Podcast Gear For Beginners | An Easy Guide To Choosing Podcast Gear, For Beginners

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  • Production Services
  • Podcast Setups
    • Solo Podcaster Setup
    • 2 Person Podcaster Setup
    • 3 Person Podcast + LiveStreaming
    • 4 Person Podcast + Livestream
    • Podcast Table For Four - Switch & Board Podcasting Studio
  • Articles
    • LEARNING CENTER
    • DIY Podcast Table Ideas
    • Dynamic Vs. Condenser Mics
    • XLR Vs. USB Mics
    • When to Use an XLR Mic
    • 3 Person Podcast + LiveStream
    • 4 Person Podcast + Livestream
    • 3 Ways To Improve Zoom Presentation
    • Stickers For Your Podcast
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PODCAST GEAR
​FOR BEGINNERS 
LEARNING CENTER

Maono AU-PM500 Condenser Microphone Review

5/29/2021

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We're excited to review the Maono AU-PM500 condenser microphone! Maono has yet to release this microphone, get the skinny from Podcast Gear For Beginners. Check out the YouTube video for the full review, and the unboxing! 

Highlights of the PM500: 
  • This mic comes with a SWEET carrying case, making it very portable
  • Shock mount w/ metal pop filter included, very sleek 
  • The condenser mic has a great build, with metal housing 
  • Nice, full sound, keeping the low end robust
  • Needs eq in post, for sure 
More at Maono.com.

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MAONO AU-HD300T Podcast mic REVIEW

4/15/2021

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I'm excited to bring you the Maono AU-HD300T podcaster microphone review! Huge thanks to Maono for sending this our way. Check out our review video! 

The quick of it:
  • $69 price point - HUGE BENEFIT
  • USB/XLR combo - use it on a mixer, recorder, or plug and play right into your computer
  • Dynamic, Carioid pattern - great for podcast vocals
  • ** It sounds SO GOOD right out of the box, with no editing on the vocal track in post. 
  • Pop filter and shock mount included - a very nice touch
  • Comes with an XLR cable and USB C cable
  • Includes a tabletop mic stand

Maono really hits the beginner podcaster with a great product for a great price point at $69 at Maono.com. 
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3 Ways To Improve Your Zoom Presentations

5/12/2020

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit our world, people have scrambled to be able to continue meeting, teaching, lecturing, and presenting online. Many online retailers ran out of webcams and video capture cards due to people setting up home-broadcasting situations in their living rooms, bedrooms, basements, closets, garages and anywhere else they could fit a computer and a camera. It's been cool to see how people are accomplishing this and the creativity going into their setups. 

The image above shows my personal setup for presenting online via Zoom. I'm a podcaster and videographer, so all of this setup was pieced together by gear I'd already purchased, it was simply a matter of arranging it all to work for the Zoom platform. The technical side of this setup is the same for any scenario and doesn't necessarily require the exact gear pictured.

When putting together the above setup, I did three things to improve my presentation, and they're things you can do too that'll help your online presentation quality. 
1) Upgrade your webcam. 

Here's the idea - in Zoom, you can choose your camera and your audio source in the Zoom preferences menu. If you have a laptop with a built-in camera, Zoom will default to that camera. This is how many will use Zoom, and the camera quality usually isn't that great and most likely doesn't do so well in low light scenarios. ​
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Also, many built-in cameras only give a 720p resolution, which isn't considered HD, or high definition. I've connected a LogiTech C920 webcam via USB to my setup, and that camera gives a 1080HD image, and does really well in low-light. There are many other webcams on the market, but look for 1080HD with USB connection. You'll be looking at the $100-$200 range for LogiTech and HP webcams Amazon.com or BhPhotoVideo.com. 
2) Upgrade your microphone.

If I were to suggest a single upgrade for anyone doing online presentations, it would be upgrading your microphone. This is what happens in most cases: people use the internal microphone on their laptops or use a pair of headphones with a built-in microphone. The headphone microphone will sound better than the laptop mic, but neither give a high-quality sound. My solution is to purchase a USB microphone. USB mics will give you a plug-and-play solution and greatly increase the quality of your audio. I've heard that people will endure bad videos longer than they endure bad audio.
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The Audio Technica ATR2100x USB mic is a great, $100 solution. Audio Technica also makes a $79 USB microphone if you need to stick to a slimmer budget. In the image above, I've used a Rode Podmic XLR microphone connected to the Alesis MultiMix 4 USB interface for my audio source. It's a more expensive setup, but allows more opportunity for external audio sources like music and sound effects, not always used in Zoom presentations but available if needed. ​
3) Add a brighter light source.
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You've seen it before, someone sitting against a window and the window is bright and their face is dark. Or, a dark, grainy image of someone's face dimly lit by a desk lamp. You can easily fix this problem with an LED light source. In my setup, I'm using the Dracast LED 500 which is what I use for other video shoots, but it's more than enough of a light source to give a wonderfully sharp, and well-exposed image.
If you search "LED Camera Light" on Amazon.com you'll get many options for budget lights that will no doubt help the sharpness and quality of your image on the screen. Most of these lights are battery-powered, so looking for one with a power adapter would be beneficial so it doesn't turn off in the middle of your presentation if the battery runs low. ​
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One more trick of the trade, don't sit with a window behind you. As a matter of fact, if you sit with the window facing you, it'll double as a natural light source if you're presenting in the daytime. With the natural lighting and the LED light pointed toward your face, you're bound to have a great light source to help the video quality of your presentation. 
​
If you have any questions about this setup or any other audio or video topics, don't hesitate to email me at PodcastGearForBeginners@Gmail..com. ​
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What's the difference between dynamic and condenser micropHones?

4/19/2020

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When starting a podcast, the most important piece of gear that you'll be using is the microphone.

It seems like an obvious statement, but the kind of microphone you purchase will determine the quality of sound. It's said that people will tolerate poor video over poor audio, so since podcasting is typically only audio, this is a very important part of the equation. 

You must be careful to choose the proper microphone type when making your purchase. Sometimes the price tag is the determining factor, so people buy a microphone and very quickly realize it's not what they thought it would be in quality and sound. 

The majority of podcasts are recorded using a "dynamic" microphone, as opposed to "condenser" microphone, but there are shows that utilize condenser mics. 

So what's the difference? 

There are certainly technical differences in the way the microphones are constructed and how they work, but we'll skip all of the "techy" jargon and get to the point. 


DYNAMIC MICROPHONE

  • Use in any room
  • No "phantom power" required
  • Rejects rear noise and room sounds
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ATR 2100x USB

$99 • Amazon.com
Dynamic microphones do not need a power source to function. You simply plug your XLR cable into the mic, and the other end into your mixer, interface or digital recorder and you're ready to roll.

Dynamic microphones are used in live sound situations such as presentations, key-note speakers and live bands. They're great in-studio for recording vocals for multiple applications. The cardioid pattern of dynamic microphones, or the area of the mic head that picks up sound, and its ability to "attenuate", or minimize room noise or ambient noise makes it great for podcasts.

​Dynamic mics work to pick up the majority of the sound coming straight into the head of the mic. 
​

CONDENSER MICROPHONE

  • Best in studios/sound treated rooms
  • Requires "phantom power" +48v
  • Sensitive to room/ambient sounds
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ATR2020 USB

$149 • Amazon.com
In order to turn on, condenser microphones need external power sources such as batteries or phantom power. Phantom power is the built in +48v power on some mixers, interfaces and digital recorders. 

If you plug in a condenser mic and it is not working, it's highly likely that it is because it lacks the phantom power to turn it on. 


Since condenser mics are powered, they are highly sensitive to sound coming into the front of the mic, and also any other sounds happening in the room. Condenser mics are used mostly to record vocals of one person in highly sound-treated rooms.

​If you were to place a condenser mic and a dynamic mic in a room with windows and dogs are barking outside, cars are passing by and the hum of the air conditioner is present, you'll hear it more through the condenser mic than you will the dynamic mic. Condenser mics are not bad mics, they simply have very specific applications. 
​

In conclusion, while there are certainly multiple applications for each type of microphone, dynamic microphones tend to be the best options for beginners looking to set up in an extra room, a garage, a closet, or some other space that isn't a sound-treated studio space. ​​Condenser microphones will be best for solo podcasters who can afford to sound treat their recording space. 

AUTHOR: jason villanueva

Jason is cohost of the Salty Dogs Christian Podcast. He enjoys podcasting, video-production, web-design, blogging, the keto way of life, working out, and smoking all the meats.

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When to use an xlr microphone

4/18/2020

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Let me make the case for when to use an XLR microphone. When suggesting podcast setups, I'll always point to an XLR setup. Here's why. 

QUALITY & QUANTITY

First of all, an XLR microphone is a mic that uses an XLR connection. XLR stands for: X connector, Locking Connector, Rubber Boot. But most importantly, 
XLR is the industry standard for high-quality audio inputs. You'll also find that there's a much bigger pool of options for XLR microphones as opposed to USB mics. Most quality XLR mics will be in the $100 range, with budget mics as low as $48, and high quality mics all the way up to $600 plus. However, a $100 microphone is going to be great in quality. Listen to  the $99 Rode PodMic on episode one of our podcast, and the $100 Sennheiser e835  on episode four of our podcast.

RODE PODMIC

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VIEW ON AMAZON.COM

SENNHEISER e835

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VIEW ON AMAZON.COM
PORTABILITY & DURABILITY

You'll find that most XLR microphones are very portable, in that they can easily fit in a backpack or a laptop bag. I used to carry around a small backpack with 4 Sennheiser e835 mics,  4 XLR cables and an audio interface. That made for portability and quick setup when going on-location to record an episode. The build on most XLR mics is solid as well, utilizing metal for the mic housing and not that you should drop your mics, but they often hold up well after having been dropped. 

SCALABILITY
​

If you're a solo podcaster, then a USB mic could work well for you as a simple plug and play solution. However, if you're looking to add more hosts or guests to your show, in person, then an XLR microphone allows for scalability for your show. This is because when using an XLR mic, you'll need an audio interface, digital recorder or a mixer in order to use your mic to record audio onto your computer or onto an SD card. Many of these devices are available with multiple inputs, and more inputs means more mics, and that means more people on your show, if that's your goal. It is possible to connect multiple USB mics to your computer, however, it is a rare case to find podcast setups like this. Go for XLR. 

ZOOM h4N

  • Small & Portable
  • 2 XLR inputs
  • Records to SD card
  • Monitor w/ headphones
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VIEW ON AMAZON.COM

ZOOM h6

  • Small & Portable
  • 4 XLR inputs
  • Records to SD Card
  • Monitor w/ headphones
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VIEW ON AMAZON.com
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What's the difference between a usb mic and an xlr mic?

4/12/2020

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When searching the interwebs for microphones for your podcats, you'll find primarily two kinds of microphones: USB and XLR microphones. It's not so important to understand what the letters in these names mean as much how each mic functions and which one you should use for your individual scenario. Here's the breakdown:

​XLR MICROPHONES

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Rode PodMic | XLR

​XLR microphones utilize the "XLR" connector, which is the industry standard connection for high-quality microphones. Unlike the USB microphone, XLR mics need to be plugged into mixers, interfaces and digital recorders using an XLR male-to-female cable.

XLR mics are also very portable, but sometimes the additional gear needed to record can be bulky. If you're needing a highly portable recording solution, consider Zoom's digital recorders such as the H4n or the H6 along with an XLR mic.

USB MICROPHONES

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YETI BLUE | USB
USB microphones contain all of the necessary wiring needed to connect to a computer through the USB port and start recording right away. Most of these kinds of mics will also have a headphone jack allowing you to monitor your audio while you record.

​Unlike XLR microphones, you do not need a mixer, audio interface or digital recorder to get started. If you're looking for an easy "plug and play" solution for a mic, requiring as little gear and technical setup as possible, the USB microphone is for you. USB mics are very portable and work seamlessly on PC and MAC. 
​
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