Not many people ask us what podcast equipment we are using. Knowing how to use your equipment is the most important thing, having the right equipment is also important . Below is a list of our current podcast equipment that we use in our podcast studio. We will update this list as we update our equipment.
This list covers our main components such as camera, microphone, and recorder. Components such as XLR Cables, Mic Arms, Stands, Tripods, and Headphones are omitted as there are so many great choices in those categories.
Each product will link to a purchase link if wanted to purchase. None of the brands or products listed below paid us or gave us free equipment. Everything is purchased with our own money. Equipment is too expensive for some and a big commitment, you can always hire us instead 😉
Microphones:
We only use two different microphones but there are many different microphones that are advertised towards podcasters. If using more than one microphone we do not recommend a USB microphone but rather an XLR based microphone. Unless you have access to a perfectly sound treated room we only recommend using dynamic microphones.
Shure SM7B – This microphone is used by some of the biggest podcasters. It is expensive however audiophiles love the sound it creates. We use four of these in our studio. Over time it starts to loosen from its mount and needs to be tightened with an allen key.
Rode Podmic – This microphone is 4x cheaper than the microphone listed above. Most audiophiles would prefer the Shure but we find that when not compared side by side it is hard to tell the difference. It is also smaller and more durable. We use this microphone in our mobile setup.
Camera’s:
Panasonic S1H – We use this camera in our studio. It’s full frame, records in 6k, and is Netflix approved.
Panasonic GH5 – We use this camera for mobile recordings for the small size. This camera is now replaced by the GH6 however none of the features in the new module are ones that we use to produce podcasts. There are several reasons why we chose this camera, small form factor, 4k, no recording limit, full size HDMI port (micro HDMI and mini HDMI tend to break with active use), and interchangeable lenses.
Recorder’s:
Sound Devices MixPre 10 ii – You can plug up to 8 microphones into this. It records to a SD card and a USB thumb drive as backup. You can also use this as a XLR audio interface. We bought this recorder because it has 32 bit float recording. For 32-bit float recording, exact setting of the trim and fader gain while recording is no longer a worry, from a fidelity standpoint. The recorded levels may appear to be either very low or very high while recording, but they can easily be scaled after recording by the DAW software with no additional noise or distortion.
Zoom F6 – You can plug up to 6 microphones into this. It records to a SD card. You can also use this as a XLR audio interface. The main reason we bought this is because of 32 bit float recording. With 32-bit float recording, exact setting of the trim and fader gain while recording is no longer a worry, from a fidelity standpoint. The recorded levels may appear to be either very low or very high while recording, but they can easily be scaled after recording by the DAW software with no additional noise or distortion. We use this recorder on our mobile recordings as it is even more portable than the sound devices recorder although both are fairly portable.
Other:
Blackmagic ATEM ISO –Â We prefer to switch cameras 100% in post, it allows for more precise cuts and less mistakes. This camera switcher allows for faster edit turnaround times, switching during a live stream, and a backup recording of both the podcast audio and each camera in HD.
