Recording Equipment advice - podcast (live) & 'in the field' (with post production)

[Mizpah]

Recording Equipment advice - podcast (live) & 'in the field' (with post production)

Hi folks,

Firstly I hope this is the right spot for this post - I nearly tagged it onto the recorder thread, but I think there are a couple more elements. (edit: reading it back I also apologise for its length!)

I find myself getting involved in a hour long podcast (audio and video), which will be going out on a weekly basis, starting in around a month. We will have 3 'talking heads' connected by the make.tv service, and will be streaming live, with an addition link to twitch / youtube etc for after the fact viewing.

One significant part of this is that as a host, I will be going to the Gamescom event in Cologne as press, and will be conducting a number of audio interviews with relevant industry people who will be of interest to our audience. These will be played back over the next few weeks as segments in the live show. Although I have (many!) questions as I am entirely new to this, my questions start with regards to Audio equipment.

Being disappointed with the quality and production values of the majority of content out there that targets our interest group (mmo and online gaming), we want to work hard at delivering a high quality 1080p stream with quality audio and video. As always however cost is a major factor as this is being bootstrapped by the people involved. We do already have some expressions of interest for sponsorship - but these will be contingent on producing the first pilot, and the next six episodes, and as such will be after the fact.

First Requirement:

A high quality audio stream, from a fixed location.

This will start as a converted room, not a full studio. Some limited sonic preparation to the room may be possible ( some foam to deaden reflections, practical use of soft furnishings). The room is 3m x 3m with a high ceiling.

In the medium term I hope to convert a room in my own office for permanent use.

I am looking at a Dynamic mic (I believe?) as a condenser is likely to pick up too many noises I am not in control of I
I am hoping to go down an XLR route to make sure I have some flexibility and an upgrade path.
I have not yet heard a usb mic I am happy with.

The only mic I have used in my (limited) experience is a Shure SM7B - and I liked it a lot! - I think that mic is going to be out of budget however.

I have listened to the rode podcaster (not xlr, but affordable!) and was disappointed in the tone and lack of warmth in the sound. I also felt is was a little sibilant.

Based on critical listening (and no hands on however) I am leaning towards the rode procaster - it sounded warmer, rounder, more 'body and tone' - but I accept that may have just been better voice and technique on the sample I was listening to.

If I do go for the procaster, I will also need to plug it into something. I am currently on a pc, but will be transferring onto a mac within the next couple of months.

I keep being pointed towards the Focusrite Pro 24 DSP. I believe with this device I will be able to apply some basic filters to the stream live, and that I will also have two headphone monitoring sockets ? It is likely that may need to have another person in the same location live on a second mic - and as such I want to make sure that any kit I acquire can handle this.

The other long term need will be to provide a 'mix-minus' (if thats the correct term) feed? The intent here is to allow a skype caller to join the show live with no audio issues.

I am also looking at a shockmount, a PSA1 stand (I will need to use a keyboard and mouse whilst talking on occasion, driving a in-game character that will be seen on screen - I am hoping bring the mic down from above me, and avoid any vibrations from the keyboard).

Currently therefore I think I am looking at a rode procaster, XLR cable (are all cables the same or are we into the 'hi-fi' world and the cable game ?) and a Focusrite Sapphire Pro 24.

However that comes out to:

Rode Mic (£139)
Rode Shockmount and Pop Shield (£49)
Rode PSA1 Studio Arm (£69)
Focusrite Sapphire Pro DSP 24 (£249)
XLR Cable 3m, XLR Female to XLR Male (£13,95)
Sony MDR 7510, Monitoring Headphones (£119)

This comes to a quite scary £638 if I price it all at a typical site. Thats over my ideal budget (£500) for the field and 'studio' side of things by itself right there however rogar-BlackEye(DBG.

How can I reduce cost here without making major sacrifices to quality ?
Are there cheaper interfaces with suitable pre's for a podcast and the ability to plug in two mics/headphone for a live interview ?


Second requirement:

Being able to conduct clear interviews to create show segments during Gamescom.

Gamescom is an industry event in Cologne, and represents a unique opportunity to capture a number of significant interviews. The show floor however will be loud, noisy and erratic. Although I could have a second 'operator' I have given up on the idea of making these video interviews as we simply don't have the budget for the correct equipment in the timescale (21st/26th August).

However, I do want to get the best quality audio I can, both background ambience, and the interview. After my initial research I am looking at a Zoom H4n.

I believe I can use the onboard mics to capture the background sounds, and later 'reduce' these sounds in the mix to help create a balanced audio background ?

I believe I will need to use a pair of XLR mics for both the interviewer and interviewee (or possibly more than one) to capture just there voices. Interviews will typically be 15m to 25m segments one to one. They are likely to be within a booth at the show, or occasionally in a hotel room or other venue. As such I need to be able to deal with a loud and sometimes uncontrollable fluctuation in background. These will however not be live, and there will be a chance to work on the audio before it is included in a show.

I am getting lots of mixed messages as to the right mic's for the purpose, and lots of contrasting advice as to the suitability of the zoom - especially with regards to the volume level when recording without a separate preamp from the XLR Inputs.

So:

What (affordable!) mics would be appropriate for the task ?
Is there a better choice than the Zoom H4n for the job ?

The Zoom by itself appears to be circa £220.


Final Thoughts:

Thanks fort anyone who haws stuck around long enough to read all of this ^^. As you can see I am very new to all things connected with audio recording, but am determined to try to get an 'acceptable quality' on the recordings and the podcast. A lot of generated material on the same topic that I listen to, I would consider to be painful from an audio perspective - I am now however starting to learn why as its looking more and more expensive to just do the basics. Are there any ways I can reduce cost and share equipment between both tasks ? I did wonder about using the Zoom H4n as my 'pre' when doing the podcast as a starting point ?

Is there much around in the second hand market for the type of items I am likely to need ? I have looked (from the UK) and not seen a lot on ebay or related sites, and I am nervous of buying so much stuff without a warranty!

Will what I am trying to do work with the kit in question ? Are there better options for less ? If I need to reduce cost (and barring a miracle, I do) to bring the entire package closer to £500 what options do I have ?

Thanks in advance for all help , assistance and advice!

Regards,

Mizpah

PS: I don't claim any particular microphone technique (and I believe some mics are less forgiving than others, but I am happy to learn!)
PPS: Video is an entire different topic, I am looking to have 2 fixed feeds per host, so the producer has some angles to use to break up the dialogue, but I will put that in another thread.

 

[Richard Crowley]

B

We will have 3 'talking heads' connected by the make.tv service...

What does that mean? Are you saying that you will have three people in your studio, or just you at home and two people calling in from online?

I will be going to the Gamescom event in Cologne as press, and will be conducting a number of audio interviews

That is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT situation than your podcast. Do you already have equipment to do this? None of the equipment you suggest in your list is appropriate for convention interviews unless you have access to your own sound booth/studio. Are these casual, stand-up interviews on the exhibit floor or what?

The room is 3m x 3m with a high ceiling.

PLEASE don't tell us that the celing is 3m! A square room is a poor choice for doing anything audio, and a cube is a nightmare. Plan on doing some serious sound treatment if you don't want to sound like you are broadcasting from a cave. It doesn't have to be expensive, but you can't ignore it.

I am looking at a Dynamic mic (I believe?) as a condenser is likely to pick up too many noises I am not in control of

Trying to control ambient noise by using a less sensitive mic is loosing game. Take a cue from sports-casters who broadcast from noisy stadiums. They solve the signal-to-noise ratio by getting the mics VERY VERY CLOSE to their mouths, using headsets with the mic right near their lips.

I am hoping to go down an XLR route to make sure I have some flexibility and an upgrade path.

Yes, definitely XLR will lead you on a path of pro and semi-pro audio equipment.

I have not yet heard a usb mic I am happy with.

Of course it isn't the USB connector that you are unhappy with. It is the typical kind of mic that they make for the typical USB-mic customer. Note, however that there are some rather good "USB microphones" including the Rode.

The only mic I have used in my (limited) experience is a Shure SM7B - and I liked it a lot! - I think that mic is going to be out of budget however.

Yes, of course, that (and the ElectroVoice RE-20) are the workhorses of the radio broadcast and voice-talent industries. But, as you say, perhaps beyond your present budget.

I have listened to the rode podcaster (not xlr, but affordable!) and was disappointed in the tone and lack of warmth in the sound. I also felt is was a little sibilant. Based on critical listening (and no hands on however) I am leaning towards the rode procaster - it sounded warmer, rounder, more 'body and tone' - but I accept that may have just been better voice and technique on the sample I was listening to.

As you say, it is effectively impossible to judge between two different microphones unless you have the same source to compare them. There are online sources of test recordings of different microphones with the same source so you can compare apples to apples.

If I do go for the procaster, I will also need to plug it into something. I am currently on a pc, but will be transferring onto a mac within the next couple of months.

If you go with ANY "real" microphone, you will need to plug it into a decent mic preamp. And a mixer if you are dealing with more than one source (whether in the same room with you, or calling in on the phone or online, or played back from a computer, or a live gaming machine, etc. etc. etc.) It should make no practical difference whether PC or Mac.

I keep being pointed towards the Focusrite Pro 24 DSP.

It is a nice unit, but it doesn't seem suitable for your stated use-model. It doesn't have the right number of appropriate inputs:
Not enough XLR mic inputs. (Unless you will never have more than 1-2 mics in your base studio which seems short-sighted)
No independent line-level inputs (because they are shared with the XLR mic inputs). This is a major show-stopper all by itself.
Several other inputs which do you no benefit at all (like instrument inputs), but for which you are paying.
No way of doing anything like create sub-mixes (like mix-minus), cue/solo, etc. The kinds of things you need for broadcasting.
Firewire interface with the computer would put me off. It is a dying interface, and fewer and fewer new computers (even Mac) will have Firewire. Sure, you can adapt it to Thunderbolt, but that seems like a kludge to me. The simpler the better. Even USB 2 is more than adequate for the kind of audio you are talking about.

I believe with this device I will be able to apply some basic filters to the stream live,

You would be much better off mitigating your acoustic space with physical sound absorbing and reflective surfaces vs. trying to do a REAL TIME "fix it in the mix" with DSP. Such is the path of madness, especially if you are trying to run a one-man show.

and that I will also have two headphone monitoring sockets ?

But they are in the wrong place for what you will need for a live podcast with the other elements you anticipate. No benefit at all, IMHO. That Focusrite piece was made for home music production, and is poorly suited for the kind of psuedo-broadcast application you propose.

It is likely that may need to have another person in the same location live on a second mic - and as such I want to make sure that any kit I acquire can handle this.

But the Pro24 DSP has only TWO mic inputs, and they are probably hard-wired for right-left stereo. Again, quite ill-suited for broadcast use.

The other long term need will be to provide a 'mix-minus' (if thats the correct term) feed? The intent here is to allow a skype caller to join the show live with no audio issues.

Yes, and that gets into an entirely different kind of mixing well beyond what the Pro 24 DSP could ever dream of handling.
You can do the kind of mixing, and even handle limited (one- or maybe two-remote) with a more conventional small mixer from Mackie or even Behringer that has several aux outputs (to create the mix-minus feeds.) With the kind of budget you have for microphones and the poor physical space you are stuck in, NOBODY in your audience will hear the difference between Focustite DSP and a cheap-bin Behringer mixer. Sorry to sound like a iconoclast, but facts is facts. Many of those more conventional mixers have built-in USB interfaces (input and output), but even if they didn't a cheap USB interface like a Behringer UCA-202 would do the job perfectly.

I am also looking at a shockmount, a PSA1 stand (I will need to use a keyboard and mouse whilst talking on occasion, driving a in-game character that will be seen on screen - I am hoping bring the mic down from above me, and avoid any vibrations from the keyboard).

Frankly, if I were doing what you are proposing (and I am doing some VERY similar, but not about gaming) I would look at using headset mics like Oscar SoundTech HM-701. Less cost than the Rode Procaster, and IMHO MUCH more likely to give you decent audio, even in poor acoustic conditions (both at home and on the road). It GREATLY reduces the effect of bad ambient acoustics by putting the microphone right on yoru mouth, it keeps the mic in the optimal position no matter how you turn your head. It is small and portable. No big microphone arms, shock mount baskets, wind-screens, etc. to wrestle with, etc. etc. Compatible with wearing your choice of headphones (or ear-pieces) for monitoring etc.

http://www.pro-sound.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SOSCHARDHM701T

I do want to get the best quality audio I can, both background ambience, and the interview.

In a high-noise situation like a show floor, you will have NO trouble getting ambience sounds! Your biggest problem will be keeping it low enough so you can hear the signal of interest (presumably you and the person you are interviewing).

After my initial research I am looking at a Zoom H4n.

Yes, a good recorder, perhaps over-kill (and over-size and over-featured) for what you are doing.

I believe I can use the onboard mics to capture the background sounds, and later 'reduce' these sounds in the mix to help create a balanced audio background ?

Sorry, that is a common myth. You CANNOT "subtract" sound like that. The laws of acoustic physics pretty much make that a complete impossibility.
The only practical way of achieving decent signal (interviewer/interviewee speech) to noise (show floor din) is PROXIMITY! If you look at all the examples on TV where people are doing this, they use a hand-held microphone and the interviewer holds the mic right up to the mouth of the interviewee. In many (most?) cases, they use only one mic and the interviewer holds it to his mouth for the question, and then to the interviewee for the response. It also makes post-production "mixing" infinitely easier, which is not to be dismissed lightly.

I believe I will need to use a pair of XLR mics for both the interviewer and interviewee (or possibly more than one) to capture just there voices. Interviews will typically be 15m to 25m segments one to one. They are likely to be within a booth at the show, or occasionally in a hotel room or other venue. As such I need to be able to deal with a loud and sometimes uncontrollable fluctuation in background. These will however not be live, and there will be a chance to work on the audio before it is included in a show.

If you have the luxury of a sit-down interview in a quiet location, you could use the same headset mics (or a pair of clip-on lavs). Which would be good for audio or on-camera as well. I recently completed a 13-episode series which is playing on a global satellite channel and I used three different lav mics. A relatively spendy (US$250) Rode Lav mic, a pair of OscarSoundTech OST-801 lavs, and a cheapie MXL lav. Nobody could hear the difference, and I was VERY impressed by the OST lavs. I will buy two more for the next series. There is another thread in this forum discussing my experience with the lav mics.

I am getting lots of mixed messages as to the right mic's for the purpose, and lots of contrasting advice as to the suitability of the zoom - especially with regards to the volume level when recording without a separate preamp from the XLR Inputs. So: What (affordable!) mics would be appropriate for the task ? Is there a better choice than the Zoom H4n for the job ?

IMHO, the Zoom would be more than adequate for stand-up interviews on the show floor (with a hand-held wired mic), AND for sit-down long-form interviews (with headset or clip-on lavs). THe on-board microphones on the Zoom (and other "shaver" style recorders) will be of virtually no use to your kind of production. Frankly, I would try a cheap office-style voice recorder as a self-contained microphone/recorder for stand-up interviews before spending a lot of money on something like the Zoom.

 

[ggrantly]

Richard,
I hope the op thanks you for the time it took to make a quality in depth response!
Grant

 

[OzGizmo]

Is this a 'radio' type show (with a surveillance camera) or a TV style show (with switched cameras) ?

 

[Mizpah]

Richard, as ggrantly pointed out, thank you *hugely* for the time and effort in the reply. I am just sitting down with a cup of coffee so I can absorb it all correctly, answer some questions and reply!

 

[Mizpah]

Richard,

Thanks again! I am going to try to reply point by point and add some more information. please forgive any of my questions that stem from lack of knowledge.

What does that mean? Are you saying that you will have three people in your studio, or just you at home and two people calling in from online?

Here is the exact set-up. Two people (myself and one other) who are new to this are the main hosts. We are currently in two different locations (Birmingham/Leeds), and will be sending direct streams to producer in sweden. The streams, transitions, production tools etc will be handled by the service from make.tv.

In addition we have a rotating pool of guest hosts (three of them), all of whom are 'known' you-tubers, who will use make.tv to add a stream to the show for the duration of an episode. In addition to that we will have guests calling in, either via skype, or make.tv's in stream tools.

The kit purchased for 'home studio' (I use the term lightly) use will be purchased twice, for myself and for the person in Leeds.

One more wrinkle however! If things work well, After a pilot and the first six episodes I may be able to commit to creating a dedicated studio room for the show within an office - this would be kitted out separately (with a higher budget and some co-sponsorship), and the items already purchased would stay in the home locations.

In my home location (for the first three months or so) I need to be able to allow for a guest in a pinch, but it would normally just be me. In a later 'studio' setting, we would probably want to allow for 4 people, and always have myself and the main co-host in the same location for every show.

That is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT situation than your podcast.

Yep! These will be a combination of stand-up and pre-arranged interviews, largely in and around the show floor - as an example I have about 15 interviews booked during the Gamescom week. I anticipate using this kit intensively anything from 3 to 6 times a year, depending on the number of major conventions I / We can get to. I imagine the use case would always be similar.

The room is 3m x 3m with a high ceiling.

My estimates were off! It's still pretty square however. According to a tape measure its 2.5m (wide) x 2.2m (deep) x 2.3m (height. This space will need to be used for around 3 months. I am already planning on building a wooden frame on the wall behind me, and mounting a large graphic that we already have for the show. I suspect filling that with a sound proofing foam may help? I am open to other ideas - the only room I have treated before is a room I used to use for drumming!

I have listened to...

Found a page with the comparisons on! http://jontusmedia.com/rode-procaster-or-podcast-whats-better/#more-5940 They also compare with a Heil here. Still not a fan of the podcaster - which is a shame given the price point, and no interface needed.

I keep being pointed towards the Focusrite Pro 24 DSP.

For the home use case (first three months!) are there any recommendations you might make ? I guess the most important things would be suitable pre-amps, adequate gain, the ability to have two mics/headphones, mix-minus, and anything else that you would rate for my stated purposes. As an aside, this unit will stay in the home, even if we move out of it - so having the ability to play around with keyboards, vocals, drums etc would be a nice bonus - but is not the purpose behind buying it. Its good to know that I can get away with USB 2!

Sorry to sound like a iconoclast, but facts is facts

Facts are good! Walking into an audio store, explaining my needs and being pointed to kit that from your (detailed) explanation is clearly not appropriate doesnt help me ^^

IMHO, the Zoom would be more than adequate for stand-up interviews on the show floor

I guess I may have to bite the bullet on this - it will get used for a few conventions each year, and I can't make any assumptions about ever getting a quiet environment. The people I have the ability interview in these events are otherwise hard to reach, and of great interest to the audience. In other words, the opportunity cost of getting an interview 'wrong' and not being able to use the audio from it is high! Are there specific recommendations on suitable mic / mics to go with the Zoom ? If however the Zoom is still overkill, is there anything else portable you can recommend with the XLR inputs ?

Still looking (with no joy) for any of the things mentioned to arrive second hand in the UK on ebay ^^. Those items I have seen, aren't that much cheaper - as such buying new feels safer.


So let's try and sum up!!

I think you are suggesting that something akin to the Oscar SoundTech may be a better bet than something like the rode procaster ? I haven't started to research this one yet, but are there any obvious disadvantages ?

I think its clear that the focusrite may not be the tool for the job - I am not entirely clear on what a better unit would be in my (initial) circumstance however ?

I think I still need something like the xoom, but I not sure on what mics would be appropriate for it on a show floor ?


I can't thank you enough for the time you have taken to help out someone who clearly feeling there way in the dark on this!

Mizpah

 

[Mizpah]

Hi OzGizmo,

The closest thing that I can point anyone to for the format, is www.gamebreaker.tv - In our example we plan on starting with two fixed point cameras for each of the hosts. As such there will be four feeds available to the producer (make.tv online studio and tools) for the hosts, and he can use them in predefined scenes he can switch between. Guests will be a single audio/video stream, or audio only.

We are starting with something as simple as logitech c930 webcams, each focused on a fixed point. We have played around with 'basic' home video cameras, and not seen enough of a picture quality difference to justify the cost. I guess fixed cameras, but multiple ones, places it somewhere between the two formats ?

The idea of the switchable cameras is that a typical show is about an hour. As such just having a fixed view of a person talking without scene changes or transitions feels less than captivating.

We cant go there yet on budget, but I will be asking advice on one mobile camera to take to conventions (with a seperate operator ^^) and for improving out fixed point cameras later!

Cheers!

 

[Richard Crowley]

We are currently in two different locations (Birmingham/Leeds), and will be sending direct streams to producer in sweden. The streams, transitions, production tools etc will be handled by the service from make.tv.

AH! Then you are not PRODUCING the show (technically), you are a remote participant and have only yourself and maybe one other local participant. My previous responses were based on the assumption that you were producing the show technically.

In addition we have a rotating pool of guest hosts (three of them), all of whom are 'known' you-tubers, who will use make.tv to add a stream to the show for the duration of an episode. In addition to that we will have guests calling in, either via skype, or make.tv's in stream tools.

The kit purchased for 'home studio' (I use the term lightly) use will be purchased twice, for myself and for the person in Leeds.

Based on what I see on TWIT.TV, the people using ordinary to high-end "computer headsets" sound nearly as good as those using the expensive Heil (or EV or Shure) "broadcast mics". We recently did a series with the remote presenter using a Logitech H800 Bluetooth wireless headset. It sounded great for "podcast quality". And no wires, interfaces, etc. etc.

One more wrinkle however! If things work well, After a pilot and the first six episodes I may be able to commit to creating a dedicated studio room for the show within an office - this would be kitted out separately (with a higher budget and some co-sponsorship), and the items already purchased would stay in the home locations.

Not clear whether you are talking about continuing to use make.tv to do the actual "mixing", or whether you are bringing the technical production "in-house"? It would be only useless speculation to try to respond without knowing what you are planning?

In my home location (for the first three months or so) I need to be able to allow for a guest in a pinch, but it would normally just be me. In a later 'studio' setting, we would probably want to allow for 4 people, and always have myself and the main co-host in the same location for every show.

Something like a Behringer Xenyx 1204USB would give you four mic inputs plus a couple of line inputs for gaming machines, etc. and a handy built-in USB interface to your computer. This would be handy both for origination (but not full production control) at your home location, and for recording interviews (with a laptop computer) out on location. It would NOT be suitable for stand-up interviews on the show floor, of course.

Yep! These will be a combination of stand-up and pre-arranged interviews, largely in and around the show floor - as an example I have about 15 interviews booked during the Gamescom week. I anticipate using this kit intensively anything from 3 to 6 times a year, depending on the number of major conventions I / We can get to. I imagine the use case would always be similar.

A "shaver" like the Zoom (or any of them that accept two XLR inputs) would be very good both for stand-up interviews on the show floor, and for more formal sit-down interviews. With appropriate wired mics, of course. There are people who use the smaller "shaver" recorders and hold them JUST RIGHT (NOT easy!) so that one of the stereo mics aims at the interviewer and the other at the interviewee. It also requires you to keep the relative distance propoportinate to the loudness of each voice, and close enough to maintain a decent signal-to-noise ratio against the show background din. I wouldn't recommend it. Even with many decades of audio experience, I wouldn't try it myself. Too much mental energy to keep the mics positioned properly would distract one from really getting into the discussion.

OF COURSE YOU ALWAYS (ALWAYS!!!) WEAR GOOD HEADPHONES WHILE RECORDING TO MONITOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!!!!!

My estimates were off! It's still pretty square however. According to a tape measure its 2.5m (wide) x 2.2m (deep) x 2.3m (height. This space will need to be used for around 3 months. I am already planning on building a wooden frame on the wall behind me, and mounting a large graphic that we already have for the show. I suspect filling that with a sound proofing foam may help? I am open to other ideas - the only room I have treated before is a room I used to use for drumming!

The biggest problem is early reflections (made worse by small and or square room dimensions). Nothing shouts "AMATEUR HOUR" to me like hearing something that sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom. THere is an extensive science to room treatment for pleasant sound recording. And that is probably a whole separate topic for another thread.

Found a page with the comparisons on! http://jontusmedia.com/rode-procaster-or-podcast-whats-better/#more-5940 They also compare with a Heil here. Still not a fan of the podcaster - which is a shame given the price point, and no interface needed.

Good. But what do these mics sound like with YOUR voice? Are you able to go somewhere and try them out (at a dealer or studio, etc.)

For the home use case (first three months!) are there any recommendations you might make ? I guess the most important things would be suitable pre-amps, adequate gain, the ability to have two mics/headphones, mix-minus, and anything else that you would rate for my stated purposes. As an aside, this unit will stay in the home, even if we move out of it - so having the ability to play around with keyboards, vocals, drums etc would be a nice bonus - but is not the purpose behind buying it. Its good to know that I can get away with USB 2!

There are some nice solutions like those small mixers with built-in USB interface. They would be ideal for that kind of use, and useful for other things as well.

Facts are good! Walking into an audio store, explaining my needs and being pointed to kit that from your (detailed) explanation is clearly not appropriate doesnt help me ^^

You never know who you are talking to when you walk into a shop and talk to a clerk. They might be a very experienced audio engineer between jobs, or they might have been flipping hamburgers last week. Keep things in perspective and remember what you are trying to do here. You are trying to produce a broadcast show, not record music. It is a waste to splurge on a solid-gold link in your chain when the next link is made of discarded chewing-gum tinfoil.

I guess I may have to bite the bullet on this - it will get used for a few conventions each year, and I can't make any assumptions about ever getting a quiet environment. The people I have the ability interview in these events are otherwise hard to reach, and of great interest to the audience. In other words, the opportunity cost of getting an interview 'wrong' and not being able to use the audio from it is high! Are there specific recommendations on suitable mic / mics to go with the Zoom ? If however the Zoom is still overkill, is there anything else portable you can recommend with the XLR inputs ?

Most any of those small "shaver" recorders with dual XLR inputs will do nicely for your purposes, quality-wise. More important to me would be size and operational convenience and battery life. There are broadcast industry-standard hand-held mics for interviews that have held up under critical conditions for decades. It would be wise to duplicate what they are using. For example the ElectroVoice RE-50 is very widely used, at least over on our side of the Pond for stand-up broadcast news reporting. There are similar favorites in European and Asian markets.

Still looking (with no joy) for any of the things mentioned to arrive second hand in the UK on ebay ^^. Those items I have seen, aren't that much cheaper - as such buying new feels safer.

Good / Fast / Cheap. Choose any TWO (you can rarely have all THREE) If you have the time to deal with returning a dud you got from eBay, then you can save some money. Buying new at retail is almost always safer, but also more expensive.

I think you are suggesting that something akin to the Oscar SoundTech may be a better bet than something like the rode procaster ? I haven't started to research this one yet, but are there any obvious disadvantages ?

Based on my own first-hand experience, and what I have seen evolving on TWIT.TV, they seem to be moving away from their big broadcast (Heil 40) mics in front of their mouths, in favor of very tiny, almost invisible, headset mics. I am very impressed with Oscar Sound Tech products. Good performance, good physical quality, good prices. There may be products in Europe like that, I don't know what it works out if you have to ship them across the Pond. (PS: It would be of benefit to everyone if you could complete your user profile to AT LEAST reveal where you are on the planet so people can respond in a manner that makes sense for your location.)

I think its clear that the focusrite may not be the tool for the job - I am not entirely clear on what a better unit would be in my (initial) circumstance however ?

Those small USB mixers would be much more suitable, IMHO.

I think I still need something like the xoom, but I not sure on what mics would be appropriate for it on a show floor ?

I would use an Electrovoice 635A or an RE-50. There are equivalent popular hand-mics in the European market, but I can't remember what they are.

 

[Rick R]

" I would use an Electrovoice 635A or an RE-50. There are equivalent popular hand-mics in the European market, but I can't remember what they are."
The Sennheiser MD42 & MD46 are highly regarded reporter's mics. The Beyerdynamic M58 and Shure VP64 would be worthy contenders as well. I recall RODE recently released a reporter's mic to compete with the aforementioned.

 

[Mizpah]

Thanks Folks,

I am currently ringing around stores in the Birmingham (UK) area trying to find someone who has a range of kit - especially the mics! - to try hands on. I may well be back with more queries later ^^