Updates
As mentioned in the video lesson, professional equipment is the best option for recording high-quality audio, but there are some alternatives and updates.
Use Your Smartphone
Modern smartphones have decent internal microphones for recording voice. They’re designed for spoken words while dampening background noises, e.g., they pick up your voice clearly and ignore many background noises.
Use an audio memo or recording app for your phone. Some recommendations:
They usually let you export your recording as an MP3 or WAV file. Use WAV if you can, as it supports better audio quality.
Filter On A Budget
Professional pop filters use specially designed acoustic foam to filter out pop noises. However, if you’re on a budget, on the move, or don’t want to buy one, you can try alternatives.
Use a regular cleaning sponge and put your headset’s microphone, like Apple EarPods (wired), into the sponge. See
Note: Sponges contain bubbles, while acoustic foam is a mesh without bubbles. Sponges can eliminate the popping effect but may also diminish certain aspects of the sound. On the other hand, acoustic foam does not have this issue.
Alternatively, you could cover the microphone with any type of clothes, like a sock, to filter out noises. However, it has a more dampening effect, like the sponge.
Alternative External Microphones
We can recommend a few other microphones since recording the video lesson.
Yeti by Blue Designs
The Yeti is a popular podcast choice due to its affordable $130. It is a USB microphone.
The sound quality is decent for the price, making it a good option for those on a budget.
Audio-Technica ATR2100x
An affordable USB-compatible microphone with an integrated headphone jack so you can listen to your voice while recording.
SM7B by Shure
The Shure SM7B is considered to be the best microphone on the market for recording the voice in podcasts. It produces clean recordings with minimal background noise and superb audio quality. However, it comes with a $400 price tag.
It is not a USB microphone, so you must purchase an extra audio interface, two mic cables, and a mic activator to utilize this microphone.
Resources
Lesson Summary
A simple recording setup doesn’t need much equipment. This lesson covers the microphone, headphones, pop filter, and stand used in the course, what each one does, and how they help you capture a clean, natural-sounding voice at home.
Transcript
Desktop USB condenser microphone.
Condenser microphones are the most common type of studio microphone and were designed specifically to record the human voice. Unlike their more rugged counterpart, the dynamic microphone, condenser microphones have a much greater frequency response. This allows them to reproduce the tonal characteristics and nuances of the human voice very precisely.
For practical and budgetary reasons, I recommend the Samson Meteor USB desktop condenser microphone. It is consistently rated as one of the best entry-level products of its type and represents exceptional value for money. It is versatile and portable, and because it connects by USB, it is plug-and-play with both Windows and Mac devices and requires no additional drivers. Simply connect the microphone to an available USB port, locate it inside your recording software, and you’re ready to go.
These microphones are tailor-made for the spoken word and are particularly popular with podcasters. In short, the Samson Meteor is ideal for our purposes.
At the time this lesson was recorded, the Samson Meteor sold online for approximately US$60–$70 through retailers such as eBay and Amazon. You could also find online and local retailers through the Samson website. Selecting “Where to Buy” displays stores in your chosen area; the demonstration uses New York City as an example.
Over-ear stereo headphones.
After a USB condenser microphone, the second most important piece of equipment is a set of headphones. Choose over-ear headphones—the type with padded cups that enclose your ears. Recording requires you to isolate sounds to capture the best-quality signal. Headphones are essential both for listening to your vocal performance while recording and for mixing the finished work later, so buy the best quality you can afford.
The Koss UR20 headphones are my personal favorite. At the time of recording, I had used the same pair for around 15 years. They are durable and robust, cover a broad frequency range, feel comfortable, and, most importantly, are affordable. The Koss website provides a product description and an option to purchase them directly.
Pop filter.
A pop filter is a thin fabric shield attached to a microphone stand and positioned between the mouth and the microphone. Its purpose is to prevent plosives. Sounds such as B and P produce a rush of air from the lips during speech. Because condenser microphones are so sensitive, those bursts of air can overload the recorded signal and introduce unwanted distortion. A pop filter catches the air before it reaches the microphone.
Pop filters are readily available from music stores and microphone retailers. You can buy one separately or as part of a stand or microphone accessory package. You can also search online for “microphone pop filter” or simply “pop filter.”
Microphone stand.
A microphone stand is optional but recommended. The Samson Meteor has a threaded mount that fits the top of a standard microphone stand. Mounting it lets you get closer to the microphone and capture a clearer, stronger signal with less noise.
Condenser microphones easily pick up nearby sounds. When the Meteor sits on its built-in desktop legs, it may capture computer operating noise along with accidental bumps or brushes against the desk. A stand helps prevent these problems and gives you much more flexibility in how you record. You can be seated, standing, cross-legged on the floor, or even lying down.
The most practical option is a telescopic boom stand like the model shown here. This kind of stand normally has three folding legs, an adjustable main shaft, a lever for changing the boom-arm angle, and an adjustable section that extends or shortens the arm. The pop filter attaches near the end of the boom, close to where the microphone is mounted.
These stands are common, inexpensive, and easy to find at music stores or online by searching for “microphone stand” or “microphone boom stand.”
Now that you have the key items needed for recording, let’s move on to Module 2: Script Preparation.