Setup

Podcast growing (2 people, XLR)

Two dynamic XLR microphones on boom arms, a two-input interface and closed-back headphones for two people recording separate tracks.

Podcast growing (2 people, XLR) — OneProGear

What you need

  1. Two dynamic XLR microphones.

    The Shure SM7B and SM7dB are the reference for this job because they ignore an untreated room and handle close, loud speech. The SM7dB has a preamp built in, which removes the biggest failure point below.

  2. Two boom arms.

    Low-profile arms if a camera is in the room, so the arm does not cut across the shot.

  3. A two-input interface with real gain.

    This is where two-person setups fail. Passive dynamics need around 60 dB of clean gain; interfaces that stop near 50 dB leave a hissy track. The Shure MVX2U Gen 2 adds that gain per channel over USB-C, or use a mic with the preamp built in.

  4. Two sets of closed-back headphones

    , fed from the interface, not from the computer's playback — software monitoring arrives late and pushes people off-axis.

  5. Two XLR cables.

    Obvious, frequently forgotten, and the cable shelf is stocked.

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Notes on this setup

Buy or enquire

Microphones, arms, cables and headphones are priced and cartable. Audio interfaces are enquire-only at launch — send both microphone models and your city and we will confirm the right interface, price and lead time.

Build me a list

Tell us the room, the budget and how many people are on mic. We will send back a costed list for Podcast growing (2 people, XLR) — usually the same working day.

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Questions we get asked

Why record two people on separate tracks?

So you can edit, level and de-noise one voice without touching the other, and remove a cough or a chair squeak from just the channel it happened on.

How much gain does an SM7B need?

Around 60 dB of clean gain. Many two-input interfaces stop short, which is why an inline preamp or a microphone with a built-in preamp is usually paired with it.

Can two people share one microphone?

Not well. Level drops every time someone turns away, and editing one voice becomes impossible. Two microphones is the whole point of this tier.

Do both people need headphones?

Yes, closed-back, fed from the interface. Without them speakers talk over each other and nobody hears the problem until the edit.