A podcast might be the perfect tool for broadcasting your sermon or special event, but while they’re fairly easy to put together, getting good quality sound takes some thought. The standard microphone that comes with most computers – or heaven forbid the built-in version in your laptop – creates a tinny far-away sound that instantly cheapens your broadcast. If you’re doing any kind of recording on your computer, having decent equipment is a must.
If you’re serious about podcasting, you might want to set aside several hundred dollars to invest in a microphone and a compressor/limiter. But many of our clients are simply using whatever equipment they can get their hands on. if you’re unable to part with much money, you can try the Plantronics DSP-500 headset for around $50. (You might remember Plantronics from an earlier Gadget Monday where we told you how to get set up for using Skype – this headset will do double-duty.)
Plantronics DSP-500 headset
No matter which mic you’re using for your podcast, you can get better results with a few low-tech techniques. This posting from the O’Reilly Digital Media Blog has some useful demonstrations on how to get better results with your recordings, including how to tweak your mic position (hint: talk past your microphone rather than into it).
Also, see this article on how to make a pop-filter out of some old pantyhose.