Upgrading my podcast setup... where do I put my money?

mamster2

New member
Hello. First post, so bear with me.

I've been cohosting a podcast with a friend. So far we've been doing things on the cheap: our equipment consists of the Blue Snowball USB mic and my (Mac) laptop. We sit around the corner of the table and put the Snowball equidistant from our mouths, in cardioid mode. (I tried omni mode and it sucks.)

This is less than ideal, although probably not as bad as you think. We've recorded several episodes this way and they sound all right. The main problem is the S/N ratio: because our mouths are a foot or more from the mic (and it's not a very hot mic to start with), the recording level is quite low, and when I bump it up (using Levelator), it bumps up the sound of cars and planes going by outside, too.

We'd like to bring a guest on the show soon, and I'm betting that having three of us sitting around the Snowball will be a total flop--it'll have to be over two feet from our mouths, unless someone wants to sit on my lap, which would negatively impact our ability to attract guests.

I have some cash ($300) to upgrade this setup, but I'm not sure the best way to spend it. Help me out. In addition to the Snowball, I have an analog-to-USB interface (Behringer UCA-202), and my dad has an M-Audio Fast Track Pro that I can borrow anytime. (He uses it as a guitar DI box, so he doesn't have any mics for me to borrow. :( )

I'm guessing that trying to use the Snowball alongside another USB interface would be problematic. I tried it and it worked okay--the sync seemed fine--but the idea makes me nervous, like the USB bus could catch fire or something (figuratively speaking). Should I be worried? One possibility would be to have one of the three talkers use the Snowball and the other two on XLR mics plugged into the Fast Track Pro. Would this be smart or crazy? Should I be thinking about getting a mixer with three or four mic pres (e.g., Multimix 8, Mackie 802, Behringer 1202)?

Which mics should I be thinking about? I know the AT2020 is popular, and BSW sells B-stock for $65. I could get a couple of those. Should I put money toward shockmounts? Should I look at dynamic mics instead, for better off-axis noise rejection? Should I buy desktop stands or wait until I can afford booms? Is $300 enough to buy me much of an improvement over my current setup? Should I save up more before I think about upgrades? I'm certainly amenable to the advice to incrementally buy good stuff that will last rather than buying many pieces of crap.

Yeah, a lot of questions. That's why they call it the Newbies forum, right?

Thanks!
 
You have correctly analyzed the problem as being signal-to-noise due to distance from the mic, and presented the solution as multiple mics. However, running more than one USB interface doesn't always work. It depends on how each USB device/driver handles clocking. If there is a diversity of clock source, you can get clicks in your audio. Try it out with the gear you have, see if it works (you don't need a mic plugged into the interface, it will cllck or not without a source). If it doesn't, then you really need an interface with the number of inputs required. If it does work (and you indicated it might), then you should be OK. As for the USB power limit, try plugging each device into the opposite end of your computer (front/back), those often have separate power supplies.

Dynamic mics, as a rule, do not have better off-axis rejection. Off-axis rejection is depedent on polar pattern which is independent of microphone type. The belief that dynamics are better at noise rejection is due to their low sensitivity--unlike condensers, you have to use them at very close proximity or the signal-to-(electrical) noise ratio is unacceptable.
 
This is really helpful, mshilarious. So, not to be the guy who asks, "what is the best mic to buy?" but, y'know, which mic should I buy? Does the fact that we're recording near a window with road noise outside suggest any particular type of mic? (Yes, I know, we should move away from the window, but there's not really any part of my apartment that is away from the window. Except the bathroom. Which, again, is not conducive to guests.)

Will do a more rigorous test of my USB bus later tonight.

Thanks,
Matthew
 
Okay, here's where I'm at. I'm borrowing the Fast Track Pro and running it alongside the UCA-202, and it's working fine. I got an AT2020 and a stand, and we'll try recording our next episode with one host on AT2020 and one on Snowball. Good times.
 
He suggested you get a dynamic mic like a Shure SM58 instead of a condenser mic. Even with the at2020, the mic you just recently bought, if you increase the gain then you're going to hear the cars and other noises surrounding you. Dynamic mics do not detect these noises as much and they pick up the sounds mostly coming from whats close and directly in front of it. This would mean that the mic would be visible during your pod cast unless you want to increase white noise or have a really good preamp. It'll be really difficult to share a stationary dynamic mic with three people. At least, that's what I think he's trying to say :)


My suggestion is to use a dynamic mic or pick a better or create a better environment to record in with a condenser mic.
 
No, I think this is going to work okay. The problem with using a single mic, of any type, is that we were so far from the mic, our voices were basically part of the room noise, so when we normalized, we boosted a lot of background noise. Any arrangement where we can get the mics closer to our mouth is going to be better.

I tried the AT2020 and a dynamic (SM58-type) mic and liked the sound I was getting out of the AT2020 better, so I went for it.
 
Uh, I don't know, because I got impatient and paid $85 for it at Guitar Center. We're going to give it a real test at a taping on Monday. But if I order another, I'll definitely try the B-stock and let you know.
 
Okay, introverse, I owe you a big mea culpa.

My brother is in a band, so I borrowed a couple of SM58s from him. The SM58, with a Radio Shack windscreen on it (I also have a nylon pop filter, but the clown nose kind sounded better), sounds a jillion times better than the AT2020. I sold the 2020. Why do so many podcasters buy condenser mics when actual radio people use dynamic mics? I do not know, but I know I'm not going to make that mistake again.

(I used to record music and I know condensers are essential for some things and work very well for vocals in a soundproofed studio. But not for this!)

Anyway, we're recording next week with each host on an SM58, and I think it's going to sound great.
 
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