Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Hardware for Recording to Computer
• USB Headset Microphones
• Samson USB Studio Mocrophone
3. Hardware for Recording to Portable Devices
• Zoom H4 Handy Recorder
• Lapel Mics
• Olympus WS-300M
4. Sound Files and Formats
   • MP3 File Bitrate
   • Wave File Frequency and Sample Rates
   • Stereo vs. Mono for Podcasts

Coming Soon!

1. Sound Editing Software
2. Podcast Hosting Services
3. Podcast Directories
4. Getting on iTunes
5. Getting Good Search Engine Rankings

Introduction

I'm one of the podcasting "early adopters" - I started in December 2005, only about 6 months after the historic implementation of RSS feeds into iTunes that put podcasting on the map. Since then I've tried tons of hardware and software in an effort to get the best possible sound quality, and to cut down on the time that it takes to put out a weekly show. Here's a run down of what I've learned, along with some links to hardware and software that will get you podcasting in a hurry.

You'll notice there are links on this page to specific products from well-known vendors. I want you to know that I will only mention and link to equipment that I have either used myself, spoken to someone who has used it, or done exhaustive research including reviews by podcasters who have used the equipment. I want you to learn from my experiences and avoid wasting time and money on hardware or software that won't do the job.

Recording to Computer

All you really need to get started in podcasting is a computer and a microphone. A lot of what you read will say any old microphone will do. Don't believe them! Using the $10 analog microphone will be nothing but a source of frustration as you spend hours trying to figure out how to get acceptable sound quality. Basic analog microphones plugged into the motherboard sound card on a laptop or PC rarely give satisfactory sound. This is because of all the electromagnetic interference in and around modern computers causes noise on the analog line. Save yourself hours of frustration and get a USB microphone!

USB microphones bypass the sound card on your computer so you get a digital signal from the mic all the way into the sound editing software. That improves the quality of the sound considerably. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a good recording. Here's a good USB headset/mic for about $40: Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software. It's also foldable, so it's less likely to get damaged in your briefcase or when traveling.

For only a little more (~$80) you can get the Samson C01U USB condenser microphone (you'll want a mic stand for $10 to $15 to mount it on). The C01U comes with an adjustable clamp that attaches to the stand and holds the microphone. This is what I use for all my podcast recordings on my PC or laptop. It gives excellent sound, and will work in Windows or MAC OS with only the native drivers. Just plug it in and you're ready to record.

Also, don't waste your time trying to find the right equipment in retail stores. Go online and save your time and gas money. I use Same Day Music, and I have been very impressed with their selection, price, speed of delivery, and customer service. One of the things I like most about them is you can call and talk to them on the phone before you make a purchase. I started podcasting without ANY knowledge of audio equipment, and they have been a great source of information and support! You can tell them what you want to do, and how much you plan to spend, and they'll recommend products that fit your needs.

Recording to Portable Devices

Because I travel so much, I searched high and low for a portable podcast recording device that would be easy to use, give great sound quality, and run on AA or AAA batteries. A lot of podcasters use iRiver MP3 700 or 800 series MP3 players with pretty good results. They are reasonably priced, small, and seem to work well. Also, they have "Mic IN" ports that take external microphones. This is unique because other MP3 players I've found have only "Line IN," which will not take external microphones unless you send the signal through a mixer or external microphone power supply. I recommend looking on eBay because you can find them for $50 to $150 depending on the amount of flash memory. Unfortunately the newer versions of the iRiver don't support the "microphone in" function, so they're no good for podcast recording, and the older ones are getting harder to find.

I wanted something that was more of a dedicated digital audio recorder, a device that I could use to record multiple inputs (for interviews), and yield top quality sound. Just as I was beginning to give up hope, Samson released this a device that was exactly what I was looking for; the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder. I think I was one of the first people to buy one. I've been blown away by it!

The sound quality is excellent using the built in dual stereo microphones. In fact, now this is all I use for recording, even at home. It records to *.wav or mp3, and connects to the PC via a standard USB cable. You can select several different file types and quality levels, and it even records straight to MP3 which means I can put four hours on the included 128 MB SD card (assume about 2 minutes per MB when recording in MP3 format at 64 KBS which is what most podcasters use). I record on the Zoom H4 then transfer the files to my PC do my sound editing and mixing using Audacity (more on Audacity later!). The recorder is a little pricey (about $300), but it really much more than just a multi-track recorder. It's really a stereo and multi-track recorder, a mixer, and a USB audio interface all in one small portable package. It will even take two inputs (great for interviews in person or via Skype), and has phantom power for external mics that need it. It also comes with Cubase Audio Software which I've just started to explore. It records to SD cards, so it is easily expandable. Here's an amazing deal on 1GB Kingston Secure Digital SD Memory Card at Amazon!

For recording the shows, I mount the H4 on an inexpensive tabletop Extendable Mini Tripod and place it on the desk about 2 feet in front of me with the pop filter on the mics (filter is provided with the unit).

For recording two people on the Zoom H4, as in an interview, you will need a couple of external microphones. I've been looking for a pair of inexpensive lapel mics to use, and just located some. In fact, I heard about them on another podcast I listen to called "Zen and the Art of Triathlon." Anyway, the lapel mics are from Amazon and cost only about $25 each, and they sound GREAT! This was a big score! If you're interested there is a link on my store page. You'll also need two 1/4" to 1/8" audio jack adaptors (~ $4 each) because the mics come with 1/8" male connectors and the Zoom H4 has a female connectors for both XLR and 1/4" audio jacks. Now I have the ultimate portable interview recording rig!

I've also just learned of recording podcasts using a Olympus Digital Voice Recorders, and I've heard one example of a show that used one of these devices, the WS-300M. It's only about $78.00 and gives good quality sound (listen to the 10/29/06 episode of "Zen & the Art of Triathlon" for an example). Plus, the files that can be transfered to PC without a cable for editing and mixing. They are definitely something to consider if you're looking for something basic and portable that gives good sound. The user interface on the WS-300M is a lot easier to navigate than on the iRiver.

Sound Files and Formats

One of the things that baffles new podcasters is the seemingly endless variety of sound file formats, bit rates, sample rates, frequencies, mono vs. stereo, and the list goes on and on. I'll try to cut through all this information and tell you exactly what you need to know.

MP3 Bitrate: The final audio file that you post on the web as a podcast will be in the MP3 format. The quality of an MP3 file is determined by its "bitrate" measured in Kilo-bits per second or KBPS. Higher bitrates have better quality but are larger in size. Most podcasts are saved as 96 kbps files which is fine for spoken word and produces a smaller file size than high bit rates. You will find some podcasts encoded at 48 kbps but with memory becoming cheaper and cheaper that's becoming less typical because some quality loss for spoken word audio can occure at 48 kbps.

Wave File Frequency and Sample Rate: At some point in time during recording or editing your audio file will probably be a wave (*.wav) file. The industry standard for wave file format is a "frequency" or "sample rate" of 44.1 KHz (44,100 samples per second), and 16 bits per sample. If you try to mix sound clips with different frequencies you'll get either a "chipmonk voice" or an excessively slow and low audio clip. You can avoid that problem by using the "import audio" function in your audio mixing software to import one clip into another (rather than doing a copy and paste). If you stick to 44.1/16 you'll be unlikely to run into compatibility problems.

There are a number of proprietary audio formats out there, and every audio editing application uses it's own project file format, but they all will import and export wave and MP3 files.

Stereo vs. Mono: There's a lot of discussion on the Internet about the right choice of stereo or mono for podcasts. Here's what you need to know:

• Stereo files are best for music.
• Mono is best for spoken word. Spoken word in stereo can cause a distracting shifting in the sound from one side to another.
• Stereo files are twice as large as mono files.
• Most podcasts are mono unless they are music podcasts.

Depending on the equipment I'm using, I may record spoken word podcast tracks in either stereo or mono, but when I use stereo I always mix down the stereo clips to mono during editing. I use a stereo music track for my intro and exit because I like the way it sounds. This way the spoken part of the podcast is in mono but the music part is in stereo. The stereo and mono tracks get mixed and encoded as a stereo MP3 file, so my file sizes are a little larger than they would be if it was all mono. I may go entirely mono if I change my intro and exit music to a mono file.

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I'll be adding more information to this page soon, so please come back!

John Wheeler