There are plenty of great podcasting equipment lists out there. Easy research, plenty of resources. Make sure you do yours. To produce a podcast you need something to capture the audio and something to process/edit the audio. That could be as simple as your smartphone, or as complicated as a full-on recording studio. We’re going to assume, for the sake of brevity and sanity, that you have a smartphone, tablet, or computer of some kind with which to process your audio recordings. We’re putting the finishing touches on our office podcasting studio, which is pretty awesome. Check out a picture here. With that in mind, here’s our list of 5 drool-worthy pieces of podcasting equipment.
- Rode Podcaster USB Broadcast Microphone. Great for podcasting, this dynamic mic with cardioid polar pattern produces broadcast quality sound. The cardioid polar pattern minimizes off-axis noise. With the USB, you can plug this directly into your computer and begin capturing great audio.
- Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones. What good is a great mic if you can’t hear it accurately? Audio-Technica makes some of the finest studio monitor headphones on the market today. These also have a ridiculously flat frequency response from 15-20k Hz, making it that much easier to get an accurate mix.
- Acoustic Panels Studio Foam Wedges. You’ve got a great mic, killer headphones, and… a very “bright” room for recording. You speak and those sound pressure waves go bouncing around your room– walls, ceiling, floors– muddying up your podcast audio with unwanted audio reflections. You might want to consider some acoustic panels to spot treat sound on walls in your studio or office.
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface. Don’t get us wrong: USB mics are great. But, sometimes, you just need something a little… more from your podcasting equipment. In which case, we are drooling over the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB audio interface. It has 2 inputs (ever have guests on your podcast?) and 4 outputs. Plus it has the legendary Focusrite preamps and D/A converters. Pair this with your favorite (non-USB) mic and you’re in for a treat.
- Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder. Small but mighty. Mighty, mighty good. This handy little bit of kit will let you take the show on the road. 6 inputs. Records to two SD cards. What. Is. Not. To. Like?!
Forget the Podcasting Equipment and Get Going
Ok. Admittedly, we totally nerded out putting this podcasting equipment list together. It’s really fun to see what gadgets are available, or how prices have fallen. But it’s also easy to fall into the analysis paralysis trap where you go down internet rabbit hole after internet rabbit hole in search of the best deal on the best podcasting equipment in the history of humankind. One of the most important podcasting tips we can ever convey: start. Start podcasting with whatever you have. Your story is good enough to shine through even the muddiest of recordings. So get going. And, of course, we recommend Podcast Hosting, Stats, and PowerPress from Blubrry.