“Contact: podcasting at mikephillips.me Twitter: @mcphillips”
Curated by
Mike Phillips
The ATR2100-USB from Audio-Technica is a fabulous microphone as either a main mic for a casual podcaster or as a mic for use by guests or in the field. It includes an XLR connector for studio use and a USB connection for stand-alone use. There is even a headphone jack to hear the return audio as you would want with Skype. Best of all, the microphone is available for less than $50US. It's not a Heil PR40, but it's a lot more useful than a Shure SM58.
The Audio-Technica AT8410a microphone shock mount is one of the best I've found. Almost any mic less than 30 mm will fit in it. (It will not work for the ATR2100-USB.) The isolation provided by the elastic bands is excellent. Street price is $48US. Mine have lasted more than 20 years.
EDITED TO ADD: One of my 8410a shock mounts turned out to be an early model for which replacement bands are no longer available. AT offered to swap it for a new one for $29. The offer seemed like a good deal at the time. However, by the time I paid shipping on the old unit ($5), paid for the replacement ($29), and paid for return freight ($9.50), I had $43.50 plus a trip to FedEx invested. In retrospect, it would have been easier to throw the old one away and buy a new one for $48. Nevertheless, this shock mount is my absolute favorite.
Many small-diameter microphones are 3/4" diameter including the EV RE10/15/16/18 series, the EV 635A, the AKG D112, the Neumann KM184, and hundreds more. The older EV mics came with a model 310 stand adapter, which was discontinued in favor of the model 311 that allows snapping the mic into place. While I always prefer to have the original adapter that was shipped with a mic, sometimes they are lost or broken and are not available.
The EV 311 is about $14US from Full Compass. The Audix DCLIP is about $10US shipped from Sweetwater Sound. Just for fun, I ordered an Audix DCLIP to see first hand how robust this clip is. It's a good one. The swivel locking mechanism works very well in that the thumb screw tights a surface with gripping teeth against a fiber washer to prevent slipping. It's easy and quick to position the mic.
It will be interesting to see how well the clip holds up. Fiber washers don't last forever, although a suitable replacement part may be available at a hardware store. Even then, while the clip is only $10, if you buy a lot of them, it can get expensive replacing them for the sake of a washer.
Sweetwater didn't have the EV 311 on their website, so I was not able to order one to compare. Full Compass carries them, but they are not eligible for free shipping, making it more practical to add them to an order down the road.
The 3/4" mic is also a 19mm mic. Many mic clips are specified for 19-23mm mics. Just for grins, I ordered an Audio-Technica AT8405a stand adapter for a 21mm mic. A difference of 2mm really matters. This AT clip does not fit a single mic I own.
If you really need to use your iPhone as an audio recorder for remote podcasting, take a look at this website. Spend some time clicking on the links and watching the videos. Be aware that the input characteristics of the iPhone 3 and iPhone 4 are different.
If you get the wrong adapter, you will NOT be happy with the results. It's all explained here.
The ATR2100-USB has been chosen as Videomaker's Best Handheld Microphone of 2011. Here is text from AT's Facebook post about the award:
"Turn the ATR2100-USB over, and in addition to the usual single XLR connector, you will also find a Mini-B USB port, an 1/8-inch headphone jack and a volume control dial. While it functions as any other XLR mic, the USB port allows it to connect easily, in true plug-and-play fashion, to any computer - Windows or Mac. Plug some headphones directly into the mic for instant audio monitoring, adjust the volume and wail away. And the quality? Excellent! For versatility and quality, the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid USB/XLR Mic is our choice for Videomaker's Best Handheld Microphone."
You heard it here first.
If you want to save some money, and if you think the Shure SM58 is the right mic for you (I don't), try an AKG D880 instead. The D880 is discontinued, but tons of them turn up on eBay. If you're patient, you can find one for $25-35 each. For what it's worth, I believe the D880 sounds better than an SM58, but the improvement is actually marginal. Most people will not be able to tell the difference.
It makes no sense to me why anyone would purchase an SM58, a D880, or any other ball type dynamic mic when the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB is available at a low cost. (See the post here on the AT mic.) To my ears, the ATR2100-USB sounds noticably better for podcasting than mics costing twice as much. As an added bonus, that ATR2100-USB operates as an XLR mic and a USB mic -- at the same time.
Podcasting studios are often characterized by poor acoustics. You can buy the best mic, preamp, compressor, and mixer and still have a bad result. It's annoying for your listeners to be able to hear things such as computer fans running in the background of your podcast. Those noises are particularly apparent when your listener is using headphones.
While there is nothing better than eliminating noise at its source, a good band-aid is the dbx 286s microphone preamp and processor. While you probably already have a preamp in your mixer, the 286s includes one, as well. Plug your XLR mic into the 286s and plug the line output of the 286s into a line input on your mixer.
The 286s includes a compressor, an enhancer, and a de-esser, but be very careful not to over-process your mic audio. One of the most useful features of the 286s is the gate. While listening to your mic audio through headphones, adjust the Threshold control until the background noise is masked. (It does not disappear!) When you talk, the background noise is still there, but it is not as easy to hear because your voice is hopefully so much louder than the noise.
Don't buy the 286s or any processing equipment expecting miracles. Many beginning podcasters think that they have to buy a whole rack full of equipment to get a good sounding podcast. In many cases, just the opposite is true. Keep it simple. Do not over-process. Don't crank the low frequency control on your mixer to 3 o'clock hoping that your voice will sound deeper. Poor application of equalization and processing are a dead giveaway that you don't know what you're doing.
The 286s takes some experimentation to find its optimum settings. When it is properly set, it can add a lot of control to your mic chain. They're available for about $200US. There are some other units, such as the Symetrix 528E or the Vorsis M1, but those units are more expensive than the dbx unit and offer negligible improvement for most podcasters. As always, your mileage may vary!
Almost all professional microphones have XLR connectors. Sometimes it's more convenient to use a USB microphone. So, what happens if you want a professional mic but you also want to use it as a USB mic, at least some of the time?
Take a look at the Shure X2U converter. Plug in a mic with an XLR connector (do NOT plug the converter directly into the mic!) and connect the converter by USB cable to your computer. Now your professional mic is also a USB mic.
The X2U has a ton of features. Click to read the specs. Street price is about $99.
My X2U failed. When I returned it to Shure, I was expecting to get grief from them because the unit was possibly close to being out of warranty, and the receipt was nowhere to be found. To their credit, they replaced the unit - no questions asked - and the new unit works perfectly.
The X2U is a great addition to any audio toolbox.
Here is an unusual recommendation. TechSmith offers a free screen capture program called Jing. It's a fabulous way to create and distribute screen captures, such as tutorials. The reasonI'm mentioning it here is that the audio setup portion of the program has a neat list of all of the audio sources on the computer. So, if you're trying to figure out where the audio is being fed to or from in your system, load the program, go to Options, and look at the Audio Input, Select Device. Watch the audio. Plus, it does a great job capturing screens with your narration.
AKG D330BT Dynamic Microphone
Since this microphone has been discontinued, there is not a good webpage to link to. It is very similar in appearance to the AKG D310, but the head is larger. Most people have never heard of this mic, but it was one that the musical group ABBA liked and used. They are prominently displayed in the live concert that ABBA recorded in Australia in 1979.
There's not a lot that's particularly outstanding or unique about the D330BT except that it has two switches that can be used to tailor the audio response. One switch controls treble boost, and the other switch controls bass cut. If you look around, you can find one for less than $100, but make sure you get a good one because it is unlikely that AKG has parts for them or will still repair them.
As webcasters and netcasters bec0me more video oriented in their broadcasts, some prefer the aesthetics of a lavalier microphone as opposed to stand or boom mounted studio mics, such as the Heil PR40. There is no way that a lav mic will have the fidelity of a studio mic. However, lav mics are used in TV everywhere, and the quality is sufficient for the application.
The AT803 from Audio-Technica is a good choice for a lavalier mic. Since it is a condenser mic, it requires battery or phantom power. The kit includes a power pack with a standard XLR output. Street price is about $150US. Note that this mic is a wired mic, not a wireless one. Unless you specifically need a wireless mic, a wired mic is much less hassle and is much more reliable.
The Heil PR40 is one of the best ever microphones for voice. The EV RE20 was the standard for many years in the radio industry. The PR40 is more durable, less expensive, and better sounding. If you're going to spend $325 on a microphone for podcasting, listen to this one first.
Update: BSW is running a special on the PR40. You can get the mic, the shockmount, and the boom for $325. That's the best price I've seen yet for this fabulous mic. The shockmount is normally $105, and the boom is normally $70. http://goo.gl/4lUUr
To connect a stereo cable with 2 RCA connectors on one end to the mixer, you will need one pack of two RCA-to-1/4" male adapters (each pack has two adapters) (274-320). Even if you don't need them immeidately, they are handy to have in your inventory when you're trying to connect MP3 player and laptop computers to your mixer.
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This post will only briefly touch on the complex subject of ground loops. The short story is that when you connect a mixer to a computer to a sound system, there is an excellent chance that you will get a ground loop. A ground loop manifests itself as a high pitched whine superimposed on your audio. They can be hard to diagnose, but they can be simple to solve. Contrary to what you may think, the whine is not coming from the computer or the mixer; it is created by interconnecting them.
The device at the link is from Radio Shack and is called a ground loop isolator. It's really nothing more than a pair of audio transformers. What's good about these units is that, unlike a lot of Radio Shack merchandise, they are good quality. Transformers can be very expensive, as in a hundred dollars or more per channel. It's amazing how good these are for about $18US.
Assuming you're using a mixer, the simplest way to diagnose a ground loop is to monitor the sound with headphones while you can clearly hear the whine. Start unplugging the audio connections to the computers and amplifiers until the whine disappears. In brief, if you disconnect the audio to and from your computer and the whine goes away, you need a ground loop isolator between your mixer and your computer. In this case, if you're recording and playing computer audio in stereo, you'll need two of these Radio Shack units.
The reason you have to have two units is that the ground loop is created when the GROUND of the mixer is connected to the GROUND of the computer. Since the ground on the input is the same as the ground on the output, connecting either one will cause the problem. Unfortunately, you're going to have to do some trial and error.
The Radio Shack ground loop isolators are in stock in most stores. However, if you have some time and want to save some money, check out this eBay seller: http://goo.gl/KECVH The isolators are surplus, are sticky, and have to be cleaned with lighter fluid, but they work great for podcasting.
If you're having a ground loop problem, you can contact me by email at podcasting at mikephillips.me. I'll try to help you solve your problem. All I ask in return is that you follow me on Twitter (@mcphillips) and that you tell others about this site.
At the risk of soundling like a broken record, here is another review of the ATR2100-USB dynamic microphone. It's perfect for most podcasters. Unfortunately, its price is creeping up. They're now almost $52 at amazon.com, and they're much higher elsewhere. Apparently AT has realized they've got a good thing here.
Podcasters seem to want to record their shows on external recorders instead of using their host computers. While I don't understand or agree with the idea, there is no reason not to save some money if you choose to do so.
Just a few moments ago, I discovered the Tascam DR-2D digital recorder. While I have never used this model, I am very familiar with Tascam products. There are four characteristics of this model worth mentioning:
1. The price: $119US from the site linked on this article. (I'm not connected with them) 2. It has LINE inputs for easy connection to a mixer. 3. There is a PAUSE button, which is very handy. 4. It records in high quality WAV file format (as well as MP3).
In the interest of full disclosure, I've never purchased from UniqueSquared.com, but their ratings appear to be high. The pricing for this unit is certainly among the lowest that I could find.
If you have used or if you purchase this recorder, please report back. You can @reply on Twitter (@mcphillips) or email (podcasting at mikephillips.me.) If I receive any reports with compelling reasons to avoid the DR-2D, I'll update this post. This recorder has the potential for being a game-changer among portable recorders.
I may be one step closer in my quest to locate the perfect podcast mixer. Quite by accident I discovered the Allen & Heath XB-14. You can click on the link to read all of the specifications, but several features are worth mentioning.
There are two mix-minus channels built in (they're labeled Telco). For a podcaster, those channels are probably used for Skype 1 and Skype 2 (or Google Voice, Paltalk, TalkShoe, or a SIP client). There are four stereo input channels, but the fourth one is a USB return for your computer audio. Most mixers have a USB return on a small rotary fader, and sometimes it's hard to get the USB audio back into the mix.
Since the mixer was designed for live broadcast, there is control room speaker muting on the mic channel as well as some other logic switching options. There are mutliple headphone feeds so the host can have a separate feed from the guests.
What keeps the XB-14 from being perfect? The ideal podcast mixer would have four mix-minus channels and more than a single aux channel. (I'm not clear how the aux is connected to the Mix B function.)
Amazon has the XB-14 for about $950US, which is the lowest price I've found. I've never touch one of these mixers, so my observations are based on reading the specifications. Do your homework before you spend your money.
So, you ask, why doesn't Behringer or Allen & Heath make the PERFECT podcasting mixer? Unfortunately the sales would be too low to justify the product development and manufacturing. It's possible to do almost anything you want to do in podcasting with a mixer such as a Presonus StudioLive 16.4.2 or 16.0.2, a Mackie 1640i, or a Behringer X2442USB, but with those mixers, you have to understand, create, and manage your own mix-minus feeds.
If I ever get the opportunity to evaluate one of these interesting units, I'll report back. If you have or have used an XB-14, please comment below or send me an email with your observations.
iMage Driverless Webcam For Mac
Note: I have not used this webcam, but it was suggested by a fellow Scooper who knows his stuff, so I pass it along for your consideration. Note that it is Mac only, and I'm not a Mac person (even though I have a 13" Macbook Air I never use.)
The author of this article listened to some of the best radio microphones in the world and picked the best two podcasting microphones on the market. Includes audio clips. Decide for yourself which mics are worth their price.
A recent question on Twitter prompted me to write this post about a subtle difference between the Behringer 1204USB mixer and the X1204USB mixer. The number system is confusing since many people think the "X" is an abbreviation for "Xenyx", but it's not. The 1204USB and the X1204USB are very different.
While the X1204USB includes digital effects that the 1204USB does not, the effects are not the most relevant benefit. (We NEVER use effects.) Both mixers include two auxillary sends per channel. Aux sends are typically used to create mix-minux feeds for Skype, Google Voice, Google+ Hangouts, TalkShoe, Paltalk, and other online interactive sites and services. With the aux sends on the 1204, one is pre-fader and one is post-fader. With the X1204, both can be post-fader. Why do you care?
With a pre-fader aux send, the audio from a channel is sent to the aux output even if the channel fader is down. With a post-fader aux send, when the channel fader is down, there is no output from that channel to the aux output. So, if you're using a pre-fader aux send for a Skype mix-minus feed, if you lower your mic fader to cough, the Skype caller will hear the cough. If you're using a post-fader aux send, when you lower the channel fader on the mic, the aux send from that channel is muted, and the caller does not hear you.
This seemingly subtle difference between the 1204USB and the X1204USB totally justifies the cost difference. The pre-fader aux send is usable, but the post-fader aux send is sweet. There are other differences, but you can read about those on the Behringer website.
NOTE: If Behringer made both aux sends on the 1204USB switchable or permanently post-fader, I'd recommend it over the X1204USB.
If you want a less expensive alternative to the Shure X2U converter also listed on this page, check out the Blue Icicle. The last one I bought was about $35US. While it doesn't have the bells and whistles of the X2U, it does the job. It even supplies phantom power if you decide for some unknown reason to use a condenser mic for podcasting.
If, like me, you have two side-by-side computers for which you want a professional-sounding mic on each, get the ATR2100-USB (on this page) and connect it by USB to one computer. Get the Blue Icicle, connect it through an XLR cable to the ATR2100-USB, and connect the Icicle by USB to the second computer. You now have one mic simultaneously feeding two computers. (While the ATR2100-USB may technically not a professional mic, I challenge you compare it in this arrangement with a professional mic, such as an SM58.)
The only caveat is that you might pick up a ground loop by connecting the grounds of the two computers together through the mic. Make sure both computers are connected to the same electrical outlet or UPS. You'll know you have a ground loop if you hear a high-pitched whine in the background of your audio. But that's another topic.
If you don't have the space or don't want to spend the money on a boom, take a look at this very handy microphone stand from On Stage. The MS7920B is designed to accurately position a mic for a bass drum, but it also works very well for podcasting. The mini boom is adjustable so that you can get the base out of the way and free up your desk space. Most music stores carry the On Stage brand. Street price is $25 to $30.
It's rare when you find a good product at a reasonable price from a company that gives excellent customer service. You get all three with Oscar Sound Tech. Vance Willis bought one of these lavaliere microphones for his on camera webcasts. It's connected to his wireless mic system.
The mic is omnidirectional, meaning that it theoretically picks up sound from all directions, including room echoes, but with a little practice, you can get a good sound with it. Almost all TV news rooms use lavaliere mics.
Whether to use a lavaliere mic is a question of aesthetics versus sound quality. Using my favorite comparison, a lavaliere mic is not a Heil PR40 in sound quality, but it is very useful when you want to go on camera and not have a gigantic mic, shock mount, and windscreen stuck in your face.
The mic is about $80 plus the appropriate connector, which is $15 and up. If you want to use the mic as an XLR mic, you will need to get the power adapter ($60). Contact http://oscarsoundtech.com for all the details.
The Macbook Air does not have an Ethernet port. If you're going to do audio or video webcasting, wireless is not the way to go. While it may work for some people, it's a disaster for others. The USB-to-Ethernet adapter at the Apple Store is expensive. Since the reviews on the Kensington USB Mini Dock with Ethernet were so positive, I bought one for my Macbook. It has worked flawlessly.
The Air has only two USB ports. If you use a webcam and an external sound card, there are no ports for a USB-to-Ethernet converter. That's where the Kensington is handy. While it uses one of the USB ports, it provides two additional ports, making a total of four ports available. If you have a USB device that is picky about being connected to a hub, you can connect it to the remaining onboard port.
The dock installed using existing Apple drivers. The Ethernet connection connected promptly. Just to be safe, I turned off the wireless connection on the Air. There is a wall power adapter in case the connected USB devices require more power than the Air port can supply. Once when I used the dock, I forgot to connect the power adapter, and everything worked just fine.
The dock should work well with a Windows PC, but I haven't tried it yet.
The best pricing I see now is from buy.com. They have a good video showing the product at the link below.
http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=211106913&sellerid=23856075
Do you think this mixer is overkill for a home podcaster? You may be surprised.
You might be interested in knowing that a lot of voice-over artists use a very unique microphone for their productions. The Sennheiser MKH-416 is actually a shotgun mic designed for boom use in video settings, but it became popular when it was used by the late Ernie Anderson ("The Love Boat"). If your voice is resonant, this mic will suck the bass out of your mouth and put it on the air. Unfortunately, it's not very flattering for the ladies. It's a condenser mic, it requires phantom power, and it's about $1000US. However, for the right person, there is nothing better.
The Sennheiser MKH-416 is overkill for podcasting, but if you're looking for the ultimate voice-over microphone, you might want to rent or borrow one to see how well it complements your voice. For everyone else, it's hard to do better than the Heil PR40.
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