Best Podcast Equipment Bundle Kits for 1, 2 or 4 People

This section is just but an overview of what you could expect in a bundle. This also helps people determine which piece of equipment is for them. If you want a more comprehensive breakdown of each gear, we suggest going to our article called “What Do You Need For A Podcast“

Dynamic vs Condenser Microphones

Some microphones function better than others, depending on the environment and application. They serve as audio “Swiss Army knives” that could better capture the audio.

Dynamic microphones are the most common mics you’ll see in public speaking or musical performances. The question is why? Dynamic mics’ magnetic field effectively captures the sound in front and rejects any signal from the sides to the back. The technical term for this varied signal sensitivity is a cardioid polar pattern.

Dynamic microphones are great for outdoor recordings and recording environments with bad acoustics.

Condenser microphones are more sensitive to sound, and you’ll see them a lot in recording studios. It’s due to their larger metal diaphragm that they capture sound more readily. Condensers are known for their pristine sound quality and dynamic range. Of course, with the level of sensitivity comes the issue of recording unwanted background noise.

That’s why you see them as a fixture in recording studios and podcasts–never to be brought outside.

Headphones

The type of headphones you’re going to need in a podcast would be monitor headphones. Put simply, they are accurate and have a better and more sensitive frequency response compared to commercial headphones.

You also have closed-back and open-back headphones. Closed-back headphones, as the name implies, are sealed shut from the back. They are more sound isolating, and they block outside noise effectively. However, since they prevent a lot of outside noise, it sometimes gives a feeling of getting drowned by the sound.

On the other hand, open-back headphones aren’t sealed and have a group of tiny holes at the back. Open backs don’t give the unnatural feeling of not hearing outside noise. The goal of open backs is also to equalize the sound pressure on both the front and the back of the headphones.

In short, use closed-back headphones if you want sound isolation where you can hear the signal purely. On the other hand, if you want a more natural audio quality without the drowned-out feeling, go for openbacks.

Note: The consensus on whether or not you need headphones isn’t clear-cut. You would see podcasts such as the Lex Fridman or Impaulsive podcast not using headphones and having no issues hearing themselves clearly. On the other hand, you have The JRE Experience, who would always use headphones. If you’re already familiar with your equipment and its sound quality, going without is also an option.

Number of Channels and Expandability

Buying a solo equipment bundle can be a good start. However, it’s not an ideal option, as podcasts and conversations rarely happen alone. Unless you’re planning to do a podcast alone all the way through, I assume that your goal is to eventually onboard guests to your podcast.

A more cost-effective way to get you up and running is to buy a podcast starter kit with at least 2-4 options. Thus, in the future, it will be easy for you to onboard co-hosts and guests.

Portability and Size

Portability might seem like a trivial question at first because most podcasts mainly involve a dedicated studio. However, if you’re the type to travel around or go outdoors, having a portable setup is a great thing. After all, going to a forest or another location to change up your format keeps your podcast interesting.