Setup

Podcast starter (1 person, USB)

A USB podcast microphone, boom arm and closed-back headphones for one person recording a first episode into a laptop, with no interface.

Podcast starter (1 person, USB) — OneProGear

What you need

  1. One USB podcast microphone.

    A dynamic USB model — Shure MV6, MV7+, or Rode's PodMic USB and NT-USB Mini — plugs straight into the laptop and applies its own gain and levelling. That last part is what makes an untrained voice sound consistent without a plugin chain.

  2. A boom arm.

    More important than upgrading the microphone. A desk stand sends keyboard and elbow knocks straight into the capsule and holds the mic below mouth height.

  3. Closed-back headphones.

    Monitor from the microphone's own headphone jack so you hear yourself without delay. Open-back headphones leak into the mic.

  4. A pop filter if the mic has no internal one.

    Most dynamic podcast mics do; check before adding.

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Notes on this setup

Buy or enquire

Shure microphones, boom arms and headphones on this page are priced and cartable. Rode models are enquire until dealer pricing lands; send your city and we will confirm 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 starter (1 person, USB) — usually the same working day.

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Questions we get asked

Is a USB microphone good enough to publish with?

Yes. Current USB dynamics record at 24-bit with onboard levelling. Room, mic position and using an arm affect quality far more than the connector type.

Do I need an audio interface?

No. A USB microphone contains its own preamp and converter. You only need an interface if you move to XLR microphones or more than one input.

What should I upgrade first?

The boom arm and the room, in that order. A more expensive microphone in the same position on the same desk sounds much the same.

Will this setup work if I add a guest?

Only with a second microphone and a second input. Choose a hybrid USB/XLR microphone now, or a model with its own XLR guest input, so the upgrade is additive.