Podcasts continue to be very popular and more and more people are joining them. Even if you’re not a podcast creator, at some point you may find yourself interviewing or contributing to someone else’s podcast. In this case, it’s not enough to be ready to talk about your topic – you also want to make sure your voice is loud and clear.
we asked BoundaryIf there were any audio cues for folks about to join a podcast, Andrew Marino, senior audio engineer at . Here are his answers to our questions.
Is it better to use my phone’s microphone or my Bluetooth headset?
If this is a live show, the quality of the call is important as editing cannot be done later, so you want to have good sound. (We’ll be dealing with a recorded podcast in a minute.)
In most cases, your phone’s microphone will be better. Obviously this depends on the model of your Bluetooth headset over the make of your phone, but I’ve never come across a scenario where I prefer the sound of someone’s Bluetooth headset. We do many sound tests of wireless headphones and earphones. boundary Reviews and I can’t think of anything that can compare to microphones on an average smartphone.
Another thing to watch out for is the battery in wireless earbuds. You don’t want your headphones to die in the middle of a recording. That’s why I always prefer headphones that you can plug into your device – the sound you get from the microphone is usually better and you don’t have to worry about the battery dying or the Bluetooth connection suddenly failing.
Don’t use your phone on speaker if you can help. If you are using your phone to communicate, hold the phone to your ear or use a headset.
If you’re not sure which microphone sounds better, the best thing to do is to pre-test your headphones with your phone by recording your voice in both and listening to the results.
Should I record the podcast?
If it’s not a live show, it’s a good idea to record the end of your talk for the podcast and then send the recording to your presenter or podcast engineer. The audio quality in the podcast will be significantly better if it is edited with your local recording instead of using Zoom or phone call recording which may be on the other end. So let the podcast editor know that you’re willing to do so.
For example, I often ask guests interviewed on Zoom to individually record themselves on their phones or other devices. If you don’t have a good microphone, even recording yourself using your phone’s app is better than not recording at all. Many phones have a default voice recorder app (Apple’s Voice Memos, Recorder on Android Pixel), but if you need to download one, I recommend Rode’s Reporter app.
If I’m using a phone to record, what’s the best way to set it up?
Many manufacturers require you to hold the phone to your ear, as you would for a phone call. Phones are designed to pick up sound this way, so it’s almost flawless.
But if you’re just using it to save your phone your At the end of the conversation (rather than using it as the main way to communicate during the podcast), I recommend placing the phone about 6 to 12 inches from your face. That might mean putting the phone on a stack of books on your desk, on a music stand, or whatever is in the middle.
Also, if you’re using your phone to record, it would be ideal to have your phone in airplane mode so there aren’t any notification sounds disrupting the recording. Also note that incoming phone calls during a recording will usually pause the recording app on your phone.
Should I buy a microphone?
If this is the only podcast recording you’ll do and you don’t want to spend the money, use your phone’s microphone. That being said, I always prefer a guest to have an external microphone. Most USB microphones sound better than you can get with your smartphone’s microphone, and many can be plugged directly into your phone when you need it.
What microphone would you recommend?
It really depends on your budget.
What I recommend to guests lately Audio-Technica’s ATR2100x-USB cardioid dynamic USB/XLR microphone. It’s affordable (runs around $99) and very flexible; you can upgrade it with more hardware or use it for other audio projects. I know a lot of people recommend the Blue Yeti, but for podcast recordings I prefer the sound of dynamic microphones rather than condenser microphones like the Yeti. They are less sensitive to unwanted sounds and have a sound that is not much different from professional equipment.