Essential kit

We’ve shown that it’s possible to record multiple microphones directly into Audacity, but there’s no getting around the fact that a mixing desk isn’t just easier to set up, it’ll give you more control over recording levels and the end result will be more professional. The good news is that while studio equipment is expensive, you can pic up a four track mixer from Gear4 for as little as £40. Cheaper mixers may not have as many XLR inputs for microphones, but judicious use of XLR1/4” jack adaptors can get round this.

The more you can spend on microphones, the better, but don’t feel you have to spend hundreds on a professional dynamic mic if you’re starting out. A condenser mic is cheaper and, because it’s less sensitive, won’t pick up as much background noise so it’s a good way to learn the craft. You’ll also need a stand for each microphone, and ideally a “pop filter” too (this is the thin membrane that you see in front of studio mics, which helps prevent popping noises on plosive consonants, like when you say “popping”. You can make one from a coathanger and a pair of tights).

If you’re plugging mics straight into your computer, we’d recommend USB mics for a low cost kit. Using adaptors to get mics to fit the 3.5mm jack of your sound card will almost headphones and settle for merely decent microphones. Your audience will thank you for it.

Think about it: if you get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview your favourite writer on the subject of Linux and you can hear a weird background noise while the dashing, bald man is talking, you can ask him to move. If you don’t notice that noise until you’re editing your show together, there’s not much you can do.

The second golden rule is to try as hard as you can not to let presenters, guests or interviewees interrupt or talk over one another. Even interruptions which come naturally in conversation, like saying “yes” or doing an Elvis-style “uh-huh” when you agree with a point someone is making, they sound awful on tape. If you agree with the speaker or want to encourage them to say more, get into the habit of nodding, silently. If you want to interrupt a speaker, then let them know with a visual cue before you butt in. certainly introduce interference and audio distortion.

Finally, a word on what to do with the podcast when you’ve finished it. You could just chuck it onto a service like Soundcloud, or upload it to your own website as a media file, but choosing a dedicated podcast host such as Buzzsprout (free) or Blubrry ($12/month) will get your podcast into places like iTunes and Stitcher without jumping through hoops, and make sure that if your podcast is popular your personal server doesn’t collapse under the load of listeners. Also, they’ll give you great analytics about how often your show is downloaded. If you’re just getting started, then, the old audio faithful

Audacity is the best place to begin cutting your own podcasts. It’s not a true Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and lacks a couple of almost essential features for editing multiple tracks and clips together, but it is easy to learn and is capable of producing excellent results.

The key limitation is that it doesn’t handle non-linear editing very well. There’s no timeline for dragging and dropping clips, and the workaround for this is a bit of a fudge (see the walk through at the end for details ). But if your podcast format is a typical “round table”-style discussion, it won’t give you many issues.

Before you begin editing your final cut, however, you’ve got to record the podcast in the first place. And that’s a bit more challenging than it may sound.