The How This Works show

Whether you're just starting out or have been podcasting for years, having the right audio equipment (at the right time) can make a difference in the quality of your product. This guide covers recommendations for various levels of podcasting experience, from the curious beginner to the seasoned pro. Many of the links below are affiliate links to Amazon. If you use them when purchasing, this won't be reflected in your price but we'll get a small kick-back and you'll receive our eternal gratitude.

• For the podcast curious
• Entry-level USB setup
• Stepping up to XLR microphones
• High-end setup
• Portable recording kit
• The "How This Works" podcast setup

Let's dig in, starting with the lightest level of commitment —

For the podcast curious
Getting started doesn't require a fancy setup. You need two things — a device to record audio and a microphone to capture it. On an iPhone, open the Voice Memo app or use the Voice Recorder app on an Android. On a Mac, use Quicktime, or on a PC, use Voice Recorder which is already installed. Plug in a pair of wired headphones with a microphone (read: not a headset) close to your mouth to capture better sound. Press record and start talking. Start with any topic. It's about getting started and comfortable with the recording process before worrying about upping production value and adding tools.

What you'll need:

• Your smartphone (Apple/Android/doesn't matter) or your laptop/desktop
• A comfortable pair of wired headphones with a mic close to your mouth — we don't suggest wireless or bluetooth because of the audio latency (read: delay)

Entry-level USB setup
For this level, you'll need a few things most people don't have on-hand. Namely, a computer and microphone setup that can handle recording and editing audio. While you may not need to spend money on a new computer, it would be helpful for your machine to be a relatively recent model with enough processing power and RAM. A machine with an M1 chip or better is ideal on the Mac side. For Windows, find a PC with an 11th Gen Intel or AMD Ryzen 3000 Series processor or newer. Start with 16GB of RAM, but in our experience you will not regret having more.

For listening, a closed-back pair of headphones will suffice here. Having noise canceling or sound isolation is helpful for some people, but we find it uneven or distracting. The benefits of a USB mic is that it will have a built-in preamplifier and audio interface for easy plug-and-play connectivity. The one we recommend picks up sound in a tight cardioid pattern, isolating the speaker's voice and reducing background noise while being pretty clear. There's also a built-in pop filter to reduce plosives and a small desktop stand to get the mic off the desk (less likely to pick up taps or knocks). It also includes a headphone jack for monitoring the sound. Starting with modern hardware will result in better-sounding podcasts, but don't go overboard to start.

• Per person - TASCAM TH-02 studio headphones (buy from Amazon)
• Per person - Audio-Technica ATR2500x-USB cardioid condenser microphone (Amazon)
• (Optional) USB-C or USB-A hub like the Anker 341 hub (Amazon)

Stepping up to XLR microphones
As your podcasting gets more serious, it's time to get serious equipment. You may have heard about acoustic treatment to control room echoes and while absorption can help, going overboard isn't necessary. If you have hard floors or bare walls, a rug or wall hangings can suffice — no need to cover every surface with foam. And never fear; the dynamic mic we recommend has a tight polar pattern that is less sensitive to the peripheral environment. Besides, the XLR connection and quality cable provide a low noise audio transfer to your interface.

• Per person - ATH-M20x headphones (Amazon)
• Per person - Behringer XM8500 (Amazon)
• Some way to get the mic off the table or out of your hands so it's less prone to be knocked around like this InnoGear desktop microphone stand (Amazon)
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen (Amazon) or Focusrite Vocaster Two (Amazon)
• Cable Matters XLR cables (Amazon)

High-end setup
This list is near the top of the line without going overboard and over spending. The mute switch is a game-changer.

• Headphones per person - Sony MDR-7506 (Amazon) or Sennheiser 280 Pro headphones (Amazon)
• Microphone per person - Rode NTG-3B (Amazon)
• Audio interface(s): Motu M2 (Amazon) or Focusrite Vocaster 2 (Amazon)
• Rolls MS111 microphone mute switch (Amazon)
• InnoGear microphone stand with boom arm (Amazon)
• Hosa XLR cables (Amazon)

Portable recording kit
Some have asked about the ideal mobile rig, which they can take when traveling or to set up a round table discussion. This small, portable setup is also very affordable, making it a good starter XLR kit. If you're doing on the street interviews, you might be best suited with a Zoom H2N (Amazon) with a MA-2 handle (Amazon). Otherwise, here's our recommendations:

• Headphones per person - Sony MDR-7506 (Amazon)
• Microphone per person - Shure SM57 microphone (Amazon)
• Pop filter/mic screen per mic - Shure A2WS locking microphone windscreen (Amazon)
• Audio interface: Zoom PodTrak P4 (Amazon) with SanDisk 32GB SD Card (Amazon)
• Cable Matters XLR cables (Amazon)

The "How This Works" podcast setup
We produce How This Works almost entirely remotely, with guests joining via Zencastr or two times where we used separate Quicktime instances to record each person's audio separately and an audible countdown and clap to sync the sound in post-production. Only one episode so far has been recorded in person. Here's what we use:

• MacBook Pro 2020 M1 with 16 GB RAM — see computer note above
• Headphones: Sennheiser 280 Pro (Amazon)
• Microphone(s): Shure SM57 (Amazon) or Shure SM7B (Amazon) with a Durham MKII preamp (Cathedral)
• Pop filter/mic screen, if using the SM57 - Shure A2WS locking microphone windscreen (Amazon)
• Audio interface(s): Motu M2 (Amazon) or Focusrite Vocaster 2 (Amazon)
• Rode PS1 swivel mount studio microphone boom arm (Amazon)
• Rolls MS111 microphone mute switch (Amazon)
• Hosa XLR cables (Amazon)
• Adobe Audition as a digital audio workstation (DAW)
• otter.ai (sign up)
• Audio Hijack and Fission from Rogue Amoeba
• Headliner (sign up)
• Zencastr
• Other Adobe Creative Suite tools, like Premiere and Illustrator

The note that we sent to guests about their sound setup is as follows:

Unless you already have an external mic/headphones setup, the easiest thing for your audio is a set of wired headphones (over ear/on ear or earbuds) with an attached microphone like the generic white Apple EarPods or something similar. We say wired because it's one less failure point (battery, delay, latency, etc.) but if you like wireless headphones, they can work as long as they're not noise cancelling headphones, which in our experience can be inconsistent and uneven in what they decide needs to be cancelled out. Having a generally quiet background helps too.