IN THIS CHAPTER

Choosing the microphone that’s best for you

Getting the right mixing board

Accessorizing your studio

Now that you’re effectively hip as to what podcasting is and what it’s all about, you need to start building your studio. This studio can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price tags. What you’re thinking about doing — podcasting — is like any hobby you pursue. If it’s something to pass the time, then keep your setup simple. A modest setup with little to no investment is ideal if you want to see whether you like playing with audio. If, on the other hand, you find yourself tapping into a hidden passion or (even better) talent, you might want to upgrade to the audio gear that’s bigger, better, and badder than the basics.

If you suddenly decide you — yes, you — have a message you want to share, your next plan of action will be one of two options: picking up a digital recorder, reading the instruction manual, and then downloading some free audio-editing software — or watching the DIY Network for methods of soundproofing the basement and looking at industry-standard equipment that might require some extra homework to master.

This is the beauty of podcasting. In the long run, it doesn’t matter whether your podcasting studio is a smartphone with a plug-in microphone or comprised of the latest mixing boards, audio software, and recording equipment. Both approaches to podcasting work and are successfully implemented on a variety of podcasts.

So which one works best for what you have in mind? That’s what we look at in this chapter, discussing the options, advantages, and disadvantages of each setup.

Finding the Right Mic

It’s easy and affordable to make your computer podcast-capable. Your first order of business is to find the right mic. If you already have a microphone built into your laptop (and you don’t mind starting out basic), you can just download Audacity (described in Chapter 3) and take advantage of the fact that it’s free. That’s all there is to it! (For openers, anyway.)

However, if your desktop computer didn’t come with a mic (or you’re just not happy podcasting Quasimodo-style), you’re going to want to shop around. While microphone shopping, consider the following criteria:

• What’s your price range? In many cases, especially with inexpensive mics, you get what you pay for in quality of construction and range of capabilities. You want the most affordable model of microphone that will do the job for you and your podcast.

• Do you plan to use the mic primarily in the studio or on location? A high-end shockmounted model isn’t the best choice for a walk in the park, and a lapel mic might not provide you with the quality of sound expected for an in-studio podcast. Before you purchase your mic, consider your podcasting location needs.

  There are many different types of microphones and microphone connections (or jacks). Some mics are meant to plug in to mixers while others connect directly to your computer’s USB port. If you’re thinking of starting with an inexpensive mic, you may not be able to plug it in to your “upgraded” rig later. Depending on your needs, you may find yourself upgrading more than just your microphone down the road.

• What do you want this mic to do? Record sound? Yeah, okay, but what kind and in what surroundings? Some mics offer ease of handling for interviews. Some are good at snagging specific outdoor sounds. Others may be better at capturing live music. You need to consider multipurpose mics, guest mics, and on-location recording devices, or any kind of condition your podcast provides for you.

Even after narrowing your options, there are so many microphones on the market. After a while, the manufacturers, makes, and models all start to give you that kind of brain-freeze you get when you eat ice cream too quickly. The sections that follow give you the lowdown on the mic that's right for your budget and even make a few sound recommendations along the way.

In Season Three of this book’s companion podcast, Podcasting For Dummies: The Companion Podcast, Tee and Chuck host several episodes concerning microphones, including one where they test several makes and models, comparing the sound of each. To find out more about microphones, gadgets, and concepts, listen to Podcasting For Dummies: The Companion Podcast, available at www.podcastingfordummies.com.

Mics on the cheap

Most of the economical microphones on the market use USB (Universal Serial Bus) hookups. Figure 2-1 shows two types of USB plugs, which you may have used for attaching a digital camera or an MP3 player. You can go online to any of the computer equipment retailers and type USB microphones in their respective search engines. Make sure you include USB, because a search for microphones can bring up many more alternatives, including video cameras, high-end mics (which we talk about next), and other devices that might be way out of your budget.

You don’t have to sacrifice your retirement fund to get started with a USB microphone. Prices start under $20 for a simple desktop microphone. The phrase “you get what you pay for” doesn’t always apply in podcasting. We’ve heard some amazing sounds out of very inexpensive microphones.

When shopping for microphones, you'll hear a lot of terminology like omnidirectional and unidirectional. These multisyllabic words may look cool to type and are impressive to say, but when you read them or they’re spoken to you, they can be a little intimidating. In the next two sections, we demystify these terms and explain how effective these various mic types are for podcasting.

Omnidirectional mics

Most microphones that come preinstalled in laptops are omnidirectional — they pick up sounds from all directions at once. You can find a fair number of omnidirectional microphones that plug in to your mobile phone for under $10. Omnidirectional mics pick up your voice, along with the television in the background, the traffic outside, the rustling of clothes, the ceiling fan … basically, if it makes noise and is within range of the mic, it’s recorded.

Although omnidirectional mics are ideal for sound-seeing tours (audio tours that incorporate surrounding sounds for ambiance) they may not be ideal for all in-studio podcasting because they don’t capture your sound in detail — even when your mouth is so close that your lips brush against the mic’s screen. They tend to add a sharp, tinny quality to your voice and cut out on harsh, sudden sounds such as consonants (especially ps and ts). That’s partly because basic omnidirectional mics vary widely in quality and partly because of the limits imposed by their construction. The built-in models, for instance, are sometimes crammed into leftover nooks in their devices, where they’re awkward to use and can pick up internal noise.

The most basic of omnidirectional desktop mics available would be Audio-Technica’s ATR-4750, currently retailing for about $13, compatible with both Mac and Windows platforms, and connecting with a 3.5 mm stereo (1/8″") mini-plug. There are omnidirectional mics that come with headphones. Logitech (www.logitech.com) offers a wide variety of headsets built with microphones beginning at just under $30, offering you the ability to record and monitor yourself as you do so.

One advantage headsets have over a desktop microphone is that your mouth is always the same distance away from the actual part of the microphone that picks up sound. If you’re an animated podcaster like your authors, this may be useful. On the other hand, they can be very sensitive to breathing sounds. If the mic boom is in the wrong position, the slightest breath from your mouth or nose will sound like an EF5 tornado passing by.

Although purchasing a USB headset is a monetary plus because you’re getting both headphones and mic together with one purchase, this isn’t all you need to monitor yourself as you record. To self-monitor your recording, you need software that offers you an on-screen mixer, a mixing board, or the option to monitor the incoming audio signal.

Installation for these inexpensive investments can be a breeze. Find a USB port on your Mac or PC, plug in your new headset or microphone, and set up your audio preferences in your recording software. You’re ready for recording.

Unidirectional mics

Unidirectional mics, unlike their omnidirectional brethren, pick up sound from only one direction: the direction they're pointing. What makes unidirectional mics a good choice for podcasting is in how by design they filter out surrounding sounds, reproducing only the sound directed to it. For in-studio podcasting, interviews, and quality recording, unidirectional microphones are the best option.

If you want to know exactly what a unidirectional mic is and what it can do, take a look at the Brian DePalma film, Blow Out. John Travolta plays a Foley Artist, a guy who collects random sound effects and then enhances them for particular moments in whatever film he’s working on. One night, he takes a stroll through the park with a shotgun microphone, a certain kind of unidirectional mic that picks up only sounds located where it is pointing. This microphone is so particular that it concentrates on recording along the line of sight — so it records not only the sound of a tire blowing out, but also the gunshot that causes it to happen.

If you’re out shopping for a unidirectional microphone, watch for the term cardioid. It relates to the pattern and sensitivity of the microphone. And if you have a podcast that’s out in the field and want to be able to surrender the mic to guests and subjects without worry, look no further than the MXL 770 (see Figure 2-2). This mic, like many in the Marshall line, offers fantastic audio results for an economic investment. Podcasters can pick up the MXL 770 for under $100 and get years of reliability and quality out of it.

Investing in a high-end mic

So you can go cheap and pick up a microphone for as little as ten dollars, but let’s be honest here — you’re going to sound like you’ve been recorded by a ten-dollar microphone. Say, however, you really want that sharp, professional sound for your podcast, and the cheaper microphones just aren’t cutting it for you. As you shop for an upgrade, you see mics ranging in price from an inexpensive $70 and reaching up to $3,600! (No, you’re not seeing a typo involving an extra zero.) So what defines a microphone? Price? Manufacturer? Look?

What truly defines a microphone is how you sound in it and how it reproduces the sound coming in. Based on how mics work, prices vary, but as you can see from our recommendations, plenty of high-quality microphones that are out there can pick up nuances and details and remain in the range of affordability.

When you purchase a higher-end microphone, keep in mind that you probably will receive no additional cables for hookup, a jack that does not fit into your computer, and no stand. That’s because you’re upgrading to professional equipment. The manufacturer is assuming that you already have the tools, bells and whistles, and extra do-dads to make this mic work for you. For the lowdown on what accessories you need to hook up your new mic to your computer, check out the “Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!” section later in this chapter.

Remember those three questions a few pages back? Question #2 — Do you plan to use the mic primarily in the studio or on location? — helps narrow your search even more for the microphone that’s the right investment for you. At this level, there are two kinds of mics you will hear people talk about: dynamic and condenser mics.

Although dynamic microphones are marketed more for on-location recording and condenser mics are considered best for in-studio recording, these aren’t fast-and-hard rules for what mics should be used where. Sometimes, podcasters use condensers in outdoor settings, and some podcasters prefer the sound of dynamic mics in studio over condensers. When picking a microphone, you want a mic that not only suits your needs but also makes you sound good. Really good.

Dynamic mics

Dynamic mics are what you see everywhere from speaking engagements to rock concerts. In fact, when someone mentions the word microphone, the image that comes to mind is probably a dynamic microphone. These mics work like a speaker in reverse. Sound entering a dynamic mic (by speaking directly into it) vibrates a diaphragm (a small plate) attached to a coil. This is located within proximity of a magnet, and the vibrations that this Wile E. Coyote setup makes create a small electric current. When this signal runs through a preamp or mixer, the original sound is re-created. This system sounds complicated (and if you’ve ever looked inside of a microphone, it is), but the internal makeup of dynamic microphones is such that they can take a lot of incoming signal and still produce audio clearly. They’re also rugged in build so they can be manhandled, making dynamic mics exceptional for outdoor recording.

If you’re working in-studio, consider working with Heil Microphones’ PR40 (pictured in Figure 2-3). This mic offers up a clean, rich sound and picks up incredible details for a dynamic microphone. For microphones you may want to use out in the field, the Røde Reporter (www.rode.com/microphones/reporter), is specifically designed for handheld interviews, and delivers broadcast-quality results within any environment.

Condenser mics

When podcasting happens in studio and you’re looking for the subtleties and nuances of the human voice in your recording (the more detail you get, the better!), you may want to shop for studio condenser microphones. The anatomy of a condenser microphone is very different from a dynamic one. In the condenser, a diaphragm (similar to the dynamic’s) is suspended in front of a stationary plate that conducts electricity. As a signal enters the microphone, the air between the diaphragm and the plate is displaced, creating a fluctuating electrical charge. Once given a bit more power (phantom power, which is explained later in this chapter), the movement becomes an electrical representation of the incoming audio signal.

This setup sounds very delicate, doesn’t it? Guess what — it is! This is why condenser mics are transported in padded cases; they’re not really built for hand-held use and are best used in a studio application (as shown in Figure 2-4) versus an on-location kind of podcast. If manhandled or jostled around, plates can be knocked out of whack or damaged, causing problems in the pick-ups.

The advantage to this delicate setup is that condenser mics are far more sensitive to sound, and they pick up a wider spectrum of audio. These microphones are so sensitive to noise around them that some come with shockmounts — spring-loaded frames that suspend the mic when attached to a microphone stand, providing better reception while reducing any noise or vibration from your microphone stand. Think of a shockmount as a shock absorber for your mic.

If you plan to have a studio with multiple guests, the sensitivity of several condenser microphones can be a liability and will degrade the overall sound of your podcast. The sound from one person’s voice will be picked up not only on that person’s mic, but also on the other mics as a “distant” sound. For multi-mic podcasts in the same location, consider dynamic microphones.

Tee is a big fan of MXL microphones, mentioned earlier in this chapter. His first in-studio microphone was an MXL 990, a model he still podcasts with to this day. MXL microphones, along with being affordable, reliable, and popular, often come bundled with mixer boards (discussed in the section, “Podcasts Well with Others: The Mixing Board,” later in this chapter). Online vendors like BSW (www.bswusa.com) offer podcast bundles featuring another MXL microphone, the BCD-1. With each bundle offering new accessories, cost and features go up, but the quality sound that the MXL line captures remains the same.

USB Studio Condenser mics

Microphone vendors are noting the popularity of podcasting, and now USB Studio Condenser microphones are becoming more and more prevalent. Blue’s Snowball iCE ($50) and Yeti Pro ($270) are solid examples of what is now available for podcasters working on tight budgets. With these microphone models, podcasters can now record studio quality audio without an additional audio card, a mixer, or any of the go-betweens once considered essential for connecting audio gear to a computer. With USB condenser microphones, the audio signal now has a direct connection to the computer. It makes your podcast production extremely portable.

Two drawbacks of USB microphones:

• Latency is the slight echo you hear in your voice as you record. This is your computer trying to re-create the signal in real time for monitoring purposes. The recording itself will sound fine, but as you’re monitoring yourself, you may hear yourself echoing, and the echo may progressively get worse the longer you record one session, depending on your computer’s performance. A faster computer can reduce the latency but likely not resolve it completely. You can side-step the latency problem by disabling the recording application’s monitor or use the built-in headphone jack provided with many USB microphones.
• Expandability is another issue. While USB microphones are quick and easy to set up, there’s no good way to connect more than one to a computer at a time. If you are planning to have your best friend as a co-host or have an in-studio interview guest, then consider microphones that connect to a mixing board.

High end is relative. Professional recording studios can spend hundreds of dollars on a single microphone. Fortunately, the MP3 format isn’t so finicky. For this book, we’re defining high-end microphones as those ranging from $100 and up.

Podcasts Well with Others: The Mixing Board

If you’re looking to have more people in studio or you want to entertain guests on your podcast, you need more than just a good microphone. (Otherwise there will be the passing back and forth of a mic, and that’ll get distracting after a while.) You also need inputs for more microphones and full control over these multiple microphones.

Along with good microphones (and probably microphone stands, discussed later in the “Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!” section), you will want to invest in a mixing board. What a mixing board (or mixer) does for your podcast is open up the recording options, such as multiple hosts or guests, recording acoustic instruments, and balancing sound to emphasize one voice over another or balance both seamlessly.

You see mixers at rock concerts and in behind-the-scenes documentaries for the film and recording industry. They come in all shapes and sizes; Figure 2-5 shows the Behringer Q1202USB mixer. For under $100 you can connect four microphones and several additional stereo inputs and feed them directly in to the USB port on your computer.

Before you take your mixer out of its packing, make sure you have room for it somewhere on the desk or general area where you intend to podcast. Something you’ll want to consider is how close you want to be to the mixer. An ideal reach for your mixer is a short one. Whether it’s you recording yourself or balancing the levels of those around you, clear off a section within a relaxed reach. You’ll be happier because of it.

Hooking up a mixer to your computer

Now that you have your desk cleaned off (mind the dust bunnies!) and a perfect place for the mixer, set your mixer where you want it. And then make certain you can see the following items:

• Your USB or FireWire mixer
• A power supply
• A USB or FireWire cable

Before hooking up the new mixer, check the manufacturer’s website for any downloads (drivers, upgrades to firmware, patches, and so on) needed to make your digital mixing board work.

USB and FireWire mixers are so similar in setup that we can give the same steps for both kinds of mixers. Regardless of where you fall in the Mac/PC debate, you can follow these steps to hook up your mixer board:

1. Shut down your computer.
2. Connect the power supply to the back of the mixer and to an available wall socket or power strip.

3. Find an available USB or FireWire port and plug your mixer-appropriate cable into the computer.

   If your computer’s ports are maxed out, we recommend investing in a PCI card that gives your computer additional USB or FireWire ports. Do not run your digital mixer through a hub because that will affect the quality of the audio.

   A direct connection between your mixer and computer is the best.

4. Plug the USB or FireWire cable into the back of your mixer.
5. Connect your input devices (microphones, headphones, monitors, and the like) to the mixer.
6. Power up your mixer by turning on the Main Power and the Phantom Power switches. See Figure 2-6.
7. Start your computer.

8. Install any drivers your USB/FireWire mixer may need.

   Follow the instructions according to the manufacturer’s enclosed documentation. Restart your computer if necessary.

And that’s it! You’re ready to record with your USB or FireWire mixer. Now with headphones on your head and some toying around, you can set levels on your mixer good for recording.

Before filing away the reference manual that came with your mixer, be sure you know how things work. Buttons like the Mix to Control Room suddenly make sense to you as opposed to being “that button that needs to be down when I record.” Getting a grasp of how things work on your mixer only makes you a better podcaster, so keep that reference manual close by and set aside a few pockets of time to clock in some reading time with it.

Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!

A microphone and a mixing board are just the beginning when it comes to putting together your audio suite. You now need to add the final touches, as Martha Stewart would no doubt tell you if she were helping you with this process. Now when it comes to accessories, Martha might make suggestions like a doily for the mic stand or a sweet, hand-knitted cover for the mixer. When we talk about accessories, we have something different in mind. Here are some optional add-ons that can help you produce a rock-solid podcast:

• Headphones: Headphones help you monitor yourself as you speak. That may seem a little indulgent, but by hearing your voice, you can catch before playback any odd trip-ups, slurred words, or missed pronunciations.

  We suggest you invest in good headphones before you spend a lot of money on a better mic, or else you won’t know how good the microphone is. Good headphones are nice to have for monitoring, but really show their value during the editing and mastering process.

  Another advantage with headphones is they have better sound quality than your computer’s speakers as well as reduce ambient noise around you if you purchase what are called closed-ear headphones. Keep it simple for your first time out with a pair of the Sennheiser HD202 closed-ear headphones for around $35. These headphones end in a 1⁄8-inch jack but come with an adaptor that makes them a ¼-inch stereo male jack (as shown in Figure 2-7), plugging directly into your mixing board.

  Bose Noise Cancelling stereo headphones, going for $300, promise the highest quality for audio listening. Note, we say listening. Not recording and editing. Any headphones you see listed as noise-cancelling are going to be terrific for listening to audio, but those headphones aren’t the best for recording and editing. You want to be able to hear the noise that these headphones cancel out so that you can eliminate it before a word is recorded. The best noise reduction and elimination happens before and during recording, not afterward. For podcast production, stick with closed-ear headphones sans the noise-cancelling feature.

• Cables: As mentioned in the section “Investing in a high-end mic,” earlier in the chapter, your newfangled microphone may arrive without any cable — and buying the wrong cable can be easy if you don’t know jack (so to speak). So check the mic’s connector before you buy. With many high-end mics, the connectors aren't the typical RCA prongs or the ¼-inch jack shown in Figure 2-7; instead, you use a three-prong connection: a 3-pin XLR male plug. It connects to a 3-pin XLR female plug, as shown in Figure 2-8.

  To plug a microphone into your mixer, you want to specify a 3-pin XLR-to-XLR male-to-female cord; the female end connects to the mic, the male end to the mixer. These cables begin at $9 and work their way up, depending on the length of the cord and quality of the inputs.

• Microphone stands: On receiving the microphone and possibly its shockmount, you may notice the attachment for a mic stand … but no mic stand comes with your new mic. It’s your responsibility to provide one, and although that may sound like an easy buy, your options for mic stands are many, each with its advantages.

  A simple desktop mic stand can run you around $10 and is the most basic of setups. When shopping for the right height and make, you’ll notice other stands like a boom mic stand around the $100 range. The type of mic stand that is best for you depends on what you want it to do and how you want to work around it. With the inexpensive desktop stand, you’re ready to go without the extra hassle of positioning and securing a boom stand to your desk. The boom stand, though, frees up space on your desk, allowing for show notes and extra space for you to record and mix in. Consult your budget and see what works for you.

• Pop filters and windscreens: Go to any music store and ask for pop filters and windscreens, which are both shown in Figure 2-9. Both devices can help soften explosive consonants (percussive ones like B and P) during a recording session. A windscreen can also reduce some ambient room noise. Using both on one mic could be overkill, but these are terrific add-ons to your microphones.

  It is worth mentioning that there are DIY tutorials on YouTube, blogs, and elsewhere that will show you how to make pop filters with a stick and panty hose. Just remember: You get what you pay for. With the time, experimentation, and jerry-rigging to save yourself $10-$20, it’s less stress for you to just go and pick up a proper pop filter.