13 Critical pieces of podcast equipment for recording on the go

Last updated on January 17th, 2023

Wouldn’t you like to get outside again? 

As much fun as being cooped up in the house for several months has been, at least part of you is seriously contemplating what it’s going to be like when you venture outside the confines of your four walls.

*Editor’s Note* Isn’t great to be back outside?

When you’re ready to break out of your home studio and begin recording podcasts on the go, you will need to give your podcast equipment measured consideration. There are a few directions to go with this, so let’s jump right in with what you need to start recording your podcasts away from your home base.

How Light Do You Want to Travel

I was recently listening to an episode of Smart Passive Income when Pat’s guest, Australian podcast host Sophie Walker revealed that her entire, booming, Australian Birth Stories podcast was recorded in her car.

Astounding. But it makes sense. She has young kids and a rambunctious environment that would make a traditional sit down at the kitchen table an impossible recording environment. So, she adapted, creating a very light mobile rig that consists primarily of her phone.

Very MacGuyver.

The phone also has the added benefit of letting you break into the world of video podcasting.

On the other end of the spectrum is bringing your normal rig with you and running the whole show with remote power. 

Audio is an interesting medium. Both of these extremes and everything between can give you a professionally sounding, well-produced, podcast. Then it just comes down to your content.

The Podcast Equipment Basics

This is the bare minimum of an acceptable podcast producing rig. It assumes your primary driver is going to be your phone, another mobile device, or the internal storage on the devices we mention. 

We’ve done some more extensive looks at some of this equipment so this is going to be enough to get you on the air. It’s too easy to get hung up in analysis paralysis when shopping for gear. Just get the basics and you can always upgrade or swap gear out later.

Podcast Microphones

We took a deep dive into podcast microphones a while back so we won’t go over too much of that again. But suffice it to say, you’re going to need a quality condenser mic to ensure your podcast recording won’t turn audiences off.

Trust us, when a podcast episode has poor quality audio, even great content won’t keep the audience’s attention.

Here you want to stick with the smallest condenser possible. You don’t want to be dealing with a bulky mic stand and shock mount set up when you’re trying to be nimble.

You might notice the microphones we’ve highlighted have a microphone stand built in or included with the purchase. As such we didn’t really feel the need to cover mic stands in depth.

 

Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone

Price: $

Within the sound community, Audio-Technica isn’t a luxury brand by any means. It is, however, a brand that is known to get things done. And that can certainly be said about this mic.

The best thing for the purposes of mobile recording is that this mic has both an XLR and USB output. USB microphones are the way to when you’re on the move.

This means it has a wide range of usability from recording on your phone to slotting it into your full-time rig. These are worth having in your go-bag.

BOYA BY-CM5 Professional Desktop Microphone

Price: $

Another desktop/portable microphone we’ve liked is the BY-CM5 by BOYA. It comes in at roughly half the price of the Audio Technica mic. Highly recommended when you’re just starting out, or looking to build out your podcast equipment for mobile recording cheaply.

Things can get wild out in the field, and your podcast equipment can take some damage. You never know.

With this mic, it includes a stand and USB-A and USB-C audio cables. So, if you want to record directly into a software DAW from the Android Play Store, you can cut down on the gearyou need to get your show off the ground. Really, USB mics beat xlr mics in terms of portability and ease of use in just about every mobile application.

Blue Yeti Condenser Microphones

Price: $

It’s difficult to talk about podcasting equipment without mentioning this brand of microphone. For a long time it has been the gold standard for a live streaming or desktop broadcast microphone.

It’s well reviewed, dynamic microphone, and is among the list of best podcast equipment for beginners. It also features the XLR cable interface, as well as USB. It’s about double the price of the BOYA with a very similar feature set. So, ultimately, it comes down to your budget.

And how fast you want it, because the best podcast equipment amazon has to offer can be delivered in two days. That’s also a consideration.

 

Tula Mics USB C Microphone

Price: $$

A relatively newcomer to the usb microphone scene is Tula. What actually started as a Kickstarter project a couple of years ago actually found its way into production. An increasing rarity among Kickstarter projects, but that’s another article.

When it finally showed up at my house, it quickly supplanted everything else I was using during the pandemic and became my main piece of audio gear. Now I was using it from the safety of quarantine, but it is built for being on the go.

See that 3.5mm jack on the side of a really well designed, vintage style, mic? In addition to being a headphone jack, it doubles as an audio input. Meaning you can hook up a lavalier mic for added flexibility.

It features 8 gigabytes of onboard storage and a battery that can provide up to 17 hours of audio recording on the go. I’ve never had a reason to test that claim, but I’ve spent weekends at conferences interviewing people without recharging.

Use the USB C connection on the back to dump your audio files into your favorite podcast editing software, and you’re off to the races producing a pro podcast production.

Pop Filters are Essential Podcast Gear

Normally, in a podcast studio, you can use acoustic panels to deaden a room, but that’s not the case when you’re packing all of your gear.

One often overlooked piece of recording equipment is the pop filter. A pop filter, especially in a mobile location, clear, free of plosions, and cuts down on any background noise. Windy locations for example. They are an absolute required piece of kit.

 

The good news is they’re pretty cheap. So you’re not breaking the bank by spending a couple of bucks on a even the most basic pop filter. We were able to find this one on Ali Express for literally a dollar. It even has a boom arm for your desk.

Podcast Mixers and Audio Interface

If you’re doing any kind of recording that involves more than just you as a subject, you’re going to want a an audio mixer or audio interface. And for good reason. Mixers and audio interfaces make the editing process a breeze with separated channels and equalization.

Zoom R8 Multitrack Recorder

Price: $$

The Zoom R8 screams mobile recording audio interface. Not only is it a solid USB interface to bridge your XLR microphones with your USB workstation, but it also is a stand-alone 8 track recording station.

Couple that with SD card storage and the fact that you can ditch the DC adapter in favor of batteries, the R8 digital recorder looks more and more like your off-compound podcasting sessions.

And you can edit right in the field with this audio recorder. Or if you’re bringing your laptop on location you can use the usb audio interface to import the audio directly into your editing software. Pro tools or Adobe Audition are the industry standard, but you can get around those price points. More on that in a second.

Something like the R8 adds a lot of flexibility and options for your individual podcast setup. If you do want to use recording software, we took a look at some programs a while back that range in price (all the way down to free). Again lot’s of flexibility in editing software to pair with your mixer.

 

Focusrite Scarlett Solo

Price: $

A second outboard solution, if you don’t need the extra tracks and know you’ll be working with your digital audio workstation (DAW), is the Scarlett from Focusrite.

It’s affordable, has just enough bells and whistles to bring in high quality audio into your software. While not as flexible as the R8, it’s more affordable. So do your homework and plan ahead.

With this solution you’ll get a great piece of hardware, but you’ll need to pair it with something like a laptop.

Podcasting Headphones

Obviously if you’re working with outboard gear, or really, even if you’re just using your phone, you should think about investing in some quality headphones.

After all, sound quality is key, and if you can’t tell how good a job you’re doing or what needs work, well… what’s the point then. You’re not going to be climbing the Apple Podcasts charts with lackluster audio.

 

Sony MDR 7506 Large Diaphragm Headphones

Price: $

The MDR is a series of headphones from Sony that are aimed at professionals. With the 7506 model, they’ve wedded excellent hardware and an approachable price.

Such a feat that this is the headphone I now use in music production. I like that they’re corded, so there’s never a latency issue. They’re absurdly comfortable. You can easily wear these all day and they lock out background noise.

Headphones are not a place in your rig where you want to cut corners. And the 7506 do not disappoint.

 

Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones

Price: $$$

If you are going the wireless route, it is hard to beat Beats Studio. Pun completely intended. I stand by that pun.

You might be tempted to go with a cheaper alternative, as these are top of the line, but, again, you get what you pay for. And if you’re going to sacrifice the cord, go all in.

After sampling the Beats technology from Apple, you really are getting something special with these headphones. The playback time alone is astounding and the rapid charge feature gives you time for a much needed coffee break.

The noise cancelling on these headphones is unrivaled. Using Apple’s W1 headphone chip, you had better hope you don’t need to hear anything coming from any other source but your headphones.

So while I’ll stick with my cords for the time being, if you’re using some of the latest Android and Apple iPhones, you know there’s no headphone jack to work with, forcing you into the wireless world. And I’ll emphatically state that with the latest Beats, you won’t be missing much of anything.

Audio Storage

Having a lot of reliable flash storage is just a given these days. The card reader on the Zoom R8 is full size, so you’ll be fine getting a micro SD with an adapter. This provides maximum flexibility.

The good thing about recording audio is that file sizes are relatively small as compared to video. This means you can save some cash here and usually go with the cheapest option available to you.

SAMSUNG: EVO Select 128GB microSDXC UHS-I U3 100MB/s Full HD & 4K UHD Memory Card

Price: $

For less than $20 you really can’t go wrong with a Samsung card. This one comes with an adapter for the full-size card reader on the Zoom R8. At 100mb/s write speed, this card is capable of full HD video if you need to swap out to your camera in a pinch. 

128gb of space is essentially unlimited storage when it comes to audio. You’ll run out of power well before you run out of recording space.

Speaking of which…

Power

A portable rig isn’t very portable without power, is it? It doesn’t matter how great the content was going to be. If you can’t get the episode “in the can” then what’s the point of making the trip.

And there’s nothing more embarrassing than running out of juice mid-interview. Ugh.

Here we’re going to go over different power options since the possibilities have grown by leaps and bounds in the past several years.

Batteries & Inverters

Batteries have come a long way in capacity and convenience. Your Zoom R8 has a D/C input, as well as standard AA batteries. What’s also helpful is that it can be powered via the USB Bus. Meaning an outboard battery keeps you in business.

There are also several batteries on the market that have A/C outlets directly on the battery. Basically they have a micro-inverter built into the battery itself so you don’t need a separate piece of equipment. 

That said, if you’re anything like Sophie and recording from your car, it doesn’t hurt to have a stand-alone inverter in your mobile kit.

146Wh 42000mAh Portable Power Station

Price: $

This portable battery bank is perfect for charging your recording gear or your laptop while on a shoot. It’s cheap, compact, and versatile. It can also be charged by A/C or via solar. So, again, we’re looking at flexibility in your kit.

300W Portable Power Station, BUTURE 266Wh Solar Outdoor Generator

Price: $$

If you feel like you’re going to be out in the field a bit longer, you can step up your storage without breaking the bank. This battery pack is stuffed with 266wh of power that should keep your laptop charged up 3 – 4 times before you need to plug it into the wall.

This battery pack also can be charged by solar, so you should seriously look into a panel just in case.

Solar & Renewable

While not as robust and quick as a gas generator, solar power has become a cost-effective alternative to pair with your battery solution. Solar is excellent for camping trips and recording field pieces to include in your podcast.

ECO-WORTHY Flexible Solar Panel 100 Watt 12 Volt

Price: $

We’re big fans of the shingle style solar panels like this one. They’re slightly more energy efficient than the older panels (up to 15% more efficient), they’re physically flexible and more durable. 

Conclusion

There are a few other considerations, like a hosting provider, once you’ve actually captured your audio. We have a rundown of some of the best podcast hosting on the market.

So be sure to check that out.

With the advances that have been made in energy storage over the past several years, having a long-lasting recording session isn’t out of reach. We’ve looked at putting together a kit that will act as a stand-alone recording package, but it can also plug right into your laptop DAW as well.