Podcasting Equipment Recomendations

[Wilhelmina Randtke]

Get a good quality WAV recorder, and a quiet room.  Both are important.
Then edit with Audacity.  For what you are doing, this is as good as
SoundForge or any expensive sound editing software package.  Add the LAME
mp3 encoder to Audacity to let you edit then save in mp3, which Audacity
won't play with out of the box.  To get good sound quality, check the
levels as you record, then afterwards put a gate in to elmininate
background noise.

Those two thing - (1) levels, and (2) noise gate - and understanding how
they work will do more for sound quality than almost any high end equipment
you could purchase. At least, good equipment will not help you without
those skills.

LEVELS when recording.
Add a NOISE GATE when you edit.

A good WAV recorder will run about $400.  That is all in the microphone.
Keep it clean and in a box when you aren't using it.  You can get fine
results with a $50 pocket mp3 recorder. Most people will not hear the
difference, and you are not recording music.  A $50 recorder is actually a
really good mic for multiple people in a group, because it will pick up
noise made across the room from the mic. Many mics are designed to capture
only sound very close to the mic, so for a singer or speaker to hold near
their face.  You don't want multiple expensive close range mics and a
mixing board. This isn't the 80s. We are in the future and have
alternatives.  If you have money and space for that, then use it to sound
proof a room.  Take the time you would spend setting the mixing board up,
and instead use it to practice setting levels and noise gate.

And remember the quiet room means no background noise, so does the same
thing as the expensive mic. No matter what your budget, pick your space
carefully. A $50 mp3 recorder, a quiet closet, and Audacity with LAME mp3
encoder can get professional results.

-Wilhelmina Randtke
On Mar 14, 2013 9:50 AM, "Wesley Johnson" <wjohnson at dcplibrary.org> wrote:

> Hello,****
>
> ** **
>
> We’re tossing around the idea of a semi-regular podcast at my library. I’m
> looking into equipment now and thought I’d toss this to the list and ask
> for recommendations. We want something capable of recording multiple people
> in the same room with a modest mixing board to make sure audio levels are
> nice and even. I’d also love to hear what other libraries are doing on the
> podcast front.****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks,****
>
> Wesley****
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