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

[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/vi...431&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

[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/.../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/..._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/B00...483083-2645424
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/...se_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/...se_pid/421139/
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...se_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