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Hello Pod Puppies. Pod Sound School is in session. Let's put our head cans on. Never
give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will
pass anyway. Ready? Me, Too. Let's go. Episode four, microphones.
Well, hey there podsters. You've made it back. I'm Studio Steve and I'm glad to be here with
you. I'm not sure, but I think the subject of today's episode might be one of my favorite
things in life.
Microphones, transducers, magicians, the gateways to transcending space and time.
There is perhaps no more important single piece of gear for your podcast than your microphone.
But before we just Google best podcast mic or cheapest podcast mic, let's take a moment
and talk about what types of microphones there are and how they work. We'll get into more
advanced techniques and details on future episodes. So the first type of microphone,
dynamic. Dynamic microphones work when sound waves hit a thin metallic diaphragm that is
attached to a coil of wire. This diaphragm vibrates the coil kind of like a spring in
response to the moving sound waves.
There is a magnet in the middle of the coil that produces a magnetic field and converts
those waves into an electrical current. Or more simply put, they're magic. And like so
much of our fancy tech that we are so enchantingly addicted to, we don't really care how it works.
We just need to know how to use it and in the case of microphones, when and why to use
one type or model over another. Dynamic microphones are characterized by this magnetic process
of energy conversion. This makes them very durable, rugged, and affordable. Dynamic microphones
require the sound source to be relatively close to them to get a decent audible signal
happening. This is a wonderful quality when you're concerned with live sound, which is
why you will most commonly see dynamic microphones used on stage or with very loud audio sources
like guitar amps or drum sets.
Stage microphones for vocals are also usually dynamic because the singer is surrounded by
such noise, we only want to pick up what is just inches in front of him. So dynamic microphones
are great when you are on the go or in a loud environment. They are sometimes preferred
over condenser mics when being used in a multi microphone situation for the close proximity
aspect as they won't pick up as much of the dude next to you as a condenser mic would,
which in turn can also make for easier mixing and editing. Also, they do not require power.
You can plug a dynamic microphone directly into a mixer or an interface and you won't
have to provide power for it to pick up sound. The magnet's doing that for us.
One thing that dynamic microphones lack is sensitivity. They are rugged and durable,
so they don't pick up quite as pure a sound as condensers and they will usually have specific
frequency responses tailored to specific audio needs. There are many wonderful dynamic microphones
created specifically for broadcast and radio. So let's simplify this even further. Dynamic
microphones. Affordable, durable, don't require power, good in noisy environments, lacking
in depth and color when compared to condensers.
Okay, so what about condenser microphones. Condenser microphones are your studio microphones.
This is because they have a much greater frequency response and are much faster at reproducing
the sound. They also have a louder output, but they are much more sensitive to louder
sounds. The British call condenser mics, capacitor microphones, and there is a reason for that.
Capacitance is the science that makes them work. There is this thin membrane or diaphragm
that is electrically conducted, usually a Mylar and sometimes a metallic foil. When
the sound waves hit this diaphragm, it moves back and forth between two capacitor plates.
These capacitor changes result in the electronic conversion, or in other words, they're magic.
When you look through the metal casing of a condenser microphone, you can usually see
this diaphragm suspended in the middle. I like to think of that diaphragm as the portal
into eternity. This technology requires what's called impedance conversion, which basically
just means power. Some condenser microphones require their own separate power source. These
are usually the microphones with tubes inside of them that are deliciously warm with vintage
juice, but most condenser mics use what's called Phantom power. Phantom power is also
called the 48v or 48 volts. Most mixers interfaces, field audio recorders, all have a button that
will turn on this 48 volts power and send it through the cable into the microphone.
So now you know that if you are using a condenser microphone, you need to press that 48 volts
button or you won't hear anything. This technology is used mostly in studios, not only because
it is much more sensitive and expensive, but the results are cleaner, truer to reality.
Butterier and deliciouser.
Drawbacks are, because of the sensitivity and that they have a much broader range of
what they will pick up, they are not ideal for loud environments. So to simplify, condenser
microphones, sensitive, costly, ideal for sound controlled environments, great frequency
response and quality.
So which one do you need? Well, that has to do with two considerations. One, your budget
and two, your recording environment. Usually if people can afford it and have a relatively
quiet room to record in, they will choose condenser mics over dynamic for recording
voices. As I mentioned at the beginning, microphone choice will really determine the outcome of
your show more than most other factors. We talked about rooms in the last episode and
a few affordable ways to prep and turn your podcast studio into a nice sound controlled
environment, which will allow you to consider both types of microphones, so now what's your
budget?
Most people would probably recommend you start with something inexpensive at first, until
that you are sure you will continue podcasting and then upgrade to something better. I tend
to agree with this and there are many great mics to start with that won't break the bank
and will be useful down the road for travel, interviews, et cetera, when you've upgraded
to something more fancy. If you haven't yet checked out our patreon page, I'd recommend
taking a gander at the bonus features and juicy extras that you'll have access to as
an official podscanador. There's a really fun exclusive episode available that compares
and contrasts some of the most popular podcast microphones from least to most expensive,
actually recorded through each microphone as I discussed them and [inaudible 00:07:45]
helps me with a side by side comparison. It's a great bonus episode to help you decide which
mic is best for you.
My purpose in wanting to create that episode was to help prove a hypothesis I have. That
you don't need a $3,000 microphone to get outstanding sound quality on your podcast.
With that being said, you will probably need to spend 150 to $500 to achieve adequate sound,
and with that you're ready to go.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to hit up the Cool School social links. We
got a Twitter, an Instagram and a Facebook at Pod Sound School. Also come join and grow
right along with us at our Patreon. I do a weekly live video answering questions, addressing
issues and interesting topics about your growing podcast empire. There's a library of royalty
free music that you gain access to, you can download and use on your podcast. There's
bonus episodes and just wonderful features. Definitely come check it out.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and thank yourself for taking a little time to add some
intellectual assets to your enterprise. I know you're going to kick butt at this podcasting,
and I absolutely know that your unique voice has a home amidst the world and is waiting
to be heard. Don't slow down. Hit the next button and let's learn about DAWs and interfaces.
Happy Casting.
Woo Yee and Yippie Kay Yay Mother Podders. Another great episode down the hatch. You're turning into such good
little audio wizards. Catch you on the flip side, doggies. Contact us at podsoundschool.com.
You can also find us on a social medias at Pod Sound School and make sure and become
a premium member of the school to get bonus episodes, access to weekly streaming,
royalty free music and more.
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