The Best Portable Podcast Setup for Any Budget

Whether you’re podcasting on the road, on location or you need to travel to your guests, putting together a portable podcasting setup will make your life a whole lot simpler. In this article, we’re going to take a look at three different portable podcasting setups that suit a variety of scenarios, project sizes and budgets.

Podcasting with a Phone and Wireless Microphones

For the most compact and portable setup, you can actually just pair a wireless microphone system with your phone. Microphones like the Wireless ME and Wireless PRO allow you to capture two separate channels of audio and send them via USB to your phone, which you can use as a recording device with an app like RØDE Reporter.

While you can always record using your phone’s built-in microphone, this method has a few issues. Firstly, the sound quality of your phone’s built-in mic isn’t great, and your audience will absolutely notice this when listening back – a dedicated microphone will make a world of difference here.

Secondly, it’s much harder to balance volume levels and generally process audio recorded from a phone mic. If the guest was considerably louder than the host, there’s no way to adjust this later on as they’re both recorded onto the same track.

With a dual-channel wireless system like the Wireless ME, each person’s voice will be recorded separately and in high quality, allowing you to easily adjust and balance volume levels after recording. This also makes it easier to apply effects and processing to best suit each speaker’s voice, as well as cut out coughs, breaths and other unwanted noises.

If you’re shooting on an iPhone, you can even use our free RØDE Capture iOS app to record a video podcast with this setup. It features unique dual camera modes that allow you to record with both the front and rear cameras at once, which means you can simply place the camera between the host and the guest. It also seamlessly integrates with the Wireless ME allows you to adjust the microphone’s settings from within the app.

Podcasting with USB Microphones

If you’ve got a laptop, simply adding a few USB microphones and some headphones can transform it into a super versatile and portable podcasting studio. Firstly, we recommend using our free RØDE Connect software, which is tailor-made for recording podcasts and allows you to record up to four USB microphones simultaneously.

USB microphones such as the NT-USB+ and NT-USB Mini have an integrated headphone amp, which allows you to connect headphones for each guest so they can monitor their own voice as well as the rest of the podcast. These two microphones also come with their own tripod or desk mount so you can easily set them up, and they feature on-board headphone level controls for quickly dialling in the perfect settings.

For this setup, you’ll need to have as many free USB ports on your laptop as you do microphones, or you can use a high-quality USB hub – just be sure that it offers adequate power delivery and data transfer speeds.

Podcasting with the RØDECaster Pro II or Duo

Finally, if you’re looking for the ultimate portable podcasting rig, then a RØDECaster console is still your best bet, with microphones, headphones, stands and our very own specially designed Backpack to transport it all. For two-person podcasts, the RØDECaster Duo is the perfect choice, but if you’ve got three or four people, go for the RØDECaster Pro II.

While both the RØDECaster Duo and Pro II come with an included power supply, they can also both run on a USB power bank for an even more portable option, just be sure that it can provide adequate power.

Pair your RØDECaster with as many PodMics as you have people speaking, and same goes for headphones and stands. For a more versatile and professional setup, you can use PSA1+ studio arms that offer heaps of mic placement flexibility, or for a simpler and more compact alternative, check out the DS2.

For a two-person setup, the RØDE Backpack is purpose-built to carry everything you need, with a dedicated RØDECaster compartment, as well as plenty of space for microphones, stands, headphones, cables and even a laptop.

Check out our extensive range of podcasting bundles and equipment and get your show on the road!