First impressions are very important! Content is king... but presentation is definitely queen! First impressions are important. If someone takes the time to tune in to your show, you've already done the hard the hard part---you've hooked them, you've attracted their interest. Far too often, my first impression is, "What were they thinking?!" Knowledge is power: It's not about having the greatest equipment--though that helps--it's about being smart, and making the most of what you have. Don't be "that guy"!

This episode features an overview of microphone mechanics, including a comparison of condenser and dynamic microphones and pickup patterns, microphone techniques for getting the best sound, a review of secret budget-conscious podcasting microphone, and how to best deal with ever present background noise.

Microphone Mechanics:

All microphones work by picking up sound vibrations and converting them to an electrical signal, but before you go and pick up the latest and greatest microphone you can afford, understand how they work. There are two principal microphone technologies, condenser and dynamic, each with their own inherent strengths and weaknesses.

Condenser microphones active and rely on phantom power, or a 48 volt electrical signal, which can be provided by a battery or from the mixer or audio interface, and are relatively fragile and used in controlled recording studios. They are highly sensitive, precisely capturing sounds, so they will pick up your voice great, but can also pick up all kinds of unwanted background noise if you have a less than ideal recording environment, like most podcasters' home studios.

Dynamic microphones are passive and utilize a moving coil, and are used in live sound (e.g., concerts) and in radio broadcasting due to their durability and noise rejection. They are generally less sensitive than condenser microphones, but as such are less susceptible to picking up unwanted background noise, but usually have a lower output, requiring more gain at the possibly noisy preamp stage.

Far too often, when someone's looking to improve their sound, I see well-intentioned people recommending a condenser microphone (such as the MXL 990), and then they struggle with background noise ranging from their computer's fan, their air conditioner or heater, squeaking chair, or their neighbor's barking dog! You can get great sound out of a condenser mic, but it's important to be aware that there can be pitfalls. It doesn't matter how high-end a condenser microphone is, if your recording is cluttered with background noise, it will sound worse than a (relatively) inexpensive handheld dynamic microphone. The best way to eliminate background noise might be to change your microphone!

That's how microphones pick up sound, no where microphones pick up sound, which is determined by their pickup pattern. Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound from everywhere, in all directions equally. Directional microphones, such as cardioid microphones--so named because their graph looks like an upside down heart shape--pick up sounds at the front of the microphone, but attenuate sounds behind it, which is desirable for podcasters.

Finally, a stereo mic is a lot less useful than you might think--You only have one mouth, one set of vocal chords! Stereo mics are really just two microphone elements in one assembly.

Microphone Techniques:

Regardless of what make, model, or type of microphone you have, there are some universal techniques to get the most out of it.

First, while it might sound obvious, it's important to make sure that you're talking in to the "business end" of the microphone. Some microphones are side address, while others are end address, and if you talk in to the side of an end address microphone, you will get far from desirable results.

You can't  be afraid to of the mic; you want your mouth to be approximately 4-6 inches away from the microphone,