Additional tools (podcast)

If you think your shopping list is getting a little too long, take a deep breath. You're going to need these odds and ends to produce your podcast.

Cables
Believe it or not, it's actually important to buy good-quality cables. Good cables are more noise resistant and last longer. In particular, if you're going to be doing lots of location work, you'll find that the constant plugging and unplugging of cables, as well as packing and unpacking them, can take a toll. Make sure to pay a little bit extra to buy good cables.

You should be using shielded, balanced cables wherever possible. Shielded cables include a wrapping of foil or wire mesh built in to the cable to reject outside magnetic interference. Balanced cables use an ingenious phase-cancellation method to make them even more noise resistant. Balanced cables are easy to recognize because they use three conductors in the cable: a positive, a negative, and a ground. The plugs on the end are either XLR or TRS, as shown in Figure 1.


Figure 1: Balanced plugs: Male XLR, female XLR, TRS

If your cable runs are very short, you don't have to use balanced cables. It's just a good idea, and believe me, you'll be glad you did.

Pop screens
Certain letters, known as plosives, involve a large burst of air when they are pronounced, in particular the letters "p" and "b." This burst of air can result in a loud pop in your recording, which is very hard to remove, even with sophisticated signal processing. The simplest way to avoid pops is to use a pop screen. Pop screens come in two basic versions: a foam covering for your microphone or a disc that you place in front of your microphone that has sheer material stretched across it. Either one works, so figure out which works best with your mic and buy it.

Mic stands, clips, suspension mounts
Mic stands are important if you don't want to spend the entire podcast holding a microphone. You'll definitely need a mic stand if you're using a condenser mic, because they're far too sensitive to be handheld. Mic stands come in floor standing models, tabletop models, and spring-loaded desk-mount models. The spring-loaded models are particularly useful because they let you swing the mic out of the way after you're done recording.

Of course, you'll need a clip to hold your microphone to the mic stand. Most mics come with mic clips that are made specifically to hold them. For condenser mics, you should consider buying a suspension mount. Suspension mounts support the mic in a web of elastic bands or springs so they are floating independently of the mic stand, which makes them even more noise resistant.