Microphone: ElectroVoice RE20

This is the microphone most synonymous with radio and spoken word production. You’ve probably seen one on TV or even in a movie. It’s my favorite dynamic microphone, and I use it for my personal voiceover recordings as well as in-person podcast production.

The reason it’s my favorite mic is that it molds to my voice well. My voice is naturally a little on the deeper side, and this mic pulls that out while still keeping the highs. It’s a mic that’ll make you happy with the sound of your own voice even if you normally hate it.

From a technical standpoint, it’s not nearly as gain-hungry as its competitor the Shure SM7B, and it has all the bells and whistles of the RE320. The big difference here is that this mic is a bit warmer and not quite as focused on the “highs” as I find the 320 to be.

When you get into this price range, you’re going to find yourself really wanting to try microphones before you commit, and I definitely encourage that if it’s possible to do where you live. Alternatives I haven’t mentioned but deserve your attention here are Heil, Neumann, and Rode.

Accessories

If you’re getting the RE20, you’ll want to be sure to get the shock mount for it. If you’re traveling on the road a lot, you’ll probably want to skip using this as it’s very bulky, but be prepared to ask people to keep their hands off the table. It’ll pick up thumps and bumps pretty easily. The Tie-Fighter-esque cage it comes in is great for mitigating shocks though.

As for pop filters, you can easily find some large foam covers that will work well for this to start with. Although personally, I recommend getting this pop filter and mic kit from BSW. It is phenomenal, and they’ve got a good combo price that you can’t even beat on Amazon (without being scammed).

You’ll also need a gain booster here as well. I recommend the Cloudlifter CL-1. While this mic is generally fine without them, I’ve found that the UAD Apollo’s gain is surprisingly low compared with other recording gear. Having a gain booster will ensure you can increase the volume comfortably while keeping the line noise low.

Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro

As we get into pro-level gear, we’re really teetering towards a realm where the options are highly opinionated. With headphones, it’s no different. In order to mitigate that, I’m recommending the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros solely based on two factors 1) comfort and 2) dynamic range. As an editor, you’ll want headphones that you can wear for a long time, and these things are furry earmuffs. They can get hot, but they won’t get sticky thanks to their microfiber ear cups. They also don’t fit me (personally) as tightly around the head as the Audio Technica M50x headphones do. So they are comfy.

The big advantage to these is their dynamic range. They go from 5-35,000 kHz. So you will be able to hear a lot with these. They also have good sound isolation (better than the M50X’s, from what I can tell), which is important whether you’re editing audio or just listening to music. The impedance on these goes all the way up to 250 ohms, which is a fancy way of saying that you can listen to a lot of loud music without these getting distorted. So these double as good entry-level hi-fi headphones too! You can also find 35-ohm and 80-ohm versions with less impedance. This is important if you plan on these being your only pair of headphones. To that end, the biggest drawback to these is that they aren’t as compact as the M50x’s. Between the fact that I own the 250 Ohm version and that, I use these strictly for my home studio. My M50x’s still go with me on all recording sessions.

Recorder: Rodecaster Pro

Shock! It’s not a Zoom recorder! Why would I ever diverge from my allegiance to the Zoom? I ask myself that every time I plug in the Rodecaster Pro (RCP). You see, I have a love/hate relationship with this unit. I will eventually be doing a video on the RCP and why I feel the way I do, but I’ll give you the reader’s digest version for now.

Loves

This unit always looks good on camera or in front of a client. It doesn’t have that Cthulhu that the Zoom H6 & H8 give off, and it doesn’t look as industrial vibe as Zoom’s P8. It is easy to use and once you’ve got things dialed in, it just works. It does a great job of handling phone calls, and you have access to all tracks from the board on your computer when you go to record with it there. If you do some travel and some at-home/office work, this is a great starting unit for both. I prefer this unit for in-person recording for the reasons listed above. It just works for podcasting, and I like that.

Hates

The two things I really don’t like about this unit come down to preamp distortion and effects processing. Preamp distortion is what I’m using to refer to the fact that sometimes you’ll hear distortion on the mic without your mic ever peaking on the level meters. It’s a weird sound that is hard to fix if you don’t know where to find it. Essentially, this is the result of your mic exceeding the volume levels in the preamp, which is not displayed on the main screen. To manage this, you have to go into the levels screen. From there you need to ensure your mic levels stay within the green bars. You’ll need to pay attention to this across all microphones when you’re recording. If you’ve hit this phase and invested in the gear listed here, please do yourself a big favor and have someone help you with managing the sound. This is where it becomes very tedious and distracting if you’re the host. It’s like a mini-game that’s actually the main game for balancing audio and capturing a clean sound. A mini-game that shouldn’t exist. Hence my dislike for it.

As for effects processing, I’m sure many folks will see that this unit has a compressor and noise gate and decide they MUST have it. Well, I may be speaking only for myself here, but their onboard effects still need a lot of work. Any time I’ve used them, they make things sound worse, not better. At HumblePod, we prefer to do our processing in post and focus the recording session on getting clean audio. For this reason, we advise you turn your processing off when recording. I know, it seems like more to hate than there is to love, but if you do decide to move forward with this unit, I think you’ll understand why I like it so much pretty quickly. It does really deliver in a simple and straightforward way. But I won’t blame you if you stick with your Zoom H6. Really.

Podcast Gear Pricing Sheet

For in-person recording, we’re assuming that you’ll need at least 2 microphones. The details below will help you better gauge pricing. Please note here that Rode does not sell the Rodecaster Pro or PSA1 directly on Amazon. Anyone that is selling it on Amazon is unauthorized to do so, and you should use caution when purchasing from such sellers. Per Rode, “If you purchase any RØDE microphone from an unauthorized dealer or via Fulfilled By Amazon or any other method you will not receive any US warranty or technical support.“

Pricing Breakdown

For in-person recording, we’re assuming that you’ll need at least 2 microphones. The details below will help you better gauge pricing. Please note here that Rode does not sell the Rodecaster Pro or PSA1 directly on Amazon. Anyone that is selling it on Amazon is unauthorized to do so, and you should use caution when purchasing from such sellers. Per Rode, “If you purchase any RØDE microphone from an unauthorized dealer or via Fulfilled By Amazon or any other method you will not receive any US warranty or technical support.“

• RE20 Podcast Kit x2 – $1,098
  • Microphone for podcasting. This comes in a bundle with a pop filter, XLR Cable, and shock mount
• XLR Cables (Additional) x2 – $40
  • XLR Cables are included with the RE20 bundle, but you will need 1 more for using the CL-1 below
• Cloudlifter CL-2 – $249
  • Gain booster for increased volume and performance from RE20 microphone
• Rode PSA1+ x2 – $260
  • Sturdy microphone arm. Note: NOT Sold on Amazon
• Rodecaster Pro II – $699
  • Audio interface for podcast production that also can run virtual effects (compressors, channel strips, etc.) in real-time. Great for both live and recorded content.
• 256GB Micro SD Card – $50
  • Lexar 256gb High-Performance Micro SD Card (more than one recommended)
• TRRS Cable – $10.00
  • TRRS Cable for high-fidelity phone calls
• Lightning Adapter – $14.00
  • Lightning adapter for iPhones
• Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro – 250 Ohm x2 – $340
  • Great headphones for monitoring & editing audio

Total Price: $3,009