Podcasting Recording Hardware
Mario Cardinal and I have been recording the Visual Studio Talk Show podcast for more then 5 years now. Many people ask me about the recording hardware and software we use so I though I’d post the info here.
We used many devices throughout the years and the sound quality varied a lot as we experienced. Hey, we’re developers not sound engineers! One thing to keep in mind is that we decided to always record face to face, never over the phone. For the last year, we used the R16 and H2 sound recorders from Zoom, a Japanese company distributed in North America by Samson.
Zoom R16
The R16 is a fantastic little device that is basically a small recording studio the size of a small laptop. It records uncompressed WAV to an SD card so there’s no need to connect it to a computer although it can act as a USB audio device if you want.
It has 8 XLR inputs so you can use dynamic mics. Only 2 of these inputs can provide phantom power so you’re limited to 2 condenser mics at a time. Yep, you can record 8 inputs at a time!
A few years ago, we bought 4 Shure PG58 dynamic microphones. They are portable, rugged, cheap and the sound quality is not bad at all. BTW, a foam filter will prevent audio pops and further protect the mics during transportation.
If I’d have to buy new mics today, I’d go for the Shure SM58, a slightly better model and if portability and price was not an issue, I’d go for the Rode Procaster.
Speaking of portability, this is a great issue for me since I have to carry all of this with me. What I find simply amazing is that everything fits in a backpack: the R16 and it’s tiny power supply, 3 XLR mics, 3 XLR cables, 3 lightweight tripod desk stands, one set of Skullcandy Lowrider foldable headphones and no need to pack a laptop because the R16 is standalone. Amazing!
What I like about the R16 is that it is a multi track recorder meaning that each input produce it’s own WAV file. This way, you have more control while editing. I like the fact that you can apply effects directly while recording. I use a limiter effect (a type of compressor) that limits the audio peaks. This is especially useful when Mario gets carried away! I must say that when recording simultaneous inputs, the R16 offers a limited set of effects compared to the choices you have when doing track by track recording.
The R16 can act as USB audio device meaning that you can record directly to your computer instead of the SD card. To do this, you must install audio drivers and I must say that I haven’t been able to install them on my computer. The supplied drivers won’t install on Win7 so I was happy to see that Zoom updated the drivers to support Win7 recently. Well, looks like the installer doesn’t recognize an Intel Core i7-920 as a X86 processor. Might be because the drivers are 32-bit only. Anyway, if you plan to use the R16 as a controller surface or as a USB audio device, be warned. However, without drivers, I am able to see the R16 as a drive and I am able to copy the WAV files to my computer.
Zoom H2
We use the H2 portable recorder when recording on the road, at conferences. This device has 4 mics, 2 on each side, and records uncompressed WAV to an SD card. It can also act as a USB audio device so you can record directly to a computer instead of the SD card.
This is a great device for one on one interviews because it is small, lightweight and standalone.
The H2 has a 3.5mm (1/8”) mic input and we experienced using a few tie clip mics connected to a 3.5mm doubler/splitter but the sounds quality is a lot better using the built-in microphones.
Audacity
We use Audacity as our audio editing software because it’s simple to use and it’s free. Multi track editing is easy, just import the WAV files produced by the Zoom recorders, do a little audio cleaning, edit, mix as stereo, save and convert to MP3.
If you’re podcasting, I’d love to hear about the hardware and software you use.
