Portable podcast recording equipment used by the pro’s
I originally wrote this article to discuss virtual/remote podcast equipment and software. This post is what I recommend if you’ll be recording interviews on location and not in the studio.
This is the recorder me and Sheel use. It has video capability as well, but we don’t use it for that. It doubles as an excellent portable recorder as well as a USB mic interface for conference calls and recording via your computer.
If video recording isn’t important to you, then I recommend the Zoom H4N as the alternative (saves you $100 vs the Q8).
Below is the mic I recommend for portable recording. It’s simpler to share a mic with the person you’re interviewing PLUS you get to control the audio quality. Most people do not have good mic etiqite and putting a mic in front of them makes them feel uncomfortable.
This mic allows you to simply point it at them from a about a foot away and let them talk to you like a normal person. Pro’s like Alex Blumberg and Ira Glass use this setup all the time. Tip: You can also use this mic while recording in the studio.
You’ll also need this pistol grip shock mount so the mic doesn’t pick up your hand movements while holding the mic.
You’ll also need a short XLR cord for the mic.
The only other thing I can think of is an SD card needed to record on while you’re mobile. I bought a 128GB one for around $40. But you don’t need that much space as long as you move the files off the card when you’re done recording.
Oh, sorry one last thing. It’s nice to have a case to hold the recorder in. This one is made for the Zoom Q8 but I’m sure there are others that would work equally as well (or better) and may include room to hold the mic as well.
Oh gosh, you’ll need headphones to monitor the sound as you’re recording. Very important!
Hopefully this isn’t too overwhelming ;-) Good luck! Let me know if I can help answer any more questions about podcasting.
