Podtrak: Physical podcast mixer made by audio company Zoom. Up to four microphones can be recorded on separate tracks.

You’re going to want to prop the mic up close to your mouth in order for it to fully register the timbre of your voice. I remember hearing Be by Common when I was 13 and thinking that all I needed to make a layered beat like that was my Yamaha keyboard and a mixer. About a month of chores and some odd jobs later, I bought my first mixer at Guitar Center. Needless to say, a mixer isn’t what I needed considering I didn’t even have any computer at the time. And only after I explained what I wanted to accomplish to the employee did I understand what I needed.

If you have multiple hosts, run each mic through an audio interface and plug the interface into the computer. It’s highly likely that each guest will want slightly different levels when monitoring. The inclusion of six 3.5mm stereo headphone outputs allows each guest to have their own independent headphone mix. You can be confident knowing everyone will be able to hear whats going on with absolute clarity. At the heart of the PodTrak P8 is a large LED touchscreen display. The colour touchscreen interface makes navigating settings a breeze.

Zoom Sgh-6 Shotgun Microphone For H6

Also, most digital audio production is at 24-bit resolution, which significantly improves quality and reduces harshness (the CD was and still is 16-bit). And if you’ve spent the money on a nice condenser microphone, for example, you want to capture the most nuanced sound waves possible.

A DI box is a device that takes a high impedance, unbalanced input signal and converts it to a low impedance, balanced output signal without degrading the signal itself. So you are getting started into the world of sound systems, but don’t know what a DI box is? You can also check our article on our top microphone picks for podcasting. A quality microphone set up will have some acoustically transparent foam protecting the microphone externally, or there will be a layer inside the microphone. This means it will convert one form of energy into another. The input energy is movement caused by sound pressure waves, which is then converted by the microphone into an electrical signal. Give careful consideration to whether you want to include or exclude environmental sounds.

Cool comparison, but I disagree that the Zoom is better for musicians. The Tascam is better for any musicians using it to songwrite/record ideas. When a song idea or music inspiration hits, you need to record it asap. Even the 6 sec startup of the Tascam has caused me to lose/forget my idea ocasionally before getting the recorder on. The effects/tuner/and direct guitar pluggability is also a non issue.

If you have a Windows computer, you can create a very similar setup by using a virtual mixer. One such mixer is called Voicemeeter Banana, but you can use the one you like the most. Use the Audio MIDI Setup app to add the two USB microphones under “Aggregate Device”.

Remote Recording / Livestreaming

There is also a dedicated channel so you can record phone calls so you can incorporate guests into your show. It also features onboard editing options so you can trim, split and fade audio clips to create a polished finished product. Additionally, you can take the PodTrak with you outside, with four AA batteries providing up to two hours of recording. The Zoom PodTrak P8 is an all-in-one recording, editing and mixing solution, ideal for podcasting and broadcasting. The PodTrak P8 is jam-packed with useful features including onboard effects, pre-loaded sounds and touchscreen controls. When you need to connect the keyboard to an audio mixer, amplifier, or recording device, it’s always recommended to use balanced XLR or TRS connectors.

• And if you’re looking for more help with choosing the right podcasting equipment, then we’d love to work with you.
• The C01 from Samson is a versatile microphone for a good reason; it delivers a lot of value for a low price.
• The recording format is 16-bit /44.1kHz audio WAV with recording to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards up to 512GB in capacity.
• You can even switch the line inputs to phono level in the software so DJs can plug in their turntables.

Mixing user impressions and first-hand experience, we summed our research and selected five digital mixers that deliver in the price-for-performance category. In contrast, a microphone with an XLR connection can’t convert the analog signal into digital. Just keep in mind that most professional-grade podcasting microphones use XLR connection. The H4n Pro has two mic preamps that make this a great option for podcasters since all you have to do is plug in the mics and hit record.

Here are a few options depending on what you want to record. Smartphones use audio processing algorithms to improve the sound quality but still falls short if you want high definition audio quality. The onboard mic on your iPhone or Android device is tiny, limiting its ability to pick up a wide range of sound vibrations. The small membrane is also very limited to picking up the detailed nuances in sound when playing a musical instrument or singing. As far as professional mobile podcasting tools, it will be difficult to find something better or more practical than the Zoom PodTrak P4 portable podcast recorder. This multi-pattern condenser mic is the crème de la crème of condenser microphones.

Actions can be nested in folders so you can have as many actions as you need. The Optical Big Bottom adds a deep and powerful low frequency punch without the unwanted level boost you get from using an EQ. A windscreen does the same thing but a pop filter does a better job. It is a good idea to have a pop filter or windscreen on your microphone.