When it began, “podcasting” was a way for an average person to easily record and distribute an audio program on the internet. The person would usually talk about a topic they are knowledgeable about, or interview an expert over the telephone.
Now, “podcasting” covers a much broader range of applications:
– Businesses can create training materials to keep their staff up to date on the latest products or procedures.
– Consultants can offer examples of their professional techniques, insights, and strategies.
– Entertainers can talk about their upcoming appearances, and offer behind-the-scenes information.
– News organizations can go in-depth on a specific topic. While they might only devote a few minutes to the item on the live broadcast, in a podcast they can spend as much time as needed to completely cover all of the details.
… and plenty of other possibilities that I haven’t thought of.
There is no “one size fits all” list of equipment for podcasting. Each studio will have a specific need:
A simple, one-person setup may be a single USB microphone, like the Yeti. This mic does an excellent job of picking up the sound of the person speaking, while hearing very little of the room’s reverberance. It even includes recording software. Simply add a pair of headphones, connect the USB cable to your laptop computer, and start talking!
In most cases, you can only connect one USB microphone to your computer. So, if you need more mics, you will use conventional microphones, and a mixer to manage them. Depending on the size of the mixer, you could use several mics, and still have enough capacity to mix in pre-recorded audio from a portable recorder or a CD. You may eventually want to add the ability to do an interview over a telephone or Skype call.
Many recording mixers can be used for podcasting. If podcasting is a hobby for you, or just a part-time adventure, a general-purpose mixer can give good service. However, if this is a serious business enterprise, it’s worth the extra cost to get the rugged durability of a broadcast-grade mixing board. The configuration is permanently set… no risk that curious fingers will change the setup required to make an interview show work.
If you have 2 or more people in the room, each person will need a mic and headphone. The mixer can accept several microphones, but usually only has a single headphone output. To provide enough connections for all the headphones, you will need a headphone distribution amplifier.
As you can see, the assortment of equipment varies depending on the requirements of your program. The links I have given are just examples of the gear available. Feel free to contact one of our sales people for advice and guidance to get the items you need to get the job done exactly the way you want..
Podcasting, whether for fun or for business, is a great way to get your message heard.
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