive: it has wonderful sound high quality and noise discount design. It’s a cardioid dynamic microphone that captures a heat, pure sound and has a pop filter and shock mount to scale back plosives and isolate the microphone from vibrations. Its efficiency is additional enhanced with a bass roll-off and mid-range enhance.
The Heil PR40 can be an ideal selection for audiophile podcasters, that includes a large frequency vary and low self-noise. It additionally has a novel design that helps scale back pops and plosives, making it an ideal selection for podcasters who’re severe about audio high quality. Should you’ve tuned into any of Pat’s reside streams or The Good Passive Revenue Podcast, that is the mic you’re listening to!
(Word that both of those mics would require an XLR cable.)
Mount: The Gator Frameworks Deluxe Desk-Mounted Boom Stand permits you good, secure adjustment to your mic. Set your mic up on this stand, plug it in, and by no means look again.
Preamp: The Audient iD4 MKII is a good option to pair with the Shure SM7B as a result of it gives high-quality preamps and affords phantom energy, which is critical to energy the SM7B. Moreover, the iD4 MKII has a low-latency headphone output, which is essential for real-time monitoring throughout recording periods.
Headphones: The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Studio headphones are broadly thought of to be among the finest within the business, providing superior sound high quality and luxury. They’re a basic possibility which were utilized in recording studios for years and are an ideal selection for podcasters who need to guarantee they’ll hear each element.
Distant Recording Answer: Squadcast.
With this setup, your podcast will sound nearly as good as something you hear on the radio!
The Frugal Podcaster: A Mic Equipment for Finances-Aware Podcasters
Beneath $100
Should you’re seeking to begin a podcast on a price range, there are a selection of nice gear choices obtainable. Coming in at underneath $100, this equipment will make your podcast sound nice with minimal gear.
Mic/Stand: The Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB — at $79 (as of March, 2023), not a lot beats this mic at this worth level. It affords wonderful sound high quality and is flexible sufficient to work with each XLR and USB connections, plus it comes with a easy folding stand*. Which means you may plug it straight into your laptop and get all the way down to enterprise.
Pop Filter: The Aokeo Professional Microphone Pop Filter — for about $11, it’s a no brainer. A pop filter is used to forestall plosive sounds (similar to “p” and “b”) from being picked up by the microphone. And not using a pop filter, these sounds could be picked up as loud, disagreeable bursts of air, which could be distracting and make the recording harder to take heed to. Don’t skip this piece.
Headphones: No matter you have already got! 😄 You doubtless have a pair of AirPods or different headphones and, since it is a price range equipment, we’re not together with a devoted pair of studio headphones.
Distant Recording Answer: Should you’re on a price range and must report company remotely, you could be tempted to make use of Zoom for distant recordings. We strongly advise towards this although; the subscription value of Squadcast is effectively definitely worth the funding. Belief us, your editor (which might be you) will thanks!
With this setup, you can produce high-quality podcasts with out breaking the financial institution.
The In-person Host: A Podcast Equipment for Eye-to-Eye Magic
$500 – $1600+ (relying on mic choice and variety of company)
For podcasters who report in individual with company, it is vital to have gear that may seize high-quality audio from a number of sources. In fact, you’ll need to tailor this package deal to your particular scenario, relying on what number of company you normally report with.
Listed here are some gear choices to think about:
Interfaces
Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder: This recorder is ideal for recording in individual, with its capability to report as much as six tracks concurrently. It additionally has 4 XLR/TRS inputs, making it simple to attach a number of microphones.
If you’d like one thing that’s a reduce above the remainder on this division, we positively suggest the Rodecaster Pro II, which incorporates sound pads, telephone connectivity, and a variety of sound results. It additionally has a big, easy-to-use touchscreen that means that you can management all of its options.
In case your reside podcast is solely a one-on-one scenario, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a implausible possibility. It’s an reasonably priced, two-channel audio interface that gives wonderful sound high quality and is simple to make use of.
Mics
Any of the mics talked about up to now are nice choices for in-person recording, however right here’s just a little roundup:
Excessive-end: Surely, the Shure SM7B is your decide of selection. A pair (or extra) of those puppies and your in-person recordings will sound about nearly as good as they presumably may!
Medium: Shure’s MV7X is one other stable possibility. With voice-isolating expertise and an all-metal building, the MV7x is designed with podcasters and vocalists in thoughts. And at lower than half the value of the SM7B, they’re a bit extra budget-friendly too. (Word—the MV7 is a barely completely different design, as you may join it by way of USB. Nonetheless, at this worth level, we suggest some MV7Xs mixed with a stable preamp or audio interface.)
Finances: Once more our decide is the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB. With a worth level round $80, that is laborious to beat for price range choices.
Misc. Gear
Monitor Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Studio Headphones.
Cables: Pig Hog PHM10 8mm Tour Grade Mic Cable, XLR 10ft – 2-pack. (It’s your decision longer cables relying on the area you’re recording in.)
Clamp-On, Increase Stands: Gator Frameworks Deluxe Desk-Mounted Boom Stand
Desktop Stands: InnoGear Desktop Microphone Stand (2-pack)
The YouTuber: An Add-On Equipment for Video Podcasters
Add $850 to any of the above kits.
YouTube recently announced that they’re bringing podcasts to their YouTube Music streaming service. With the choice to modify between video and audio-only consumption, a number of podcasters really feel it’s essential to report video with each episode too. That is our advice for a video podcasting add-on equipment, the right praise to your mic setup.
Digital camera: The Canon EOS M50 Mark II with 15-45mm lens affords nice autofocus and high-quality video in a single easy package deal.
Stand: The SmallRig Camera Desk Mount has an adjustable top of 13-35 inches, permitting the stand to clamp onto nearly any desk.
Lighting: The Elgato Key Light Air is a good lighting possibility for YouTube podcasters. It’s a compact and light-weight lighting answer that may be adjusted utilizing the Elgato Management Heart app. It has a built-in diffuser for creating smooth, even lighting, and comes with a desk mount for straightforward positioning. Plus, it’s moveable.
Distant Recording Answer: Squadcast.
With this setup, your podcast won’t solely sound nice, however it would additionally look nice in your YouTube channel.
Pod-on!
It doesn’t matter what your podcasting wants are, there’s an gear equipment on the market that’s good for you. By investing in the proper gear, you may be certain that your podcast sounds nice and is gratifying to your listeners. With the assistance of this information, you’ll be capable to discover the right gear equipment to take your podcast to the following degree. So what are you ready for? Get on the market and begin podcasting!
And should you’re new to podcasting and need to severely up your sport, the All-Access Pass could be your finest transfer. By means of community-powered studying, you may work alongside different podcasters, get entry to our full course library (together with the wildly well-liked Energy-Up Podcasting), attend workshops, and way more.
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