14/10/2022
Outside of the obvious sound quality, there are two main considerations when selecting an interface for podcast recording.
1. Number of inputs – A higher number inputs is important if you want to record multiple people simultaneously in the same room. A digital audio interface with multiple inputs allows you to record a separate signal from each microphone, allowing you to edit each participant’s audio independently of the others. Say you’ve got three people in the room, and person #3 accidentally bumps their mic while person #1 & #2 are talking, causing a large “CLUNK” sound on the recording. With multi-track recording, you can cut out that noise without affecting the sound of #1 & #2’s conversation. You can also adjust levels independently, so if one person is speaking quietly, you can bump up their volume without making the entire conversation louder. The more inputs you can record simultaneously, the more people you can include in the conversation. If you’ve got two hosts and plan on having guests or in-person interviews, you’ll want more than two inputs.
2. Compatibility – Pro Tools is the most popular and common professional Digital Audio Workstation software. Audacity is free and very popular among home users. Having hardware that is compatible with one or both DAW’s makes it easier for you to work with collaborators, whether during or post-production.
Given these considerations, I recommend the two audio interfaces in the photos.
What do you use? Have you tried these? We hope this helps! For more recommended gear, check out our blog section on our website (link in comments).
