If you don’t have the money or expertise required to build a professional recording studio, you don’t necessarily have to invest thousands of dollars to make your own podcasting studio.
Almost any room in your house will suffice. You just need a good quality microphone, some basic equipment, and a little know-how. Here are some tips on how to create the ideal podcasting studio at home.
What To Consider When Designing A Podcast Studio
Designing a podcast studio setup involves a combination of technical, acoustical, and aesthetic considerations. Here are some key factors to think about:
- Space: Ensure the space you are working with is sufficient for the equipment, hosts, and potentially guests. Space is a vital consideration since it can directly affect the sound quality, comfort level, and overall professionalism of your podcast studio.
- Sound Quality: Acoustic treatment is crucial to produce clean sound without echoes or background noise. This may involve soundproofing the room and using bass traps, diffusers, and absorbers. Carpeted floors or rugs can also reduce echo.
- Equipment: A podcast studio requires a host of equipment like microphones, headphones, audio interfaces, boom arms, pop filters, and mixers. High-quality equipment is crucial for delivering professional-grade podcasts. Furthermore, you might need a computer with the appropriate software for recording and editing your podcast.
- Microphone Type: The type of microphone can drastically affect the sound quality. Dynamic microphones are generally better for noisy environments, while condenser microphones are more sensitive and suitable for studio environments.
- Ergonomics: The seating and table setup should be comfortable for long recording sessions. Ensure the setup facilitates good posture and easy access to all necessary equipment.
- Lighting: If you’re considering filming your podcast sessions, lighting will be a significant factor. Soft, diffuse lighting tends to work best to avoid harsh shadows and keep the subjects well-lit.
- Aesthetics: The visual presentation of your studio can make a significant difference if you plan to record video. Consider your brand, and what kind of atmosphere you want to convey to your audience.
- Connectivity: Ensure a stable, high-speed internet connection for live-streaming, if applicable, and uploading your podcast episodes. Ethernet connections can be more reliable than Wi-Fi.
- Storage: Ensure there is ample storage space for equipment when not in use, and also consider digital storage for all of your recorded files.
- Budget: Determine your budget beforehand. High-quality equipment and acoustic treatment can be expensive, but it’s possible to start with basic equipment and gradually upgrade.
- Software: You will need podcasting software or a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for recording, editing, and mastering your podcast episodes. There are several options available, from free to professional-grade.
- Backup Power: To prevent loss of data due to power cuts, consider a backup power solution like UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).
Choose Rooms With A Lot Of Soft Surfaces
The easiest way to capture a good audio quality is to choose rooms with lots of soft surfaces, such as carpets, rugs, and fabrics. This helps reduce noise.
However, avoid rooms with hard floors and bare walls because it makes it harder to isolate sound.
Avoid Rooms With Hard Floors And Blank Walls
You want to find a quiet place where there aren’t many distractions. Ideally, you want to use a room without windows. Windows tend to pick up background noises that could ruin your recordings.
Soundproofing/Treatment
If your budget allows it and your chosen space isn’t conducive to noise then it’s time to start adding sound treatment. This includes things like acoustic foam panels, carpeting, and furniture.
While there are many different options it’s important to do lots of research so you get the right soundproofing for your specific space.
The next thing you’ll want to do is attach some soundproofing foam panels to the walls. They come in several sizes and shapes.
Make sure to measure each wall thoroughly to ensure they fit properly. They are easy to find, you can buy them on Amazon.
Next, look for a piece of carpeting that absorbs sound. Look for one that’s thick enough to keep the floor dry and strong enough to withstand foot traffic. For example, you could use carpet that’s designed specifically for audio recording studios.
Finally, you’ll want to find a place to put your desk. Try to avoid putting it directly against a wall since this can cause problems with echo.
Instead, choose a spot where you won’t hear the noise of people walking around. Also, consider buying a stand-alone desk rather than a built-in model.
This way, you can move it away from the walls whenever you need to.
Equipment Needed
The Best Podcast Starter Kit for all levels of Podcaster.
A podcast studio isn’t just about recording audio; it’s about creating a professional experience for listeners. You want your guests to feel comfortable enough to speak freely, and you don’t want to make them nervous.
Check out Joe Rogans Podcast Studio Setup for example.
If you’re planning on having multiple guests each week, you might also want to record separate segments for each guest. This way, you won’t have to worry about cutting out parts of the conversation.
You can use either a computer or a smartphone to record your episodes. Both options are fine, though we think a computer gives you better control over the audio levels and volume settings.
A computer also allows you to edit the audio files later on, whereas smartphones aren’t always easy to work with.
If you plan to record your episodes on location, you’ll probably need a good pair of headphones. They’ll help you hear what your guests say even when there’s background noise.
Most laptops come with built-in microphones, but you might want to invest in a USB or XLR microphone to capture clear dialogue.
The next step is to connect the mic to your computer. There are several ways to do this, including via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm cable. For best results, choose one of those methods over a USB connection.
Once everything is set up, you can start recording your episode. To keep things simple, we suggest starting off with a single voiceover.
Afterward, you can add additional voices as needed. Once you’ve recorded all of the relevant information, simply hit play. Now you’re ready to publish your podcast!
The Right Placement
In a standard rectangular room, it’s possible to position speakers along a long or a short wall. Depending on whether you want to emphasize the front or rear image, the placement of the speakers can vary.
When placed along a long wall, each speaker reflects off one of the side walls, creating different audio paths for the reflected waves. This leads to a slightly delayed reflection reaching the listener.
The advantage of placing the speakers along a long wall is that they are closer to the listener, making the sound clearer.
However, because the distance to the listeners is smaller, there isn’t enough space for the low-frequency waves to open up, leading to some lack of bass response.
If you choose to place the speakers along a short wall, the primary reflections will arrive earlier than those coming from the longer wall.
Because the shorter distance from the speakers to listeners allows the low-frequency waves more time to open up, the bass response will be better.
A good rule of thumb is to use the shortest wall for the main listening area and the longest wall for the secondary areas like the bathroom and kitchen.
Costs
The cost of creating a podcast studio varies widely depending on what you want it to do. You might want to create a space where you can host live events, interview guests, or just record interviews. You might even want to use the studio to produce videos.
If you are planning to make podcasts primarily for distribution via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc., you’ll probably want to invest in equipment such as microphones, speakers, lighting, and editing software.
If you plan to use the studio for both audio and video production, you’ll likely want to add additional equipment like cameras, lights, monitors, and editing software.
And don’t forget about soundproofing—the room needs to be acoustically treated, too.
You can save money by buying off-the-shelf items rather than customizing something yourself, though there are some things you can customize to reduce costs.
For example, you can buy a microphone preamp instead of having one built specifically for your needs. Or you can purchase a desk instead of designing and building one yourself.
Summary
Creating a podcast studio requires careful thought and preparation. Once you get started, you’ll find that it’s well worth the effort.
