How To Set Up Two Mics For Podcast

In-person podcast recording seems a fiddling daunting at showtime, merely don't let the equipment and setup deter you.

We thought information technology'd be helpful to have a checklist, detailing all the all-time in-person podcast recording equipment and setup. (If you're looking for tips on recording a B2B podcast over altitude, visit this guide.)

Thankfully, Jeremy Wellman, Sweet Fish's A/V Managing director extraordinaire, has gathered up all the equipment and setup tips you lot'll demand. Nosotros've categorized the gear into Expert (affordable), Improve (still pretty budget-friendly), and Best (pro-level quality).

Continue in mind that Good recording equipment includes gear we would utilize ourselves.

In-Person Podcast Recording: Table of Contents

Software
Digital Recorders
Microphones
Headphones
Headset Splitters
Surge Protectors
Recording Environs
- Setting Upwards
- Monitoring
- Avoiding Microphone Audio Drain-Over
Pros & Cons of In-Person Recording

In-Person Podcast Recording Software

We don't necessarily recommend recording in-person interviews with your computer — information technology can become a lilliputian complicated with two or more people (we cover this more than in Recording Surround). Notwithstanding, if you choose this route, you'll need the right software.

Software Options

In the case of recording software, you'll have some quality freemium options (yay!). The blazon of software yous choose will mainly depend on the kind of computer yous use.

All-time for iOS: If y'all use a Mac y'all'll exist able to access the gratis version of GarageBand and its add-ons (which you probably won't need for podcasting). Download GarageBand here.

Best for PC: Using a PC for recording? We suggest using Audacity. Information technology's free and you can download it here.

All-time of the Best: Adobe Audience is the pro-level option for Mac or PC. You can get information technology here for $20.99/month.

With any of these tools, you'll exist able to multitrack (record individual tracks), as long equally you lot learn the correct hardware.

Pro Tip: Multitracking allows you to record two or more tracks — or voices in this case — edit them individually, and bring them together for a cohesive recording.

In Addition to Software

When you choose to use your computer (as opposed to a digital recorder) for recording an in-person podcast, you'll demand a few extras in addition to software.

USB Microphones west/ Available Inputs: Using your computer for in-person interviews requires at to the lowest degree two USB microphones, besides as the available USB inputs on your computer. In this case, we recommend the TONOR USB Microphone (Skillful), SUDOTACK PC Microphone (Better), or the Blueish Yeti USB Mic (Best).

Digital Sound Interface: Instead of purchasing ii or more USB mics, you have the selection to use a digital audio interface, for which you'll all the same demand 2 mics (not USB). We recommend Behringer U-Control (Good), Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (Better), Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 (Best).

You tin encounter how recording in-person interviews with your computer can get a little dicey. We usually urge new podcasters to invest in a digital recorder.

And whattaya know — digital recorders are next in our checklist!

In-Person Podcast Recording Digital Recorders

We recommend using a digital recorder for in-person interviews in lieu of your figurer. Digital recorders with at least ii XLR inputs make it simpler to multitrack. Below are our recommendations for digital recorders.

Good: The Tascam DR-40X Four-Track Digital Sound Recorder is a quality piece of hardware for doing in-person interviews.

Meliorate: The Tascam DR-60DMKII 4-Channel Portable Audio Recorder is designed for low-racket operations and fits snuggly under a DSLR camera rig.

Best: The Zoom H4n Pro is ideal for recording studio-quality tracks.

Forth with your digital recorder, yous'll need to acquire an SD memory card. We advise getting a 32GB SD card skilful for multitracking, similar this one.

Additionally, you'll need to get at least two microphones for in-person interview recording.

In-Person Podcast Recording Microphones

For in-person interview recording, you'll need at least one extra mic, depending on how many people you're interviewing at once.

[RELATED: Observe out how to gear up all the podcast equipment Sweet Fish sends our customers.]

The microphone Sugariness Fish sends our customers includes both USB and XLR inputs, and then it can be used with your computer or with a digital recorder. Hither are some other mic recommendations:

Good: The FIFINE USB Microphone offers excellent audio quality and easy-to-use controls.

Better: Sound-Technica ATR2100x-USB Cardioid Dynamic Microphone comes with a built-in headphone jack and a tripod desk stand.

All-time: The AKG Pro Audio Lyra Ultra-Hard disk mic comes with adaptive capsule array and on-screen appeal.

Most mics come with an XLR cable, like this one. Merely if your second mic doesn't for some reason, you lot'll need to purchase one.

In-Person Podcast Recording Headphones

Recording an interview in-person requires all participants to have their own headphones. Your guest(southward) can bring their own, but it's prissy to have extras on hand but in example.

Here are some of our favorites:

Good: The Panasonic RP-HT161-K headphones are an affordable option for over-the-ear, no-mic headphones.

Better: LyxPro HAS-ten professional person headphones avowal several smart features that produce a counterbalanced audio.

All-time: Sennheiser HD280PRO headphones are fabricated for professional monitoring applications.
Information technology could also be useful to pick upward a few cord extenders to give you and your guest(south) additional length from the recording device.

In-Person Podcast Recording Headset Splitters

A headset splitter allows 2 headsets to exist plugged into one port simultaneously. Then, 2 participants with headphones can hear themselves and each other clearly while only taking up 1 sound jack of the recording device.

Headset splitters are normally pretty inexpensive, and then hither are ii made for 3.5mm jacks that we recommend:

NANYI Headset Splitter Cable
Syncwire Headphone Splitter

If yous want something more advanced than a headset splitter, yous could wait into getting a headphone amp.

Headphone Amps

For boosted length and individual volume control, you can become with a headphone amp as opposed to a headset splitter. This is a more "pro-level" approach. Beneath are some headphone amps that we advise:

Good: The Behringer Microamp HA400 is an ultra-compact headphone amplifying system made for studio and stage use.

Better: The Behringer AMP800 headphone amp provides the highest quality sound to virtually any type of headset.

Best: Art HeadAmp4 comes with 8 outputs and is ideal for any abode or project studio.

Adapters Needed

Some amps — like our Good option — come with 6.35mm ports. Standard headphones come in ii sizes: iii.5mm and six.35mm.

Although your headphones might accept an adapter that allows you to plug into either size, a six.35mm Male to three.5mm Female Headphone Stereo Sound Connector will aid you switch between the two seamlessly. (And they're relatively inexpensive.)

A Level Up

If you really want to level-up the recording experience for your guests, you lot could go with a Behringer MicroMON MA400 Ultra-Meaty Monitor Headphone Amplifier.

This headphone amp allows your guests to adjust their microphones and the feed sent from the source. The drawback is that you need i for each participant as well every bit the proper cables for each.

In-Person Podcast Recording Surge Protectors

With all of the equipment needed to record in-person interviews, y'all'll definitely need a surge protector to plug everything into.

Here are a few that we propose:

Proficient: GE half-dozen Outlet Surge Protector is your standard power strip with a variety of cord lengths and twist-to-close safety covers.

Ameliorate: The Bototek Surge Protector comes with x Air-conditioning outlets and 4 USB charging ports.

All-time: The AiJoy Surge Protector Belfry is designed to save infinite and comes with a 10ft extension cord.

Detest the look of a ability strip with a billion cords tangled around it? We advise 1 of these cable management boxes.

In-Person Podcast Recording Environment

Recording high-quality audio in a live setting with two or more participants is no easy task. It's much easier to go private tracks from participants over an online conferencing app.

There is skilful news though!

Setting up for an in-person interview is a lot simpler after yous've done information technology the start time.

Setting Up Your Gear

For all the Sweet Fish customers out at that place, here'southward a tutorial video from Jeremy, setting up all the nifty recording equipment we send you lot.

This video covers a lot of the setup you'll exist doing for your podcast. However, information technology doesn't hit on the extra gear yous'll need for in-person interviews.

If y'all have any questions about setting up digital recorders or headphone amps, shoot Jeremy or me an electronic mail, and we'll get you taken intendance of.

Monitoring

Recording an in-person podcast interview means you'll demand either your headphones to be set up up to monitor the audio while y'all acquit the interview…

a third political party to monitor the recording.

Jeremy warns self-monitors that it'south easy to have an entire recording get wrong when there was something simple that could have been detected by a third party in the showtime.

This brings upwardly another key element to successful in-person recordings: DO A TEST RUN FIRST.

Make sure all your equipment is operating properly before y'all first the interview. 'Cause that would actually suck if y'all did a whole interview and and so realized that a cable was loose.

Avert Microphone Audio Bleed-Over

Maybe the biggest drawback of doing in-person recordings is dealing with audio bleed-over. Basically, because you're in the same room every bit your invitee, there'southward a take chances your phonation will get picked up on their rail and vice-versa.

There are several things you lot can do to avoid microphone audio drain-over. First off, keep your altitude.

Record at a distance: Attempt to get equally much distance between you and your guests. You will likely need longer cables to do this. You lot could also attempt a cable extender, like this 1.

Decrease echo: If yous're recording in a room with a lot of echo, you're much more probable to have audio bleed-over. To subtract the repeat, tape in a room with a lot of furniture, drapes, etc. — things that absorb the sound. And, if possible, tape in a room with non-parallel walls.

Dampen the sound: If yous're in a especially resonant room, sound dampeners like these can help with the quality of the recording. Foam panels also help muffle whatsoever unwanted background noises.

Go along microphone gain Low: A microphone's proceeds is the breadth of sound information technology picks up. The higher you plough upwards the proceeds, the more than area around the microphone that sound is picked up. So, go on the gain low and go close to the mic. (Proceeds isn't a feature enabled past most video conferencing apps, but most digital recorders and recording software have it every bit an option.)

In-Person Podcast Recording Pros & Cons

Y'all've probably realized past now that in-person recording is quite a scrap more than complicated than recording an online conference call. (Non to mention, more expensive.)

Even with the drawbacks, in-person podcast recording can be a really fun experience. And — as long as y'all have the proper equipment and know-how — an effective style of capturing high-quality sound.

If after going through this checklist you have any questions about equipment or setup for an in-person interview recording, don't hesitate to reach out to Jeremy Wellman (Sweet Fish A/V Managing director) or me, Logan Lyles (Sweet Fish VP of Client Experience).

For more than on #HowtoPodcast,subscribe to B2B Growth on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever yous listen to podcasts.

Source: https://sweetfishmedia.com/in-person-podcast-recording/