Produce
GUIDE 06 OF 17Basic podcasting gear
The microphone, headphones, stand and interface you actually need, from a free starter kit to a two-person setup.
You can start a podcast with the phone in your pocket. When you’re ready to sound better, a few pieces of gear make a big difference, and the rest is optional. Here is what matters, in order.
1. A microphone
Your microphone is the one piece of gear worth spending on. Two choices matter.
USB or XLR?
| USB microphone | XLR microphone | |
|---|---|---|
| Connects to | Your computer, directly | An audio interface or mixer, which connects to the computer |
| Best for | Solo hosts and beginners | Two or more people in one room; upgrading later |
| Cost | One purchase | Microphone plus interface and cable |
Many podcast microphones offer both USB and XLR outputs, which is a good way to start simple and keep an upgrade path.
Dynamic or condenser?
Dynamic microphones pick up sound mostly from close up, so they hear less of your room. They’re the safer choice for untreated rooms. Condenser microphones are more sensitive and detailed, but they also capture echo, keyboard clicks and traffic. In a typical home, choose a dynamic mic.
2. Headphones
Wear closed-back headphones while you record and edit. They let you hear problems (hum, clipping, plosives) as they happen and stop sound leaking back into the microphone. Avoid wireless earbuds while recording: their delay makes it hard to monitor yourself.
3. A stand and a pop filter
- A desk stand or boom arm keeps the microphone at a steady distance and away from desk thumps.
- A pop filter or foam windscreen softens the bursts of air from “p” and “b” sounds.
- A shock mount isolates the mic from vibrations; useful on a desk you type on.
4. An audio interface (for XLR mics)
An interface turns an XLR microphone’s signal into digital audio for your computer and powers condenser microphones (phantom power). For two people in one room, a two-input interface lets you record each voice on its own track, which makes editing far easier.
Sample kits
| Kit | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| Free starter | Your phone’s voice memo app or a wired headset mic, in a closet full of clothes |
| Solo host | A dynamic USB/XLR microphone, closed-back headphones, a desk stand and foam windscreen |
| Two in one room | Two dynamic XLR microphones, a two-input USB interface, two pairs of headphones and a headphone splitter or amp, two boom arms |
| Remote interviews | The solo kit for you; ask guests to use wired earphones with a mic, or their own USB mic |
Spend in this order: room treatment (often free), microphone, headphones, everything else. A great mic in an echoey room still sounds echoey.
Next, choose the software to record and edit with.