Garett Jones returns to the podcast to discuss the issue of ethnic diversity. There is a wide body of research showing that ethnic diversity can reduce the productivity of teams, firms, and even whole countries.
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The post The Costs of Ethnic Diversity with Garett Jones appeared first on The Economics Detective.
I answered this question on Quora. I loved the question because it encompassed three of my main interests: Podcasts, self-driving cars, and the economic way of thinking.
The post Will Self-Driving Cars End the Podcast Renaissance? appeared first on The Economics Detective.
I’ve been asked a few times about my podcasting setup. Since I have done a significant amount of research on podcasting and podcasting equipment, I’ll share that with you here.
All podcasters must have a microphone! You could use the one built into your smart phone if you wanted to be really cheap, but ideally you will buy a quality microphone.
The main thing you must decide when buying a microphone is whether you want a dynamic mic or a condenser mic. Dynamic mics pick up only the sound that is directly in front of them, while condenser mics pick up sound in all directions. For the average hobbyist, I strongly recommend a dynamic mic.
What I use: The ATR-2100
Since it’s a dynamic mic, it only picks up what’s in front of it. My apartment isn’t a sound studio, but you wouldn’t know it listening to the podcast. Throw one of these babies on it and you’re set.
Some other options:
The Blue Yeti
Since it picks up sound in all directions, you need a very quiet place to record. Also, it only has a USB input, so you’re restricted to recording through your PC.
This package on Amazon includes a Blue Yeti along with recording headphones and a pop filter. Not a bad deal for the beginning podcaster!
Headsets
If you’re looking to be really cheap, you could fold your headphone and mic purchases into one by buying a headset. You could get a cheap one like the Sennheiser PC 8, or a more expensive one like the Plantronics Audio 995. Fair warning, no headset will get you the sound quality of a standalone mic.
Ideally, you’ll be listening to your audio as you record it so you can notice and fix any problem on the fly. If your headphones allow sound to leak out into your mic, you could be in for some seriously annoying feedback! Also, you want to be able to listen to your podcast in the highest possible quality while editing. That’s why you want some quality, over-the-ear headphones.
What I use: Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones
The key with recording headphones is to get something that gives you an accurate representation of what you’re listening to. Avoid Beats by Dre, they artificially boost the bass to make music sound better. That means you’ll be hearing something different than your audience, always a bad thing while recording and editing!
Some other options:
Sennheiser offers a cheaper option in the HD 202. Alternatively, you could go with a mid-price option like the ATH-M20x.
Computers crash. It’s a sad fact of life. If you record enough podcast episodes through your computer, eventually the software will fail and you’ll lose a whole episode.
A digital audio recorder does one thing: it records sound. It won’t crash on you the way a computer will, because it literally has only one job to do. That’s the primary advantage of recording into a digital audio recorder.
The secondary advantage is that unlike a computer, a digital audio recorder doesn’t have a fan that can turn on and wreck your otherwise-quiet recording area.
What I use: The Zoom H4n (old model)
That allow me to record myself and my guest onto separate channels. This saves me major headaches in editing! You have no idea how often one person is making a great point just as the other person coughs loudly into his mic. Because I record on separate channels, I can mute the cough. It’s great!
The NEW Zoom H4n Pro
The main weakness of the H4n I have is weak pre-amps. The new H4n is said to have fixed this problem.
Some other options:
The Zoom H4n is great for my setup, but what if you want something different? For instance, what if you want to plug four ATR-2100s into one recorder and have a four-person panel discussion?
Although the H4n says it’s a four-track recorder, it only has two of those dual XLR/TRS jacks I plug my mic and phone into. The other two tracks can only come in through those built-in condenser mics.
The Zoom H5
The H5 also has improved pre-amps over the (old) H4n. That means better quality audio.
The Zoom H6
And you’re set! With a mic, headphones, and a recorder, you can start recording your podcast. Some people add fancy things like mixers and extra pre-amps to their setup, but those things aren’t necessary to making a great podcast with great audio.
[Disclaimer: The links in this article are affiliate links! If you buy through them, I get money.]
The post Podcasting Gear Guide appeared first on The Economics Detective.
