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GEAR UPDATE

August 30, 2019

If you're not backed by an agency, studio, or company with unlimited funds, you probably know the struggle of creating a studio.

Not all podcast journeys are created equal. When it comes to competing with podcasters in the industry that have the means for the highest quality and most expensive gear, you might be asking yourself, how in the world can I compete with that? But I'm going to let you in on a secret. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to create a great studio or content. In fact, all you need is a good microphone, your computer, and a closet. 

 

 

If you have read my book, you would know that I am a huge fan of the closet studio. It's easy to set up, maintain, and soundproof. That being said, in this article, I'm going to give you a list of my 5 top pieces of affordable equipment that I think you should have as a podcaster.

 

When it comes to any piece of equipment, I always say splurge on a good microphone. The Shure SM58 Vocal Dynamic Microphone has high durability and crystal-clear quality that is unmatched by many other Microphones at its price point. 

If you are a true reporter, the Zoom H6 Recorder will be your new best friend. I love this piece of equipment because you can easily use it in your home studio and you can also go mobile with it. You can record stereo and attach up to four reporter microphones. Although this piece of equipment is the most expensive item on this list, it's multipurpose aspects make the production value much higher. Thus making a great investment. I mean, you can literally create a mini-interview set up anywhere with this. What's not to love?

From pillows and blanks to using straights up clothes, there are many ways to soundproof your studio on a budget but having acoustic panels can give you more space and less clutter in your studio. They are also designed to absorb and reflect sound. I don't have have a particular kind of acoustic panel that I prefer, but the acoustic foam wedges are the most common and affordable choice.

The most undervalued piece of equipment, in my opinion, is listening gear. I say this because people either don't educate themselves enough on what type of headphones they should get, or they just want Beats headphones. And if you are one of those people who record with earbuds -- just ahhhhh! 

 

If you learn anything from this blog, don't ever use earbuds for production -- like ever! The type of headphones you need in your studio is over-the-ear studio monitor headphones. These types of headphones allow you to listen to your content at its rawest form. You want headphones that don't boost the bass of your audio and cancel sounds from outside of the headphones. I personally use the OneOdio Professional  Studio Monitor Headphones. They are under $40 and come with a quarter-inch studio adapter.

This last piece of equipment that I am going to suggest isn't a physical item, but it's just as important. The editing software known as Pro Tools is by far my favorite editing software to work with. It's used by podcasters, radio producers, sound designers, music producers, and audio engineers. This full program isn't cheap, but you can always get a monthly subscription to cut down on those costs. 

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If you would like to learn more about podcasting, audio editing, and equipment, check out our IMMA BOSS Podcast course today.

 

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