Confessions Of A Broadcasting Master: Your Gear
Ok, let’s get down to it and discuss your equipment. I like to call it, “Your Gear”. The Gear you use is really going to be the factor in how awesome you sound on your podcast when creating business focused content to help you increase that bottom line!
There are lots of pieces that you can buy…
Gear like compressor limiters, aural exciters, mixers, preamps, and oh yeah, your microphone. All of these pieces are what the pros use to create that awesome sound that you hear. Your ears know the difference between hi fidelity sound and well…poor quality sound.
The first piece of gear that I want to really get you involved with is your microphone. I can not tell you how many times I have the conversation with people on microphone selection. The key thing is to buy the best microphone that your money will allow you to buy. Your microphone is the most important piece of gear in your arsenal. The selection of this piece of gear will determine the quality of your sound more than anything else you will buy. With computers, we have all heard the saying, “junk in junk out”. Use that same mind set with your microphone selection.
If you buy a $20 mic, you will get a $20 sound.
Microphones for podcasting will come as either a dynamic microphone or a condenser microphone. I suggest that for your first microphone you purchase the best condenser microphone that you can find. I have a couple on my website www.theinternetbroadcaster.com for you to choose from. Many people that are new to the whole podcasting thing will not be using a mixer, so be sure to purchase a microphone that has a USB plug in.
Ok, I know all this technical stuff may be a bit much, but if you have ever wondered why some podcasts sound GREAT while others lack quality, it is because of the technical stuff.
A condenser microphone warms up your voice and gives it a bit of depth that you really want to have in your presentations. Some of this can also be done with software, like adobe audition (also available at my site). However the philosophy that I use for recording is to have no, or very little editing to do when you are done. If you get an appropriate microphone, that will cut out a lot of sprucing up at the back end.
I know you are asking, “What kind of microphone does The Internet Broadcaster use?” Well, I use two different mics. My main microphone is an Electrovoice RE20 and my other mic is a Heil PR40 (must have a mixer for both). These two microphones are staples in the broadcast industry. The RE20 is used by many professional broadcasters you listen to on AM/FM radio.
Your most prized possession as a broadcaster or podcaster will be your microphone. Take great care in selecting it. No, all mics are not created equal. You will want to talk to me, or go into a audio store and talk to someone that knows about mics and how they work.
Treat your microphone selection as important as your cell phone selection. Ask yourself will it do what you expect or will it sound just as bad as that $20 mic you picked up at the electronics store.
After it is all said and done, your microphone will be what makes or breaks your podcast or broadcast. This is as far as sound quality goes. Next time we will talk about marketing your podcast online and getting it heard. Can anyone say, “iTunes!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tags: Broadcasting, Earl Hall, gear