Podcast Set-up Help

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threeleggeddog

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Hello - I just wanted to gather some opinions here. I'm starting a podcast and want to know whether I should go with an analog solution (small mackie mixer + home recorder) or a usb-interface (i.e I would probably go with an rme babyface - but I'm sure this is overkill). I want at least 4 input options, but don't need much more than that.

I'm completely green to recording, but I do have an engineering/technical background so figure I can figure this out fairly fast. I do like the idea of being about to save space/be portable with a mostly digital solution, but would this limit me down the line? And what would produce the best audio quality.

I appreciate your thoughts.
 
Hi there,

I'd be inclined to suggest an audio interface and computer based recording setup, but maybe that's just because it's what I use. :p
RME may well be overkill. There are cheaper interfaces out there from Tascam etc.

Make certain about the number of discreet mic inputs you need before you buy. It's a hassle/expense to expand later down the road.
I'm only saying because you said you don't need "much more" than 4 inputs.

Have you thought about mics and room treatment? I don't know how fussy you are but these two factors will play a big part in how professional your podcasts sound.
 
Thank you for your input. So then if I did go with the audio interface, does the babyface get me that much for this application? I edged towards babyface as 1) I hear the drivers, a/d converter, preamps, are very good 2) I like that there is linux compatibility (though I do have a mac as well), and 3) I'm not too concerned about putting down an extra $200 for better quality. That said, if the consensus is that it won't improve the podcast quality at all, I may change my mind.

So with regards to mics and room treatment: I'm doing this from my noisy Chicago apartment with large floor to ceiling windows (so obviously this is going to be a bit of a challenge with regards to acoustics and ambient noise). I'm going to get some foam and fiddle with different options until I get something that is acceptable. And I have a rode procaster which seems to do an ok job of blocking most noise > 5 feet away.
 
Admittedly RME do have a great reputation for all those things.
The baby face only appears to have two mic preamps built in though, so personally I'd look at something else.
How many microphones do you need to have live simultaneously?

RE procaster+room, it might be a good idea to stick with dynamic mics then and stay pretty close to them.
This will help to increase the ratio between your voice and the ambient sounds.
5 feet away isn't really ideal in any room. Maybe that's something to experiment with.
 
For the foreseeable future, I probably wouldn't have more than two live.

It looks like it has 2 analog inputs + 8 digital out, and 2 analog out + 8 adat out. And most of the time it will probably be me + skype calls, which I believe the babyface has 8 various non-xlr inputs for. Would skype outputs count as adat? In this scenario, I would have plenty of room I think.
 
Nah, it doesn't work like that.
The unit has 22 inputs but only two of them are designed to accept microphone level inputs.

The full chain there is mic preamp - analog to digital converter - Computer data converter
A line input would be analog to digital converter - computer data converter, and would require a mic preamp to be added externally.
An adat input is digital so there are no links in front of it. You need need to buy preamps and converters to get a mic into them…see?

The simplest best would be to buy a device with as many XLR inputs as you're ever going to need.
It kinda seems like RME interfaces have too many bells and whistles.
If you're certain two simultaneous mics is enough, look at a focusrite scarlet 2i2.


If you plan to record what you hear on Skype, hardware inputs and outputs don't matter.
I mean, you can do a hardware I/O loop, but you'd be better installing some kind of virtual bus software like sound flower, in my opinion.
 
Hmmm...so by hardwear loop, you mean plugging in an external computer/tablet into one of the digital in's?

So then assuming just 2 analog in's, what do you think the best quality for the needs (without the stuff that I don't need)? Maybe something like the Steinberg UR28M or an Apogee Duet?
 
I don't know anything about the Steinberg but I hear the brand getting good rep around here.
Apogee are certainly up there.
The focus rite is perfectly suitable too.

threeleggeddog said:
Hmmm...so by hardwear loop, you mean plugging in an external computer/tablet into one of the digital in's?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you can do that.
I actually meant using the outs and ins on your interface and keeping it to one computer, but either works.
Again, sound flower is probably handier/cleaner. Duno if that matters for Skype.
 
If you want to record stuff off the web look for something with internal loopback functionality.
 
Thanks for the input. I guess at this point the question would be, should I go for more xlr inputs now even though I likely won't need them for awhile (and rarely). I'm kind of thinking either the steinberg UR28M or the 824 (at twice the price but 4X the inputs).

From the boards experience, do 2 xlr inputs beocming limiting quickly? Or should I stick with the UR28M?
 
That's really a question you have to ask yourself.
Ordinarily people on these boards recommend more inputs than needed, but ordinarily people are recording music and, in that case, 2 inputs doesn't go far.
The first time you want to stereo mic a guitar and do vocals at once, or record a drum kit, you're stuffed.

In your case it's simply how many people will be speaking in the room at any given time.

Interfaces with 4 mic preamps are kinda hard to find; the bulk of the market is made up of units with two or eight mic preamps.

Maybe look at the Tascam us800? More than adequate for speech and it has four mic preamps. :) Winner!
 
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