podcasting hardware setup help!

[davidt39]

Hey All,

I've just joined the forum and what I can see so far it's an awesome place to be wow....

I'm just starting out with podcasting and I've been having some problems recording I've been getting some buzzing sound and it won't clean up....

Anyway I was wondering if anyone can make some suggestion on podcasting gear that I can pickup on the cheaper end, like gear for $150 bucks that's what I have to spend right now.

What I've been seing on the forum is most podcasters say that you need a mixer, preamp, mic, headphones.

I'm thinking if I don't have the money to buy the good stuff what do I really need, is it best to just get a good mic and mixer + my computer or a good mic, preamp, computer...

I would love to get everyone's feedback on this I guess I would like to know where I should put my money first. Anyway thanks all for your help and talk to you guys soon....

Best Regards
David Thompson
Squeeze Page Affiliate (http://www.brienthompson.com)

[anotherquizshow]

What kind of microphone are you using now? If it's not a USB mic, maybe you want to consider getting one of those first. Logitech has a USB mic that is pretty decent.

The buzzing sound may be your soundcard. I got a similar sound when I used the cheapie mic that came with the computer. A USB mic bypasses all that, so it should deliver better sound.

$150 is a nice budget to start with. You can get a good mixer, mics, and cables.

Rather than repost stuff, here's a thread with some details.
http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5431&highlight=

Michael

[tipsychicks]

why get a mixer?

[Craig]

There are two primary reasons to get a mixer:

1. Flexibility. It allows you to use more than one mic, add additional sound sources with full level control of each, support condenser mics (with mixers that offer phantom power), do some basic EQing of the sound before it comes into the computer, and monitor the sound using headphones with no latency issues (a slight delay between what you say and what you hear that is endemic to most sound editing software).

2. Interface. It provides an interface between a mic and the line-in input of your soundcard. You can get mics that plug directly into the soundcard (assuming your soundcard has a mic-in input) and you can now get mics that plug directly into a USB port. A mixer, however, gives you more options as to which mics you can use and doesn't require a mic-in.

Craig

[anotherquizshow]

Hey Tipsychicks! I listened to your "homewrecker" show during my jog this weekend....interesting show. Is there a followup to the show yet?

How are you recording and how many mics are you using? You had 3 people in the show I listened to.


A mixer allows me to add multiple microphones for recording. It also can control the sound level of inputs. Although I don't do this, you can also feed in music and other audio during the recording.

We needed at least 2 mics for our podcast, so the mixer solved that.

[tipsychicks]

i don't use a mixer - i just have the mobile pre, which allows you to plug in two mics. but i just got a compressor - my iBF was going to teach me to use it, then he dumped me. god knows if i'll ever figure it out on my own!

thanks for the compliments on the homewrecker episode. i cringe at that episode because of the audio - the levels were way off. we have another episode up - darlisha's birthday episode! check it out (if you like)!

[Craig]

Erica, create another topic with the details on your current gear and the compressor model and I'll help you set it up. Sorry about the iBF.

Craig

[davidt39]

Hi All,

thanks for allt the great replys I really appreciate it cheers.

My current setup is a USB headphone with inbuilt mic and
my tower pc with sony soundforge for audio.

I understand some people are saying that I should get
a decent mic that plus into my pc but I still run the risk
of having this buzzing sound so that's why I wanted to
see if buying a mixer and preamp or just a mixer, or
preamp would get rid of this problem...

--David


Affiliate Marketing Downloads (http://www.brienthompson.com)

[davidt39]

Hey guys,

no one really told me anything it looks like we started
to talk about some other things.

Anyway thanks everyone for all the support and help
I really appreciate it cheers..

I'm on a pc windows XP-P4 and headset with USB mic
but with all the buzzing from the fan or the power supply
it's no use to try and record..

That's why I'm asking for hep to put together a system
so I can start doing my show...

Waht I've been seing is most people say USB preamp
with a good mic that's it.

--David

[anotherquizshow]

Here's some equipment that seems to be popular with many podcasters The below setups are similar to what I have, so I know it actually works.
BTW, you can read user reviews of the products at Musician's Friend.

Behringer UB802 Mixer - $50 USD
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_id/88620
This is a very popular mixer with podcasters, and it will accomodate 2 microphones.

MXL990 Microphone - $50
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/273156/?c_tid=topseller
This is a top seller at Musician's Friend and also a popular starting mic with podcasters. It's not the greatest mic (from what I've been told), but it's awesome for the price.

Recommended:
SoundBlaster 24-Bit Live! External Soundcard ~ $50
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00030099O/103-7483083-2645424
This good quality soundcard made the difference between hissing and clean sound with my mixer and mic setup. If your soundcard is not a good one, I would recommend this one. I made a few posts about it. Here's one:
http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4759

Suggested alternative microphone:
Microphone Stand, Cable, and microphone: $20
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/270619/
If you're trying to keep your costs down, this stand with included cable and microphone is a great package deal. You'll need a stand to hold your mic, and you can use the cable and mic too!

USB mics won't work with the Behringer UB802 mixer, so you'll need a microphones + cables that will connect to a mixer. The mics/cables that come with this stand will work with the mixer.

Other things you'll need to consider are:
Microphone cables (if you don't get the one with the stand) - $ varies

"Tape Out to Soundcard In" Cable to connect the mixer to the computer. ~$8

Pop Filters:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/421139/
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/421330/
The 2nd one can be used with the free mic from the stand package.

Possible Combinations:
$50 - UB802 Mixer
$50 - Soundcard (you don't have to have this, but it helps)
$20 - Microphone Stand with Mic + Cables
TOTAL $120 (add $20 for misc)
If you're on a budget, I'd try this one first.

$50 - UB802 Mixer
$50 - Soundcard
$50 - MXL990 Microphone
$20 - Stand (any stand, but get the one with the freebies)
TOTAL $170 (add $20 for misc)

If you order from Musician's Friend, you can return SOME things at your shipping expense if you change your mind. Microphones are usually NOT returnable.

I don't have any experience with a PreAmp or Condenser, but I'm sure they work great.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Michael

[audiocollective]

$50 - UB802 Mixer
$50 - Soundcard
$50 - MXL990 Microphone
$20 - Stand (any stand, but get the one with the freebies)
TOTAL $170 (add $20 for misc)


this is almost exactly what we have and it wroks great! and has for a few years... i think on of my mxl990's is starting to die after 4 years of use every day.

[Craig]

David, if you're having a problem with computer noise then you want to be able to record away from your computer. The least expensive way to do that is either with a headset mic such as the Plantronics .audio series or a lav mic such as the Giant Squid Audio omni ones I recommend (http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-micline1.html) and an iRiver iFP-79x/89x. You can then record anywhere you want and just do your editing on the computer. Total cost will be between $80 and $175 depending on which iRiver/mics you buy.

Craig

[ToasterBoy]

We just put up a page dedicated to our set-up. I once read that when a band records an album they should put up a page listing all the instruments (kinds/brands) that were used on the CD and all the amps, recording equipment, etc that were used as there's folks out there who live for that geeky kind of stuff and may actually get to your website just by searching for equipment. Our page is up at:

http://www.doctorfloyd.com/setup/

Our main problem was setting up the portable recording studio so we could record our guests outside the studio on my 12" Powerbook. We tried Griffin's Mic Cable:

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/garageband_cables/gb_xlr.php

But every-time the PowerBook's fan kicked in, I got line noise. I wrote to Griffin and they said I had to use the iMic as well. Didn't work. Still would get line noise when the fan kicked in. So I settled on M-Audio's FireWireSolo:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWireSolo-main.html

I've been EXTREMELY happy with M-Audio's gear. I've used their now defunct OmniStudio PCI version on my desktop for years without ever having a problem.

Okay, stepping out of geek mode now.

Dr. Grant

[anotherquizshow]

The iriver setups are nice because you can record anywhere. I'm mulling over whether I should get a portable setup now. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably have started with the iriver + mics portable setup.


Craig,

What does a Preamp and Compressor do? I read about people using these, but I don't know if these are necessary or not for podcasting.

Our podcast has an issue with some voices being too loud at times, and it sounds distorted. Is there something called a limiter or high-pass filter that can prevent the sounds from going too high? Is it software or hardware?

I currently use Audacity to record.

Thanks.
Michael

[ChicagoBob]

If your gonna be going out and interviewing people at all consider the Olympus DS-2 digital voice recorder, records in stereo, also has a small mic jack, runs off two AAA batteries and in its highest quality can record over an hour. Comes with a small usb dock to transfer file to your hard drive as well. I have used it a few times and love it. Picked it up on sale at Office Depot for about $89.00 Its the best for going out and doing on the street interviews, which is something i plan on doing in one of my next podcasts.

Chicago Bob
www.bobspissed.com

[Craig]

A preamp brings a mics levels up to line level, so you can use a line-in jack if a mic-in jack isn't available.

A compressor literally compresses louder parts of your signal so that the overall volume is more even. If it does its job well it handles the compression smoothly so you don't notice it happening. A limiter is essentially a very abrupt compressor.

A high-pass filter removes low-frequency sounds from the signal (it only allows high-frequency sound to pass through). It's useful for removing unwanted rumble from voice recordings.

Distortion means that you have your levels too high and your signal is clipping. You can fix it by turning your levels down, not getting so close to the mic, or using a compressor between the mic and the computer. Clipping the signal is like overeposing a photo...once you do it you can't get back the lost details, so it's important to fix it before you record.

Finally, digital voice recorders don't record at the same level of quality as the iRivers. The iRivers record in stereo and will record up to 44KHz sampling rate, 320Mbps compression rate. Digital voice recorders are usually much lower, although the DS-2 is pretty good, with a maximum of 44KHz/128Mbps (albeit with a slightly reduced 100Hz-17KHz frequency response). The problem is that the DS-2 records in WMA format and you'll need to convert to MP3 for your podcast. The process of re-encoding will introduce compression artifacting that will degrade the sound quality of your podcast, whereas if you choose to re-encode from the iRiver the higher compression rate means less artifacts. The DS-2's biggest shortcoming is the fact that it only has 64MB of memory, compared to up to 1GB for the iRiver. The iFP-799/899 will record for up to 8 hours in its highest quality using a single AA battery. The iFP-795/895 will record for up to 4 hours and goes for around $60 on eBay. While it doesn't have many of the playback features of a digital voice recorder it's much better suited for high-quality recording.

I actually like a lot of things about the DS-2 though and would love to see Olympus (or someone else) come out with version that has at least 512MB of RAM and a minimum of 256Mbps encoding.

Craig

[davidt39]

Hey guys,

this is the things I've been looking for thanks
this is awesome I really appreciate it cheers.

Ebay here i come babe...lol

Now I know what to look for man it's time to rock..

Again guys thank you I feel now I'm on the right
track keep an eye out for the show....

--David

[abbub]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned that I think is essential is a pop filter. A very inexpensive way (15-20 dollars) to make a microphone sound 10 times better.

[Craig]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned that I think is essential is a pop filter. A very inexpensive (15-20 dollars) to make a microphone sound 10 times better.
True, although good mic technique can avoid the need for one. (I don't use one.)

Craig

[abbub]

True, although good mic technique can avoid the need for one. (I don't use one.)
Craig

True enough about the good mic technique, but, if the bulk of the podcasts I hear (self included) are any indication, many (most) podcasters don't have particurly good technique. Especially when they're starting out.

The other advantage of having pop filters around are for when you've got someone unfamiliar with recording on your show...it keeps the plosives down for one thing, but another great thing I've discovered is that a pop filter keeps a person unfamiliar with mics in the space you want them in. (For some reason, it's a lot easier to show someone where to be relative to a microphone (especially one like the SM58) and have it stick in their minds when you've got a pop filter sitting there. Seems to keep them more in the 'zone', in my experience.)

[Craig]

Absolutely.

Craig

[audio2u]

Ditto to Craig's comments. I never use a pop filter, either.
Good mike technique should be high on everyone's list of goals.

[davidt39]

Hey Craig,

and others thank you all very much I really appreciate you'll
answering my questions and the excellent advise I got now i
feel more at home with this thing thanks guys.

--David

One thing I haven't seen mentioned that I think is essential is a pop filter. A very inexpensive (15-20 dollars) to make a microphone sound 10 times better.
True, although good mic technique can avoid the need for one. (I don't use one.)

Craig

[jeffoest]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned that I think is essential is a pop filter. A very inexpensive (15-20 dollars) to make a microphone sound 10 times better.
True, although good mic technique can avoid the need for one. (I don't use one.)

Craig

Ehhh,, it can minimize the need for a pop filter but it doesn't eliminate it. Good mic technique has more to do with maintaining a consistent level of volume when recording (i.e. moving up when talking lightly, backing up when talking loudly, etc..). Sure - there are techniques you can use where you don't talk directly into the mic to avoid the 'plosives' and that's fine BUT that just happens to be one recording technique and it's not right for all voices.

Sometimes the voice demands that you are right up front and for that, a pop filter cannot be avoided.

There is a reason professional studios and singers use pop filters and it's not that they have bad mic 'technique'.

[cinesnob]

I don't wear headphones when I podcast. I've read you're supposed to wear them when recording to hear what you sound like. Huh? Ever thought of listening to your podcast to determine your vocal qualities...

[jeffoest]

I don't wear headphones when I podcast. I've read you're supposed to wear them when recording to hear what you sound like. Huh? Ever thought of listening to your podcast to determine your vocal qualities...

If your wear headphones you get instant feedback with which you can adjust in real-time. For example, if you move your mouth a bit to the side as you turn your head, you can instantly hear the effect in your headphones which makes you naturally and instinctively adjust yourself.

This is most important with more expensive and sensitive microphones. Wearing headphones will really quicken your time to learn good microphone technique instinctively and thus will get you to a better sounding podcast faster than if you decide to skip the phones.

[caribiner23]

I agree with Jeff.

There are two of us on our podcast, and I always monitor while we're recording to make sure our levels are where they should be. An inch or two of distance can make a huge difference...