Question: How do I maximize my microphone setup to sound like a professional podcaster, streamer, or broadcaster?

Answer: Whether you are purchasing your first microphone for podcasting/streaming or wanting to step up your audio performance, there are different tools you can use to ensure you are getting the most out of your audio setup. The microphone is often considered the first step (it is not, but more on that later) in the signal chain, but simply plugging your microphone into your computer or audio system may not offer the professional quality you hear from others. Instead, you may want to use other in-line components to produce the sound you are looking for.

Determining which microphone to use is a very important step, and Audio-Technica has many different offerings to suit any application. Some people choose a mic with a quick-and-easy USB connection to the computer, such as the AT2020USB+, a large-diaphragm condenser microphone, or the ATR2100x-USB, a dynamic microphone. Both offer the same easy digital connection to your computer, but they are engineered differently and have particular strengths. A condenser microphone is more sensitive and allows the sound source to be further away from the microphone element.  This is popular for a variety of sound sources, including the voice, making large-diaphragm condenser microphones a go-to choice for singing or speech pickup. A dynamic microphone, on the other hand, picks up sound differently and is not as sensitive. This often requires the sound source to be closer to the microphone. This can be very beneficial if the sound source is not in an acoustically ideal location since a dynamic microphone will pick up less background or ambient sounds. As with many things in audio, you have a trade-off, and determining which equipment will best suit your application can make or break your end result. A popular broadcast choice is the BP40, which is a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone. This allows for the benefits of overall broader frequency spectrum pickup, as you would have with a large-diaphragm condenser microphone, but has the lower pickup sensitivity of a dynamic microphone. Some other large-diaphragm dynamic microphones out there require an extra in-line transformer because the output is so low, but the BP40 may be used with virtually any microphone preamp without the need for in-line components to raise the level.

While the microphone is often considered the first thing in an audio signal chain, the actual sound source and the acoustics should really be considered first. If the voice or sound source you intend to capture has a particular sound quality, that quality will not necessarily be fixable by anything later in your signal chain. Fix the sound at the source! Additionally, the acoustics of the space in which the sound source and/or the microphone are used play another big role in the final outcome. Not everyone has the luxury to be in a professional, acoustically treated environment, but you can accommodate for that with your microphone selection and hopefully avoid any negative impacts to the final audio product. As discussed above, if you are in an acoustically treated space, you may want to use a condenser microphone and be further away from the microphone. But if you are not in such a space, a dynamic microphone may work better. There is no one perfect microphone, and experimentation may be necessary to find which Audio-Technica microphone best suits an application.

There are also other tools you may use in order to reduce pickup of background noise. After the microphone, the microphone preamp often comes next in the signal chain. This increases the MIC level signal to a usable, higher level that we may add different processes to in order to manipulate the audio. Some microphone preamps add tone such as warmth or character, which may be favorable in music applications, whereas others have very low noise and are transparent in order to maintain the integrity of the original audio signal. Preamps may be a separate piece of hardware in the form of an external preamp, a mixing console, or an audio interface. If you are using external preamps or a mixing console, you may use other analog hardware to maximize the signal.

While not always the case, a gate or expander comes next in the signal chain. This component helps reduce background or unwanted noise. The way a gate works is that you set a threshold that only allows audio of a certain level to pass through. When you speak, you want the gate to “open” and allow the audio to pass through, however, when you stop speaking, the gate “closes” and does not pass the ambient noise through the audio output. You may have additional controls, such as the speed at which the gate opens and closes the audio signal. Adjusting those may help in making the audio sound more natural. A noise gate that closes too quickly may sound artificial and bring attention to the use of the gate, whereas one that closes too slowly may let background noises pass through when you take quick breaks to breathe or pause between words.

Another tool used to maximize the performance of your microphone setup is an equalizer (or EQ). Generally, people are aware of EQ and how to shape the tonality of the audio signal. Many audio professionals, however, fix sound issues at the source with microphone selection, placement, etc. before reaching to adjust the EQ. There are also many ear-training tools you may use in order to help build your skills for dialing in your desired sound. Improper EQ can make voices sound muddy or unclear as well as tinny or thin.

The next component used in the audio signal chain is often a compressor, which controls the dynamic range and maximizes the overall audio signal. When an audio signal surpasses the compressor’s threshold, the compressor begins to reduce the output level. The amount or ratio of the reduction is user-adjustable with compressors, whereas they are not with limiters. For a compressor set to a 2:1 ratio, when any audio signal surpasses the threshold by 10 dB, the compressor will only let out 5 dB. In other words, for every 2 dB past the threshold, only 1dB is outputted. However, if the ratio is set to a more aggressive 4:1 ratio, when a louder signal surpasses 12 dB past the threshold, only 3 dB is outputted from the compressor. A limiter is very similar to a compressor except the ratio is fixed to limit or not pass any signal past the user-adjustable threshold. No matter how loud the signal is going into the signal chain, the limiter will only output the level to which the threshold is set. There are often other settings, like those for the gates, that determine how quickly the compressor engages and how fast it releases. Note, doing too much compression may be audible and, like with gates and EQ, it takes time to dial in the appropriate levels for your audio.

If you have the microphone connected to an audio interface or have a USB microphone that connects directly to the computer, you may use software versions that emulate the previously discussed hardware. Such functionality may be built into the recording or podcasting software you intend to use. It may help to contact the software manufacturer to discuss these features. In some non-live applications the software may process the audio after the recording is completed in post-production. If the final product is live, however, using hardware or low-latency software may be used. Third-party software companies also have software solutions that allow you to process your audio signal in real-time or with very low latency (delay) in the signal. This again may take some trial and error to find the proper settings. As you step up your audio performance, you often need to increase the budget in order to achieve similar results.

Audio-Technica microphones are used by beginners and professionals alike. The differing results mostly stem from the knowledge of how to maximize a microphone’s performance. In order to produce a professional-sounding recording or podcast, your Audio-Technica microphone is only a part of the solution. A beginner may use the ATR2500x-USB microphone, whereas a seasoned professional podcaster or streamer may use the BP40, but the processing done to that signal may result in very similar results.

If you have further questions on how to maximize your audio signal or determine which Audio-Technica microphone may best suit your needs, please contact the Audio Solutions Department.