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In case you’re simply beginning out with podcasting, it is tremendous essential to have the correct gear. That is why we have put collectively an inventory of 5 incredible tools kits for novices. These kits include all the pieces you want, like microphones, headphones, and recording software program, to verify your podcast sounds superior.
We consulted our thriving neighborhood of entrepreneurs—lots of whom have profitable podcasts!—over at SPI Professional for this text.
Whereas loads of podcast gear guides will counsel mics and different tools by worth, this information capabilities a bit of in a different way. Every of those kits represents a perfect podcast tools checklist based mostly on a sure persona. Is audio high quality completely paramount to you, or do you want to sound good on a price range? Are you on the go so much, or recording out of your workplace? Do you report in particular person, with multiple visitor, or do you solely report your podcast over the web?
No matter your “persona,” this text will provide you with, if not a procuring checklist, not less than a superb place to begin.
Click on a hyperlink under to leap to the package that finest describes you.
The Jetsetter
The Audiophile
The Frugal Podcaster
The In-Particular person Host
The YouTuber
Observe — the value for every package 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. Once I polled our SPI Professional neighborhood on their favourite podcasting mics, there was one throughline: undoubtedly not a Blue Yeti.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Blue Yeti microphones, their reputation is comprehensible at first look. At beneath $100, they appear to supply an all-in-one resolution, coming with a built-in stand and a horny 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 beneath one 12 months” to “I hate them” and “nice promoting price range, low-cost worth level.” “It’s designed to deliver the viewers right into a enjoyable atmosphere,” mentioned one Professional, “which most individuals aren’t in… except you’re in your yard together 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 is essential to have light-weight, moveable tools that may simply be taken from place to position. Right here’s the perfect package:
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 effectively. 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 package.
Headphones: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Skilled Studio Monitor Headphones provide 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 provide high-quality audio and video recording capabilities. There are some variations between each platforms which can or might not be negatable relying in your state of affairs (if you need the sharpest-possible video, solely Riverside can report concurrently in 4k, for instance). Because the variations could be finest lined in a second article, we’ll depart it to you to determine—each are glorious choices at comparable worth factors.
With this podcast package, you’ll produce high-quality podcasts irrespective of the place you might be.
The Audiophile: A Podcasting Setup for Discerning Ears
$900
For podcasters who’re critical about audio high quality and have an infinite price range, listed below are some high-end tools choices we suggest.
Mic: A toss-up between the Shure SM7B and the Heil PR40!
The Shure SM7B is fashionable for a cause: it has glorious 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 a terrific selection for audiophile podcasters, that includes a large frequency vary and low self-noise. It additionally has a singular design that helps cut back pops and plosives, making it a terrific selection for podcasters who’re critical about audio high quality. In case you’ve tuned into any of Pat’s stay streams or The Good Passive Earnings 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, steady adjustment in 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 offers high-quality preamps and presents 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 classes.
Headphones: The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Professional Studio headphones are broadly thought of to be a few of the finest within the business, providing superior sound high quality and luxury. They’re a basic choice which have been utilized in recording studios for years and are a terrific selection for podcasters who wish to guarantee they will hear each element.
Distant Recording Answer: Squadcast.
With this setup, your podcast will sound pretty much as good as something you hear on the radio!
The Frugal Podcaster: A Mic Package for Price range-Acutely aware Podcasters
Beneath $100
In case you’re trying to begin a podcast on a price range, there are a variety of nice tools choices out there. Coming in at beneath $100, this package 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 presents glorious sound high quality and is flexible sufficient to work with each XLR and USB connections, plus it comes with a easy folding stand*. Meaning you possibly can plug it instantly 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. With no pop filter, these sounds could be picked up as loud, disagreeable bursts of air, which could be distracting and make the recording tougher to hearken to. Don’t skip this piece.
Headphones: No matter you have already got! 😄 You probably have a pair of AirPods or different headphones and, since it is a price range package, we’re not together with a devoted pair of studio headphones.
Distant Recording Answer: In case you’re on a price range and have to report visitors remotely, chances are you’ll 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’ll 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 visitors)
For podcasters who report in particular person with visitors, it is essential to have tools that may seize high-quality audio from a number of sources. After all, you’ll wish to tailor this bundle to your particular state of affairs, relying on what number of visitors you often report with.
Listed here are some tools choices to think about:
Interfaces
Zoom H6 Six-Monitor Moveable Recorder: This recorder is ideal for recording in particular person, with its capability to report 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 minimize above the remaining on this division, we undoubtedly suggest the Rodecaster Professional II, which incorporates sound pads, telephone connectivity, and a spread of sound results. It additionally has a big, easy-to-use touchscreen that permits you to management all of its options.
In case your stay podcast is completely a one-on-one state of affairs, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a incredible choice. It’s an inexpensive, two-channel audio interface that provides glorious 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 a bit of roundup:
Excessive-end: Definitely, the Shure SM7B is your choose of selection. A pair (or extra) of those puppies and your in-person recordings will sound about pretty much as good as they presumably may!
Medium: Shure’s MV7X is one other strong choice. With voice-isolating know-how 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. (Observe—the MV7 is a barely totally different design, as you possibly can join it by way of USB. Nevertheless, at this worth level, we suggest some MV7Xs mixed with a strong preamp or audio interface.)
Price range: Once more our choose is the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB. With a worth level round $80, that is exhausting to beat for price range 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 house 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 lately 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 report video with each episode too. That is our advice for a video podcasting add-on package, the proper praise to your mic setup.
Digicam: The Canon EOS M50 Mark II with 15-45mm lens presents nice autofocus and high-quality video in a single easy bundle.
Stand: The SmallRig Digicam Desk Mount has an adjustable peak of 13-35 inches, permitting the stand to clamp onto nearly any desk.
Lighting: The Elgato Key Gentle Air is a good lighting choice for YouTube podcasters. It’s a compact and light-weight lighting resolution that may be adjusted utilizing the Elgato Management Middle app. It has a built-in diffuser for creating gentle, 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’s going to additionally look nice in your YouTube channel.
Pod-on!
It doesn’t matter what your podcasting wants are, there may be an tools package on the market that’s good for you. By investing in the correct gear, you possibly can make sure that your podcast sounds nice and is gratifying in your listeners. With the assistance of this information, you’ll have the ability to discover the proper tools package 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 wish to critically up your recreation, the All-Entry Go could be your finest transfer. By means of community-powered studying, you possibly can work alongside different podcasters, get entry to our full course library (together with the wildly fashionable Energy-Up Podcasting), attend workshops, and way more.