Beginner’s Guide: How to set up a podcast studio for $500

The core expertise concerned in making a podcast have remained a lot the identical since earlier than the medium turned commonplace with the discharge of Apple’s Podcast app in 2012. The expertise round it, nonetheless, has advanced considerably.

Making a podcast is much like crafting a radio present, solely with the luxurious of pre-recording and modifying. You’ll after all want a topic – that half is as much as you to resolve – however it’s completely potential to arrange a professional-sounding podcast studio from scratch for an affordable sum. Don’t be afraid of the time period ‘studio’; at this time’s tech signifies that, with the correct equipment, a spare room might be simply pretty much as good as a professional house.

What’s going to you want?

If you have already got a music-making setup, you might be 90 per cent of the best way there already, and also you’ll be publishing the subsequent Serial very quickly. However even should you don’t, the gadgets you do personal – laptop computer, smartphone, headphones – can present the inspiration in your true-crime empire.

First, you’ll want a tool on which to document and edit. That may be a pc, smartphone or pill. Not like a number of music manufacturing, making podcasts isn’t overly taxing in your {hardware}, so that you received’t essentially want the most recent and best machine. Mid-range fashions with first rate specs ought to suffice.

You’ll additionally want a microphone – the center of your recording setup – and software program to document into, and blend and edit in.

An honest pair of headphones is a should too, and should you plan on recording greater than a few microphones directly, you’ll want an audio interface or a mixer. You may wish to put money into some plug-ins past those who your recording software program already has to assist sweeten and stability your ultimate combine. Music beds can underscore your chatter and assist glue the entire thing collectively too. Let’s break these elements down and supply some examples.

Recording {hardware}

It’s potential to document to a multi-track handheld machine like these made by Zoom however we advocate the less complicated route of recording to a pc or pill. Mid-range or higher fashions from the previous seven years or so ought to be enough, excluding Chromebooks, which usually aren’t as nicely suited to audio manufacturing as Mac or Home windows machines.

Issues to search for in a Mac or PC embody quick USB-USB2 or USB-C, to attach a mic or audio interface, in addition to a good processor and help for the most recent working system, plus your software program of selection.

Most up-to-date gadgets ought to be as much as the job, so after we speak about organising a podcast studio for $500 or much less, utilizing the pc, pill or smartphone you already personal will prevent a number of money. The near-universal transfer to USB for audio recording signifies that sound playing cards aren’t the must-have that they as soon as had been.

Apple’s laptops aren’t low cost, beginning at £999 for the bottom M1 MacBook Air. The highly effective Mac Mini begins at £699, although you’ll want so as to add a monitor, mouse and keyboard to that. The entry-level iPad is £319 and would do a superb job paired with GarageBand or one other app.

Keep in mind that iPads, iPhones and different portables have a single port, so if you wish to add a number of mics or headphone outputs you may must funds for an enlargement hub.

Home windows laptops begin from a lower cost level however it’s value aiming for not less than a mid-range mannequin to make sure you’re going to have a good expertise.

Microphones and audio interfaces

Microphones fall into two camps primarily based on their connectivity: USB and XLR. USB microphones join and energy immediately out of your pc or (typically) pill. Most have a built-in headphone output so you may hear playback whereas recording your voice, making them an ideal resolution for solo recording. Some USB mics have switchable polar patterns, which implies they are often set to document solely your voice or audio from throughout the mic, helpful for recording multiple individual.

If it’s worthwhile to document multiple microphone, go together with an XLR or “studio” mic. Whereas it’s potential to make use of multiple USB mic with a pc, it includes some workarounds. XLR mics imply going through an audio interface, although these can price as little as £50 for a two-channel USB mannequin, and offer you added management over ranges.

Take a look at our information to one of the best mics for podcasting right here, and our information to inexpensive audio interfaces right here. For our My Ceaselessly Studio podcast, we use an Audient EVO 4 and a RØDE PodMic.

Small USB mixing desks are additionally obtainable beginning at about £100 ought to it’s worthwhile to use greater than a few XLR mics directly or join extra sources comparable to CD gamers or smartphones.

Software program

Any software program that may document and edit multi-track audio can assist you make a podcast, together with DAWs comparable to Logic Professional, Ableton Dwell or Cubase. Steinberg makes Wavelab Forged (£60), one of the highly effective podcast-focused desktop software program packages round. Audacity is a multiplatform recording app that’s primary however free, and GarageBand for Mac and iOS is free and sports activities particular presets to get you began making your podcast.

Android customers can try Spreaker Studio totally free. Mac or iOS customers may take into account Podcast Studio, a whole resolution for recording and publishing podcasts. Adobe’s Audition is a really highly effective multi-tracker, although it’s somewhat dear at £20/month.

Headphones

An honest pair of headphones ought to be each comfy for lengthy classes and correct for creating your ultimate combine. You must follow wired fashions slightly than Bluetooth, to keep away from latency issues, however you needn’t lay our a fortune right here. Take a look at our information to among the finest headphones presently in the marketplace.

Extras

Monitor audio system might be useful for mixing, although they will’t be used throughout recording with microphones as a result of suggestions, making them a luxurious slightly than a vital. Some mics have an built-in popshield to assist forestall plosives from ruining your recordings. If yours doesn’t, you may add an exterior one for about £20 and even make your personal.

Your recording software program ought to include some plug-ins and instruments for mixing and sweetening your voice tracks. Usually, you’ll be utilizing compression, gating and EQ. You’re free so as to add any third-party plug-ins. However for podcasting, we advocate iZotope’s devoted voice-processing suite Nectar. It is available in a number of variations however the Components bundle prices as little as $20 when on sale.

Think about gathering some royalty-free music tracks to underscore intros, outros and transitions, too. Except, after all, you wish to create your personal from scratch. They are often bought inexpensively from quite a lot of web sites. Bear in mind: you may’t use copyrighted music with out permission.

There’s additionally the potential for recording video content material, maybe utilizing your smartphone or an inexpensive digital digital camera to take issues extra into the realm of vlogging.

Wrap up

Making a podcast is simple: take a fascinating idea, add some good {hardware} and software program, apply some modifying expertise, then publish to your platform of selection. We’ll be exploring extra podcast creation strategies sooner or later, together with recording setups, modifying and mixing. Keep tuned.