My Podcast Mic Setup
Having a good mic is integral to your podcast setup; after all, who wants to listen to a podcast that is muffled, staticky and just sounds awful. Of course, there’s more to audio and sound quality than simply the mic but having a good mic can go a long way to better, consistent quality audio.
From the Blue Yeti to the Rode PodMic, the Zoom ZDM-1 to the Rode Procaster, I’ve had the fortune of using some solid mics when recording my podcasts. Now let me be clear … by no means was this a stroke of luck. I did my research!
My current mic of choice is the Rode Procaster. It’s truly a premium mic and sounds great when setup and used properly. However, I do periodically switch between the Rode Procaster and Zoom ZDM-1. Since space is limited, I can’t setup an adjustable boom arm for the mic, so I’m limited to desktop mic stands or holding the mic in hand in the case of the Rode Procaster. I’ve considered holding the mic in hand but if you’re recording an hour long podcast episode, it’s not the most comfortable arrangement so I prefer mounting the mic to a stand. Also, holding the mic in hand may cause undesirable sounds to be picked up by the mic unless you have a steady hand/arm.
If you get the Zoom ZDM-1 Podcast Mic Kit, it includes the Zoom ZDM-1 mic along with a desktop tripod mic stand. This mic stand works great with the Zoom ZDM-1 mic but needs a little reinforcement when using it with the Rode Procaster as the Procaster is significantly heavier. I’ll usually use an accessories bag filled with miscellaneous cables to serve as a sandbag to help keep the tripod mic stand from toppling over.
You may ask, why don’t you buy a desktop mic stand? I absolutely considered it but wanted to see if there was an alternative solution using just what I had on-hand.
I already had a Joby GorillaPod 3K tripod which was sturdier than the desktop tripod mic stand that came with the Zoom ZDM-1 Podcast Mic Kit (sturdier in that it would be able to hold up the Rode Procaster … again, it works perfectly fine with the Zoom ZDM-1 mic). Knowing the Joby GorillaPod 3K would probably work, I simply needed a way to attach the 5/8”-27 female mic clip/stand adapter included with the Rode Procaster to the ¼”-20 male on the Joby GorillaPod 3K. After a little research, I found the proper 5/8”-27 male to ¼”-20 female adapter which should do the job.
In addition, I’ve been using different pop filters to help further limit plosives. The Rode Procaster and RODECaster Pro do a very good job already but I wanted the added layer of protection. Rode does have a Rode WS2 Windscreen compatible with the Rode Procaster which costs around $20 but I was able to find a third-party one for less and opted to go this route to save a little money (why not if it works just as well).
The result may be a makeshift desktop mic stand but it gets the job done, saved me some money and helps to avoid clutter.
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5/8”-27 Male to ¼”-20 Female Threaded Adapter
WS2 Windscreen (Generic, Compatible with Rode Procaster)