General

Published on January 21st, 2013 | by Ari Mannis

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How To Start A Podcast – Equipment

So you want to start a comedy podcast like everyone else… No no I know yours is going to be different! One thing that seems to be a trend in up and coming podcasts is poor audio quality. When people hear poor audio quality they for the most part turn it off, so if you are planning on recording your podcast with your phone or laptop mic think again. If you are in LA you can pitch us your show and maybe use our studio…  If you are not in LA here are some tips.

• The first tip is to make sure you are recording in a quiet space. 

Multi Mic Setup

Recorder

Zoom H6 – A good starter with four XLR mic inputs plus you can add two more if needed.

Microphones

So you need a multi mic setup for you, your co host, and a guest or two. So we recommend getting at least three of the same microphone.

Behringer XM8500 – This is a cheap Chinese knockoff of the Sure SM58 which is an industry standard in live performance, this mic in our experience produces great quality sound. It is a dynamic mic so it also blocks out a lot of outside noise and does not require external phantom power. Some will say to get a condenser microphone for audio however unless you have a professional sound studio we would recommend against this.

SM7B – If you are looking for the best quality and are not on a budget.

Needed Accessories

Desk Mic Stand or  Mini Boom Stand or if you want something really small and portable get this Stand – You will need one stand for each mic, weather you need a desk stand or a boom depends on your setup.

LyxPro HAS-15 – Again with headphones you can spend $xx-$xxxx but these should be good to start, the main difference between these and regular headphones, is long cord, and tries to block outside sound. Again get a set for each person on the podcast.

XLR cables for your microphones.

Behringer HA400 4-Channel Stereo Headphone Amp – Most mixers only have one headphone output, but each guest should be wearing headphones so that they can hear exactly how it sounds, this splits the sound but also powers each headphones to maintain even and realistic audio.

Software

Having an audio editing software is very helpful, it allows you to make everything sound better, edit or bleep out content, add a musical intro, and compress audio to save money on hosting costs. Below are some free to paid audio editing options  that all work with both Windows and Mac.

Audacity – Free and open source.

Adobe Audition – If you want to get crazy, more advanced, costs money, you will know when you need it.

About the Author

Ari Mannis is a Stand Up Comedian living in Los Angeles, CA. He has been featured on MTV, Sirius XM, and more.

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