Podcast Equipment
Your Sound and Visibility Leads to Success
One thing that comes up a lot between creators is what type of equipment you are using. There are places you can save money and some places you may not want to. Here is the equipment we've been using for not only in studio broadcast but also on-site interviews. I've included some links to what we are using and of course this list evolves over time as we add or upgrade. Quite a bit of these items have come from Amazon since we started during covid and the ability to walk into a store was limited. Now that the pandemic has passed a lot of the electronics stores that I would buy these things from have since closed their doors, so Amazon remains the easiest path for most things.
Links for what we use
Getting a good sound board is definitely a good plan to keep consistent sounds and easily adjust volume. This one also lets you use the widest variety of mics since it can provide phantom power if needed.
We are currently using the Canon XA-45 but the newer model XA-60 is what is on the market now. Very similar to the 45 but some newer features and a little better image quality. The kit is nice though because it gives you the ability to plug it in so you aren't limited by the battery for longer shows. you also get a memory card and a couple other lenses. it's a great camera over all and that is coming from a guy that prefers Nikon for my photography
Gen 1 and Gen 2 lights are both app controlled for color changing. Both work well but they do use different apps. I use old phones to control each set of lights
Gen 1 and Gen 2 lights are both app controlled for color changing. Both work well but they do use different apps. I use old phones to control each set of lights
There are some cheaper versions of these mics but these will out range so you don't have signal blead where you potentially have other signals break in. The ones that don't have it you need to physically change frequency but if you are live or recording there is no time for that without disrupting the show
Bang for the buck this is a nice way to go. It all breaks down incase you aren't in a permanent location for your podcast but is strong enough to still use it even if you are. you can also adjust the height fully loaded with gear if needed. They have reviews of getting scratched in shipping mine weren't but let's be honest you are going to scratch it the first time you use it.
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If you aren't familiar with GVM lighting they can plug in or can be battery operated. Each lighting head takes 2 of these batteries to operate so these 4 will power 2 heads. It can effectively run them at 100% on white for about 3 hours. it'll be less time if you are using color and have it paired to your phone as a controller
There are plenty of options for on air signs but this one is a simple low volt option. After my wife accidently started to walk into one of my video conferences straight out of the shower I decided an on air sign might be smart to have. Feel free to learn from my mistakes along the way
I have had this kit for a really long time for photography shoots that I would do but a lot of this kit is also helpful for podcasting. Sometimes the softer lighting is good and it comes with the green screen which if you don't have a studio it come in handy
I have a variety of tripods for the best flexibility of shooting options. Not only are the heights different but some have the ability to be a monopod as well as lower mount options where the camera dangles rather than sitting on top
I have a variety of tripods for the best flexibility of shooting options. Not only are the heights different but some have the ability to be a monopod as well as lower mount options where the camera dangles rather than sitting on top
Having an adjustable mount is nice for fine tuning your camera angle and making sure it is level
The boom mic works well if you have control of the environment but wireless mics are far superior if you are doing something outside of the studio where life is still operating as usual around you
This is another bang for the buck purchase. The sound quality is good and they have proven to be durable. They aren't Beats or anything but they are cost effective and work really well they also have a nice flexibility element in supporting both the 3.5mm and 1/4" jacks
This is an important requirement if you are going to use an DSLR or Video camera for streaming. Since most laptops wont do the conversion for you, you will need one of these to convert from HDMI to a USB input. There are lots of options but this one has worked well and has been in operation since we started so it has
been reliable
These come in handy for using sound boards and XLR mics or you are running XLR lighting. If you are using USB mics these probably won't be necessary for your set up
These are for XLR lighting runs for the end of the chain. Typically not a lighting design you will use starting out but if you go that route these will come in handy
This is another item for XLR lighting to connect the lights to each other. You will generally want the longer cables for your XLR mics to the sound board
These work really well for starting out. There are plenty of more expensive nicer ones you can upgrade to later, but these will get you started. This is still what we are using today. These Mics are sensitive and do require phantom power but in a controlled environment with a good soundboard they sound good. Believe it or not I got these off of Wish but since Amazon bought them out here they are
Having these extensions give you the most amount of options for soundboard placement as well as cable routing whether you are running it yourself or you have a producer running things but aren't ready for the expense of all the wireless equipment
Headphone jack adapters. These are great for a scenario where you want to use a set of headphones that are set up for the 3.5mm jack only to still be able to plug into your soundboard
Rode Pod Mic
Although the Mics we started with served their purpose and were great for starting out we have upgraded to the Rode Pod Mic. This is a great Mic and still in the entry level as far as pricing. These mics don't need phantom power and there is a USB version of this mic if you aren't using a sound board.
