Ready to Record: A Podcasting Primer

I thought it might be helpful to centralize several questions about recording, specifically for production of a podcast, though much of it applies to studio/radio production, as well. None of this is gospel, just experiential, so please take all recommendations with a grain of salt.

Here is my set-up. I hope others will add their own.

Couple resources to peruse in your free time with lots of great information:
Transom.org, PRX.org, PodcastAlley.com, Apple.com

MICS
I use the MXL 990 ($70), which is a quality condenser mic for in-studio use.

For "field recording" I use a Shure SM58 unidirectional (cardioid) dynamic vocal mic ($100).

My secret weapon in the field is the iRiver iFP-895 MP3 recorder ($100). It has a built-in preamp for dynamic mics and the quality is outstanding for the price. It creates the mp3 on the fly, plug it into your computer to download, edit away. I've recording interviews for public radio on this bad boy. This model is now outdated, I think, but iRiver makes a whole slew of great recorders.

If it's a lapel mic you're shopping for, check out the deals at Giant Squid Audio Lab.

RECORDING
See iRiver above for field recording. To record at home, I use the Delta 66 audio interface (for old-school CPU towers - $250) and the Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro mixer ($250-400).

My next purchase (and my recommendation) will likely be the PreSonus INSPIRE 1394 firewire audio input ($230). It plugs direct into computer, and features 2 XLR inputs, 2 1/4-inch inputs, phantom power, a limiter (to prevent peaking while recording) and several extras. Perfect solution if you don't want to by a mixer AND and audio interface card/device.

EDITING
For editing on a Mac, it's hard to beat Garageband 3, with simplified editing and exporting for podcasts (even album art, tags, etc.). If you've got the money, ProTools is the pro solution, however. If free is best, try Audacity.

Also, check out iTunes (FREE) for compressing your audio files to make them smaller and, thus, reduce your podcast bandwidth. If you're not using Garageband, iTunes can also help you set ID3 tags and artwork for your podcast audio file.

PODCAST HOSTING
Many people start out with a simple blogging host (various) to see if the podcast will be long-term or not. If you're feeling confident, you might try Libsyn who have VERY reasonable and easy-to-use podcast solutions. Mac users might find a .Mac account a simple interface with Garageband and iTunes for hosting their podcast. And, if you're pushing a lot of bandwidth, it might be time for a semi-dedicated solution like GoDaddy provides.

PROMOTION
Make sure your podcast is registered with the regulars: iTunes, ODEO, Yahoo, Podcast Alley and numerous other directories.

If you're interested in measuring your traffic, check out FeedBurner. If you're hosting your own WordPress-based podcast/blog, PodPress plug-in is very powerful.

That's a start. other ideas?

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg