Podcast Recording Equipment - The Basics
Podcasts are very popular within the blogosphere these days. Many webmasters and bloggers alike are creating new podcasting channels to keep the competition fierce while bringing in tons of new content for new subscribers. Many of the podcasts sound great and maybe you are thinking that you need a huge investment for all the best podcast recording equipment, studio space, and other essentials. With the increasing number of people trying out podcasting there has to be some secret to this all.
The secret is that you don’t need all of the expensive audio recording equipment to make professional sounding podcasts. Remember that podcasts must be optimized for the web and dedicated podcast recording equipment and software are the only tools that can balance both quality and speed so your podcasts can sound good and save bandwidth when many subscribers listen.
Podcast recording equipment usually consists of standard audio computer peripherals such as a microphone or headset and some inexpensive extras including the pre-amp and podcasting software.
However, if you want to make sure your podcasts are fully optimized and presentable to your subscribers, you should get the right software and devices that can do the job best. Here are a few recommendations.
Samson CO1U Podcast Pak
This great bundle by Samson comes with a C01U studio condenser microphone and the popular Cakewalk Sonar LE digital audio workstation software and is a great way to start recording you podcast.
The C01U is the first studio quality condenser microphone that can be plugged right into your computer via USB so set up is easy. It is complete with a microphone stand and looks just like the microphones you see in big studios. The Cakewalk Soner LE software aids in recording your podcasts and saving them in podcast friendly formats. It’s a great start for new users and comes without any additional cost.
Koss SB40 Computer Headset with Microphone
Podcasts are usually listened to wirelessly by people on the go, so most likely they’ll be on headphones when they start listening. Therefore, you need to have a good computer headset of your own to test the quality of your podcasts as well as doing some quick voiceovers when the studio microphone isn’t needed.
The Koss SB40 Computer Headset is a good choice for these needs because of its good cushioned comfort for extended use and dynamic microphone that rejects unwanted noise. It’s pretty affordable as well and should be a lasting companion to your podcasting activities.
Koss SB40 Computer Headset with Microphone
Audacity
Your podcasts may not sound the best on the first run and some quick editing and fine-tuning may be needed. Cakewalk may be a bit of a hassle for sound editing or maybe you decided not to get it all together. There is a good freeware program out there called Audacity, which specializes in editing audio files. This can also be considered a simple and free alternative to the Cakewalk Sonar LE because it can record audio as well.
The amount of money spent for podcast recording equipment is actually a lot smaller than most people think. Just get the right headset and start out with the many free tools and podcasting services available and work your way up so you can get better, but still affordable equipment to make your podcasts sound crisp and optimized.
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