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Let's say I were to start a podcast

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zhianosatch:
(This question covers the scope of many of the sub-forums, so I'm posting it in Ask the Tapers first.)

With the caveat that I realize that the podcast market is oversaturated and this might end up being just an audio journal for myself and my friends, I'm excited about having an idea that I like and carrying it out, so I've resolved to take the plunge. I just had a consultation with the producer of one of my favorite podcasts and got some valuable opinions on everything from gear to lessons learned. I would like the ability for this to be recorded both in my home or out in the field, wherever I happen to be. I have plenty of experience making my own "field" recordings of loud to very loud PA systems, but anything beyond that environment I'd be half winging it with that experience behind me.

I'm thinking that I would use the DPA 4061 w/ MPS-6010 and PCM-M10 I already have for some trial runs of the show before making $ investments, which would limit me to one guest at a time, 4061s > MPS-6010 > mic in to the M10 > split L/R in post and remix something like 60/40 each side, I guess.

Some questions regarding gear and technique:

1. Any tips on how to mix single vocal tracks into stereo? 2 tracks? 3? 4?
2. Is the DPA 4061 viable for voice recordings or is it too low sensitivity? I usually only use the 4061s for loud to very loud PAs.
3. If the 4061 is viable, what would be a cheap, clean preamp with microdot in (and xlr out)? I'm thinking I'd like to power each 4061 separately because each mic cable is only 6' long (I think) and it would be good for two people talking to be able to move around.
4. Any experience with the Zoom H6? For simplicity of use and 4 inputs it looks ideal, except that you can't bypass the built in preamps if I change my mind on using an outboard in the future.
5. Would the Busman BA-L2 be a viable choice for a home studio setup? How well would the Zoom H6 power them? They really are beautiful, unique, and I like that one of our own makes them with care. Plus it looks like someone has a pair in the Yard Sale for $400.
6. Better to buy SM58s or E835s?
7. How hard is it to find a good portable power supply for a recorder and 2-4 48v mics, plug-in power from the recorder or their own preamps?

I'd love to hear any experiences or recommendations as well. Thank you.

-A

morst:
great questions. I only have input for you on a few of them but that might help.

The 4061's should sound great. If the cable length is a practical issue then get your guest(s) within the reach of your cables for the first few podcasts, then maybe get some longer cables?

SM58's are rock and roll mics that don't really sound that good on their own, but are very useful on stage due to their cardioid directional pattern's rejection of feedback from loud monitors. You won't have that in your interviews so you could use omni mics that don't reject any sound. That Sennheiser is likewise a stage mic.

If you're thinking of starting from scratch getting a speech mic, look at the Heil product line. They make a PR35 that is good for handheld use but designed to be more versatile than an SM58 or SM7 (Shure broadcast mic) http://www.heilsound.com/pro/products/vocal-microphones/pr-35

We usually use condensers for micing up folks for talking when I work at conventions and trade shows etc... usually lavaliers unless they prefer to hand hold.

For mixing, you can probably use audacity or your favorite workstation software. I recently bought a cheap ($1.99) edition of Hindenburg which is made for editing podcasts. They had a one day sale on the $99 version and it was recommended by a friend of Earmonger's. https://hindenburg.com

mnm207:
I produce an podcast consisting of 1 on 1 interviews recorded on location. The podcast is a tool for promoting my corporate photography--it's 100% self-produced, -recorded and -edited. TS and Transom.org were both invaluable sources of information.

Here's my recording/editing/publishing chain: Audix i5 mics --> Mixpre --> Sony PCM-M10 --> Hindenburg (editing) --> Auphonic (auto-leveling) --> SoundCloud. The mics are on stands and placed as close as my guests's comfort will allow (6-8"). On the Mixpre I pan one mic left and one right; in Hindenburg I split the M10' stereo track to two mono tracks. Minimal to no EQ and compression are applied to each track. For a multi-guest situation recently I picked up a Tascam DR60D mkii; I record two stereo files (tracks 1/2 and 3/4), again splitting each stereo track to two mono tracks for editing.

The mics were selected because I got a good deal on a trio of them. They sound fine and are entirely adequate for my needs. Had my budget been larger, I'd have looked at other similar options. I find the mic's cardioid pick up pattern (and its being dynamic) useful in minimizing the various and sundry background noises that I encounter in the typical offices here in NYC that I am usually recording in.

Your 4061s are probably perfectly usable, but I'd recommend comparing them to a handheld dynamic mic (or a large diaphragm announce mic if portability isn't a concern) in the kind of environment you expect to record in. My own comparison of the i5 to an electret lav showed the i5 to be better at minimizing background noise.

2manyrocks:
4061s are terrific lav mics.  Ideally, you pair them with wireless transmitters for interviews to avoid people stepping on the cables. 

60d and 70d sound plenty good enough not to need trouble of external preamp and can easily be powered in the field with external cell phone batteries. 

zhianosatch:
Thank you all for the replies and the views. I ended up buying ts's Shure FP24 to provide some clean, adjustable L/R gain before it hits the M10 (some fun results with a borrowed MP-2 in the good old days helped give me that idea). With the taperssection-approved 4061s, Audacity and a beat up laptop I should be in the clear to start.

Hindenburg looks awfully convenient - how could you pass it up for $2?

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