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All You Need to Know to Build a Podcast Studio Setup at Home

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These are some tips before we start:
You don’t have to be too fussy about how your podcast studio looks. It’s possible to achieve optimal quality with a minimal set-up, even though bigger is not always better.
Do not buy equipment that is too expensive or too cheap. With the variety of high-quality-low-cost equipment out there, price isn’t necessarily a good indicator of what you should avoid for your home studio equipment.
The general rule of thumb is to not be too cheerful and invest more. This will ensure that your investment is long-lasting and produces better sounding audio. Audio quality can vary greatly depending on your priorities.
It’s important to do your research and consider what you want before you spend.
Trust your instincts. You can customize your podcast table setup layout as you wish.

Podcast Studio is soon to come

Before you purchase all the podcast equipment you need, consider which room in your house will be converted into your home recording space. You can use one room if you have it. The ideal home recording studio is one that is small enough to be affected by outside noise.

The ideal home studio for podcasting:

Your neighbor’s house will not have any walls or exterior walls.
Will not have all or some windows.
Appliances (think boiler or gasmeter) that can occasionally make unpleasant noises will not be allowed.
You will have soft furnishings and carpeted flooring.

What’s the difference between soundproofing or sound treating?

Soundproofing refers to the complete isolation of a room (or as much as possible) from external noise. This refers to:

Use dense, dense material to block your rooms and seal up air gaps around windows and doors.

Contrary to popular belief acoustic tiles made of foam are not soundproof.

Sound, also known as Acoustic Treatment, refers to improving the sound quality within a room. Acoustics and reverb are the key ingredients.

Sound treatment can be used to limit the sound coming from your home studio.
A room with many soft, well-furnished surfaces will reduce echo and reverb. That means half of your work will be done.

Three elements make up sound treatment.
1. Bass Traps

These frequencies can be absorbed by these devices.

Auralex LENRD Bass traps – $199.99

2. Absorption

Acoustic foam tiles are the answer. These tiles reduce resonating frequencies, which can improve the quality of your audio recordings. It can prove to be a costly endeavor as you may need more tiles than initially anticipated.

Consider how you attach them to your walls. There are several options: temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent.

Auralex SonoFlat Panels, $144.99

3. Diffusers

Diffusers can help absorb sound better, according to some schools. Diffusers scatter the reflected sound and preserve the natural tone. Others argue that diffusers shouldn’t be necessary in a home-studio setup.

T’Fusor 3D Sound Diffuser – $77.99
The Ideal Podcast Studio Equipment Liste
#1 Computer or laptop

You can stick with what you have if you have a budget or are happy with what it is. You can spend more if you have a larger budget.

You want a reliable computer that can run fast and has plenty of storage. Because of the large audio and video files you’ll need to record, it is essential that your computer has a high speed processor.

The Digital Audio Workspace you select may have an impact on the type and size of computer you will need. Logic Pro X can only be used on Macs, for instance.

Budget:

Stay true to what you already have
Asus VivoBook – $348

Mid-Range:

Macbook Air – $999
Acer Aspire 5 – $699.99

Professional:

Touchbar on 16″ Macbook Pro, $2499
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3: $1975

#2 Digital Audio Workspace / Audio Interface Combo

DAW is the software used to record, edit, mix and master audio files on your computer. It’s basically recording and editing software that you use to edit your audio and remove any awkward silences.

Budget:

Audacity – a free, open source DAW that is compatible with all operating systems. However, it does not support multi-track recording.
Garageband – Free with all Apple computers

Mid-Range:

Reaper – a lightweight and affordable DAW for a $60 (discounted!) one-time fee. It is $225 for professional licenses.
Hindenburg Journalist – specifically designed for podcasts, interviews, and radio. Basic version: $99 Multitrack recording only available in pro-version

Professional:

Logic Pro X – Only available for Macs It is a little too expensive for podcast productions. $199
Adobe Audition – $20.99/month
Hindenburg Journalist Professional – Multitrack recording and enhanced editor capabilities $399.

#3 Microphones

There are two types – condenser or dynamic microphones – and two types XLR and USB connectors. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The large selection available means that the price of a microphone is not always directly related to its quality.
Dynamic microphones

For home studio setups, dynamic microphones are often the best because they pick-up less ambient noise and are more affordable. They are also stronger and can handle high volume without distortion.
Condenser Microphones

Condenser Mics have a higher sensitivity to ambient noise. This can make it difficult for you to record in your home studio. However, the increased sensitivity provides top-quality audio quality as well as the ability to record clear and detailed sounds.
Which microphone works best for podcasting

The diaphragm size and weight is what makes the difference between them. Condenser mics are lighter and have a smaller diaphragm. Dynamic mics, on the other hand, have a heavier diaphragm. They last longer because they are stronger and more resistant against moisture.

It’s difficult to determine which type of microphone is the best. It really comes down to personal preference, your budget, and the type of mic that you choose. The purpose of dynamic mics is to record voice and host interviews.

USB Microphones

Because USB microphones are directly connected to your computer, they can be used in a very simple way. USB microphones have become increasingly popular in home studio settings. USB mics are typically condenser mics.
XLR Microphones

The XLR microphones must be connected with a mixer connected to your PC. This means that you will need additional equipment. These are great for hosting multiple guests, as you can easily adjust audio levels during the recording with the mixer.

Budget

Samson Q2U $126, XLR/USB – It is versatile. As a package, includes microphone accessories.
Sontronics Podcast Pro $119, XLR, Dynamic
Blue Yeti USB Microphone, $132, USB connection, Condenser

Mid-Range

Rode NT-USB – $165, USB, Condenser
Audio Technica AT2035PK – $199, XLR, Condenser

Profesional

Rode Procaster, $229, Dynamic, XLR
Shure MV7, $249, USB., XLR. Dynamic.
Shure SM7B, $439, Dynamic, XLR

#4 Audio Interface

This is what connects your computer to the equipment. To digitalize an analog input, you will need an XLR mic. If you wish to connect more microphones, you may need an audio interface that has at least two XLR outputs.

Important note: A USB microphone is sufficient to make your voice clear.

Midrange

Rode AI 1 USB – 1XLR input – $122

Professonal

Zoom PodTrak P4 – 4 XLR inputs, $199.99

Zoom PodTrak P4 supports podcasts and can also be used as a USB audio device. You can record up four people at once and up to four remote guests.
#5 Audio Mixers

Mixers are audio boards that can transmit and receive multiple audio inputs. Mixers enable you to adjust the audio of each input.

Tip: Be on the lookout for a mixminus feature. This means that you can split your audio signals in two channels for yourself and your guest. This allows you to control each track.

Budget:

You shouldn’t cut corners on a mixer.

Mid-Range

Zoom PodTrak Pod4 – $199.99 – As we mentioned above, this versatile product acts as both an audio interface AND a mixer all in one.
Yamaha MG10 XU – $212

Professonal

Rodecaster $599 – Can also be used as a digital recorder, with a memory card integrated.

#6 Headphones

Headphones enable you to listen to your audio clearly while also cancelling out any background noise.

There are two types, open back and closed back.

Closed Back Headphones offer superior isolation but lower sound quality. These headphones are great for podcasters as they allow you to hear clearly and have low sound quality.
Open Back Headphones: Maximum sound quality, but less isolation

What to look out for in a pair headphones

Comfort: You will spend hours with these headphones so it is important that they are comfortable.

Sound isolation: Your headphones need to block out outside noise. Note: Some active noise cancelling headphones can pick up outside noise and invert it backwards to cancel it out. This can cause distortions in the audio, which is not great for editing.

Frequency Response: This can make a huge difference in the audio quality when you listen back to it.

Wired or wireless? It’s up to you. To avoid getting tripped up, wireless headphones might be the best option if you are often wandering around your studio.

#8 Stand for a Mic

A mic stand may be something you overlook once you have the rest of your equipment. Be sure to not be misled! Mic stands hold your microphone in position and prevent vibrations, knocks, or bumps.

Rode Desktop Mic Stand DS1- $26
Some extras (nice but not necessary):
Boom arm

A boom arm can help free up lots of space on your desk. It makes your desk look and feel more professional. It allows you to easily place your mic in the best possible position, resulting in a better sound quality.

It can also be used to reduce the handling noise, vibrations and knocks your mic will pick up.

Rode PSA1-$99

Desk Work Station with a great chair

Your home studio may be the place where you spend most of your editing time. It’s important to look after your back and comfort! Repurpose furniture you already own if you have limited funds. We recommend that you invest in an ergonomic chair if your budget allows.

SIHOO Ergonomic Home Officechair – $284

Shock mount

A shock mount is basically a cradle that protects your microphone. You can also protect your microphone from vibrations by using a shock mount.

Rode PSM1 – $41

A pop filter

Pop filters are used to reduce popping sounds such as p’s or even t’s. This helps to minimize the chance of audio peaking and distortion. It can also stop spit hitting the microphone.

Pop filters attach to your microphone and are extremely easy to use.

Nady MPF-6 $24.95

Software to train the ear

It may seem excessive, but it is important to be able to distinguish sounds clearly. Get your ears trained to be a sound engineer.

Tenuto – $3.99 on App Store

Reflection filter

If you don’t have the budget for acoustic tile tiles, a reflection filter might be a better option. A semi-circle panel of absorption that attaches directly to your microphone and wraps around the mic, is called a reflection filter.

sE Electronics Reflexion Filter PRO – $199

Headphone amp

You might consider a headphone amp if you have several hosts. This allows you to plug in multiple headsets and gives each host control over the volume.

HeadAmp4 – $73

These are some ways to make up the difference.

Close miking. You can place the mic near the source of sound without getting too close (e.g. By placing the mic close to the source of the sound (i.e., your mouth), you can increase sound quality and reduce reflected sound

Household Absorbers. Think pillows, blankets sofas, couches, clothes, and mattresses. These are just as useful as specialist absorbers. As the ultimate DIY method to record vocals, many people swear by mattresses.

Top tip: For the best podcast setup results, use a solid core mattress and not an inner-spring mattress.
How to set-up your podcast studio

Step 1. Step 1.

Clear out the room and all its walls. Make sure you get rid of any vibrating items.


Step 2. Step 2.

Soundproofing is a big undertaking, which requires a large investment of time, energy, and money. It is often overlooked in home studio setups.

There are four different ways to soundproof your home:

Increase density or Mass. This increases the volume of the space and reduces vibrating. You can also use mass-loaded vinyl.
Damping – This reduces vibrations. Green Glue is an option.
Decouple: This prevents sound vibrations from being transferred between objects. For example, you can build a floating or double wall.
Filling air gaps using Foam Gaskets or Green Glue

Step 3. Step 3.

How to Sound Treat Your Home Recording Studio

Place the bass traps within the trihedral corners.
Place the acoustic panel across the corners of each dihedral.
Evenly place the acoustic panel across the walls.
Place diffusers towards the ceiling or upper wall if you choose to purchase them.

Step 4. Step 4.

This will depend on what you like, how big your room is, and what equipment you use.
Signal flow is important. This will allow you to plan for how your equipment fits together in a single working system.

Start recording!

Now you have your very own home podcasting studio! Congratulations. We believe that a home-based recording studio is a safe and long-lasting investment for podcasters. You’ll be able to record in a much better environment and get high quality recordings every time. It’s a win for everyone.