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[Full Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. You can read my complete disclosure statement here.]
Should you’re simply beginning out with podcasting, it’s tremendous essential to have the proper gear. That’s why we’ve put collectively an inventory of 5 incredible gear kits for freshmen. These kits include every little 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 Professional for this text.
Whereas plenty of podcast gear guides will counsel mics and different gear by value, this information features a little bit in a different way. Every of those kits represents a super podcast gear checklist primarily based on a sure persona. Is audio high quality completely paramount to you, or do you’ll want to sound good on a funds? Are you on the go rather a lot, or recording out of your workplace? Do you file in particular person, with multiple visitor, or do you solely file your podcast over the web?
No matter your “persona,” this text gives you, if not a procuring checklist, not less than start line.
Click on a hyperlink beneath to leap to the equipment that finest describes you.
The Jetsetter
The Audiophile
The Frugal Podcaster
The In-Particular person Host
The YouTuber
Observe — the value for every equipment was calculated earlier than tax and transport. Costs are an estimate solely and will have fluctuated since this text was written.
On Blue Yetis (A Resounding “No!”)
I’ve to get one thing out of the best way earlier than we proceed. After I polled our SPI Professional 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 below $100, they appear to supply an all-in-one answer, coming with a built-in stand and a sexy 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 below one 12 months” to “I hate them” and “nice promoting funds, low-cost value level.” “It’s designed to carry the viewers right into a enjoyable atmosphere,” stated one Professional, “which most individuals aren’t in… except you’re in your yard along with your goats and chickens and speaking about farm life.”
The Jetsetter: A Mic Package for Podcasters in Movement
$450
For podcasters on the go, it’s essential to have light-weight, moveable gear that may simply be taken from place to position. 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 proper microphone for on-the-go podcasting as nicely. You’ll be able to join it on to your laptop computer or smartphone.
Stand: At 4 oz, the Rode Tripod Mini Stand is the proper stand for an on-the-go podcast equipment.
Headphones: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Skilled Studio Monitor Headphones supply nice sound high quality and are additionally foldable, making them straightforward to pack and tackle the go. As with all of those kits, having a strong 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 is probably not negatable relying in your state of affairs (if you’d like the sharpest-possible video, solely Riverside can file concurrently in 4k, for instance). Because the variations can be finest coated in a second article, we’ll go away it to you to determine—each are wonderful choices at related value factors.
With this podcast equipment, you’ll be capable of 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 funds, listed here are some high-end gear choices we advocate.
Mic: A toss-up between the Shure SM7B and the Heil PR40!
The Shure SM7B is fashionable 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 also be an excellent selection for audiophile podcasters, that includes a large frequency vary and low self-noise. It additionally has a singular design that helps scale back pops and plosives, making it an excellent selection for podcasters who’re severe about audio high quality. Should you’ve tuned into any of Pat’s dwell streams or The Good Passive Revenue Podcast, that is the mic you’re listening to!
(Observe that both of those mics would require an XLR cable.)
Mount: The Gator Frameworks Deluxe Desk-Mounted Growth Stand permits you good, secure adjustment on 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 superb option to pair with the Shure SM7B as a result of it supplies high-quality preamps and gives phantom energy, which is important to energy the SM7B. Moreover, the iD4 MKII has a low-latency headphone output, which is essential for real-time monitoring throughout recording classes.
Headphones: The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Professional Studio headphones are broadly thought of to be a number of the finest within the trade, providing superior sound high quality and luxury. They’re a traditional choice which have been utilized in recording studios for years and are an excellent 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 Package for Price range-Aware Podcasters
Beneath $100
Should you’re seeking to begin a podcast on a funds, there are a variety of nice gear choices accessible. Coming in at below $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 value level. It gives 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’ll be able to plug it immediately into your laptop and get all the way down to enterprise.
Pop Filter: The Aokeo Skilled Microphone Pop Filter — for about $11, it’s a no brainer. A pop filter is used to forestall plosive sounds (corresponding to “p” and “b”) from being picked up by the microphone. And not using a pop filter, these sounds will be picked up as loud, disagreeable bursts of air, which will 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 funds equipment, we’re not together with a devoted pair of studio headphones.
Distant Recording Answer: Should you’re on a funds and must file friends remotely, chances are you’ll be tempted to make use of Zoom for distant recordings. We strongly advise in opposition to this although; the subscription price of Squadcast is nicely definitely worth the funding. Belief us, your editor (which might be you) will thanks!
With this setup, you’ll be capable of produce high-quality podcasts with out breaking the financial institution.
The In-person Host: A Podcast Package for Eye-to-Eye Magic
$500 – $1600+ (relying on mic choice and variety of friends)
For podcasters who file in particular person with friends, it’s essential 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 state of affairs, relying on what number of friends you often file with.
Listed here are some gear choices to contemplate:
Interfaces
Zoom H6 Six-Observe Moveable Recorder: This recorder is ideal for recording in particular person, with its skill to file as much as six tracks concurrently. It additionally has 4 XLR/TRS inputs, making it straightforward to attach a number of microphones.
If you would like one thing that’s a lower above the remaining on this division, we positively advocate the Rodecaster Professional II, which incorporates sound pads, cellphone connectivity, and a spread of sound results. It additionally has a big, easy-to-use touchscreen that lets you management all of its options.
In case your dwell podcast is completely a one-on-one state of affairs, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a incredible choice. It’s an reasonably priced, two-channel audio interface that provides wonderful sound high quality and is simple to make use of.
Mics
Any of the mics talked about to date are nice choices for in-person recording, however right here’s a little bit roundup:
Excessive-end: Definitely, 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 probably might!
Medium: Shure’s MV7X is one other strong choice. With voice-isolating know-how and an all-metal development, 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. (Observe—the MV7 is a barely totally different design, as you’ll be able to join it through USB. Nevertheless, at this value level, we advocate some MV7Xs mixed with a strong preamp or audio interface.)
Price range: Once more our decide is the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB. With a value level round $80, that is exhausting to beat for funds choices.
Misc. Gear
Monitor Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Professional 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, Growth Stands: Gator Frameworks Deluxe Desk-Mounted Growth Stand
Desktop Stands: InnoGear Desktop Microphone Stand (2-pack)
The YouTuber: An Add-On Package for Video Podcasters
Add $850 to any of the above kits.
YouTube not too long ago introduced that they’re bringing podcasts to their YouTube Music streaming service. With the choice to change between video and audio-only consumption, a lot of podcasters really feel it’s essential to file video with each episode too. That is our suggestion for a video podcasting add-on equipment, the proper praise to your mic setup.
Digital camera: The Canon EOS M50 Mark II with 15-45mm lens gives nice autofocus and high-quality video in a single easy package deal.
Stand: The SmallRig Digital camera Desk Mount has an adjustable peak of 13-35 inches, permitting the stand to clamp onto nearly any desk.
Lighting: The Elgato Key Mild Air is a superb lighting choice for YouTube podcasters. It’s a compact and light-weight lighting answer that may be adjusted utilizing the Elgato Management Middle app. It has a built-in diffuser for creating comfortable, even lighting, and comes with a desk mount for straightforward positioning. Plus, it’s moveable.
Distant Recording Answer: Squadcast.
With this setup, your podcast is not going to 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 may be an gear equipment on the market that’s good for you. By investing in the proper gear, you’ll be able to make sure that your podcast sounds nice and is satisfying on your listeners. With the assistance of this information, you’ll be capable of discover the proper gear equipment to take your podcast to the subsequent stage. So what are you ready for? Get on the market and begin podcasting!
And when you’re new to podcasting and need to significantly up your sport, the All-Entry Cross is likely to be your finest transfer. By community-powered studying, you’ll be able to work alongside different podcasters, get entry to our full course library (together with the wildly fashionable Energy-Up Podcasting), attend workshops, and way more.
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