Introduction
Nice to have you back and today Digital4Productivity has another little making of episode. You may or hopefully have heard that the audio sounds a bit better since the last few episodes. What did I do? I've done something that I've been avoiding for a long time, which is to use a microphone that I'm really, really close to. Because you know, the closer a microphone is, the better it sounds. And when you really bite into the microphone, that's when it sounds best. Ideally, you should have a little pop screen over it so that these sibilants and p-sounds aren't quite so extreme.
You may have seen the magic microphone, the SM7B from Shure somewhere. This is the one that many podcasters use and it produces a very nice, deep, sonorous voice. Now there's a trick that I've used. I watch a lot of YouTube channels from professional audio colleagues. And there are several microphones from Shure.
The Shure SM7B Microphone
The SM7B, the classic cool podcaster microphone, has a few disadvantages for me. The first disadvantage is that it's pretty expensive. It costs around 400 bucks and it doesn't stop there, because ideally you also need a fat head or a cloudlifter, i.e. another amplifier, which you need between the microphone and the amplification unit. You need an interface for this. You also need this for the other microphones. I didn't use a Shure SM7B, but an SM57 and there's a 57, there's a 58 and there's the seven B.
The audio interface
The 57, which is what you are hearing right now, which I am using here, is a device that is 95% identical to the SM7B. It has the great charm that it doesn't need phantom power, so it doesn't need this fat head. Then there's the 58, which is the classic vocal microphone with a round grille dome. The 57 didn't have that.
Personally, I think the 57 is a bit nicer in terms of design, especially as I only have the pop protection over it, which looks very neutral, just black and not like a vocal ball. So the 57 and the 58 from Shure are also indestructible metal microphones, both very uncomplicated. And the nice thing is that an SM57 costs around €100 instead of €400 and sounds pretty much the same.
Now you always have to say, of course, the SM7B, the favorites say, no, that thing sounds a bit different. On the one hand, you can tune an SM57 a little with the equalizer so that it sounds like a 7B and on the other hand, of course, every microphone always has to suit the voice and a 7B sounds great for some voices and not so good for others. So ideally you should also try out microphones like this.
Yes, what kind of audio interface do I have? I have a Scarlet Solo USB from Focus Right connected. It's a very powerful interface that doesn't need any power, it just plugs in via USB-C. The whole thing is then plugged in via an XLR cable and I also have a LogiLink microphone boom and this LogiLink microphone boom, which I was able to adjust so that you can't see the boom itself in the picture. What you see in the picture is now the microphone. As a podcast listener, you naturally won't see it. But if you are in one of my video formats, you will certainly see it. And I resisted this for a long time because I said, oh, a microphone in your mouth isn't ideal. On the one hand, it can be solved, I like to wear a dark blue scarf anyway, and if you have that on, then this dark microphone isn't quite so noticeable. And secondly, I'd rather have a microphone like this in the way again, but with a much better sound, than not being able to see the microphone and having a lot of space or, in any case, a worse sound. Because with most microphones, the closer the better.
Audio delay
Yes, perhaps another making-of tip on how to get this famous audio delay right. Because when I have a camera connected there and then the microphone, it's often the case that the image signals run slower than the audio signals. That's also the case for me. I have one here, including an 18 ATEM Mini Extreme ISO, which has eight inputs and my main camera is connected to one of these inputs. And when I connect my microphone there via the focus (...), the image is 40 milliseconds slower than the sound. And that means I need 40 milliseconds of audio delay, which I set using Mac software called Audio HiJack. And you may have heard of Audio HiJack as a software program that allows you to record audio. But you can also use it to add live effects. There's a command called Sync and then Delay. And then I set my 40 milliseconds here accordingly. So the important thing is that the sound and image must be in sync.
Incidentally, you don't have that if you just use the integrated webcam or a Logitech C920 and then simply a Sennheiser PC7 USB headset. So you don't have to make the whole thing so complicated, you can do it with the simplest of means. And if you have a current MacBook, you can even use the built-in webcam for the picture.
It is almost more important that you don't have a window behind you and if you have a background, keep it rather neutral.
So maybe here's a little input on the making-of. And I'm taking the whole thing now, because it's so practical for me here, there are two variants. Either I record it quickly on the Mac with QuickTime - then save it in a directory that I can also access on the iPad. And via Ferrit. That's the application I use to produce my podcasts. Another alternative is that you can also connect the fokusweit directly, and the microphone, to the iPad. That works in the same way. It has a USB-C port. Personally, I just sometimes find it really practical if I don't have to plug it in. And since my drives automatically synchronize between the Mac and the iPad, I simply save it to a drive that I also have access to on the iPad and then tell Ferrit that I can import the whole thing.
So you see, this may sound a bit more complicated than it is, but you know that I'm always the one who says that sound is more important than image and always the simplest possible technology. And so I've just said that it doesn't have to be a €400 microphone plus another hundred for the fat head. So instead of 500, you can go for 100 and get a very, very reasonable sound.
If you don't want the complexity with the microphone and the interface, PC7 USB-C from Sennheiser costs less than €20, is an excellent headset and has the charm that you not only have a good microphone in it, but that you also hear the sound, so you don't have any audio echo, and you can also record the original sound in Zoom, for example.
Further sound effects
Keyword further sound effects. If I now want to clap here and bring in more sounds, I'll do that now, then you've heard that now, these are now sounds that I've put on my Stream Deck and I've now built my own virtual microphone using the Loopback software on the Mac, where I've said that my microphone is practically on one side with the delay from the Audio Hijack topic and I've also put the Stream Deck behind it. I have the Zoom on the stream deck and so you can connect the whole thing wonderfully, be it for podcast recordings, as I have it now, or for live streams or even for normal video conferences.
Conclusion
Yes, I hope I haven't confused them any more than I've inspired them, because the idea is that I give them a look behind the scenes from time to time so that they can learn from me and use technology in the same way that I do.
With this in mind, I look forward to seeing you again next time.
Yours, Thorsten Jekel
Key Takeaways
- Proximity is the single most important factor in microphone sound quality — the closer you are, the better the result.
- The Shure SM7B is a popular podcaster microphone at around €400, but the Shure SM57 delivers 95% identical sound for roughly €100.
- The Shure SM57 does not require phantom power (no need for a Cloudlifter/Fat Head), making the setup simpler and cheaper than the SM7B.
- A Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB audio interface connects via USB-C and handles XLR microphone input without a separate power supply.
- A mic boom arm (such as the LogiLink model used) keeps the microphone close to the mouth while remaining visually unobtrusive during video recordings.
- Audio/video sync must be managed actively — in this setup the image runs 40 ms behind the audio, corrected with Audio HiJack's Delay node on Mac.
- For a simpler alternative, the Sennheiser PC7 USB-C headset costs under €20 and avoids all interface complexity while also preventing audio echo.
- Loopback software on Mac lets you build a virtual microphone that combines the real mic signal (with delay applied) and Stream Deck sounds into a single source.
- Podcast production is done in the Ferrite app on iPad, with recordings synced from Mac via a shared drive.
- Sound quality matters more than video quality — a neutral background and no window behind you round out a professional-looking setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does microphone proximity improve sound quality?
The closer a microphone is to your mouth, the stronger and cleaner the signal it captures. As Thorsten explains, when you really get close to the microphone — ideally with a pop screen to tame sibilants and plosives — the result is a fuller, more professional sound.
What is the Shure SM7B and why is it popular with podcasters?
The Shure SM7B is a widely used dynamic microphone among podcasters because it produces a deep, sonorous voice sound. It costs around €400 and typically also requires an additional amplifier (Cloudlifter or Fat Head) plus an audio interface.
How does the Shure SM57 compare to the SM7B?
The Shure SM57 is described as 95% identical to the SM7B in terms of sound, yet costs around €100 instead of €400. Unlike the SM7B, the SM57 does not need phantom power or an additional pre-amplifier, which further reduces the total cost of the setup.
What audio interface is used in this setup and how is it connected?
The setup uses a Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB interface, which connects to the computer via USB-C and requires no external power supply. The microphone is connected to the interface with an XLR cable.
Why is there a 40-millisecond audio delay and how is it fixed?
When using a separate camera and microphone, the video signal often arrives later than the audio signal. In this setup the image is 40 ms slower than the sound, so a matching 40 ms delay is applied to the audio using the Sync & Delay node inside the Mac application Audio HiJack, keeping sound and picture in sync.
What is the simplest possible microphone solution mentioned?
The Sennheiser PC7 USB-C headset is recommended as the simplest option — it costs less than €20, provides a good microphone and headphone in one device, and eliminates audio echo because you hear your own output directly. No interface or additional hardware is needed.
What is Loopback and how is it used in this podcast setup?
Loopback is a Mac software application that lets you create a virtual microphone by combining multiple audio sources. In this setup it merges the real microphone signal (already delayed via Audio HiJack) with sounds triggered from a Stream Deck, creating one unified audio source for recordings or live streams.
How is the podcast produced and edited after recording?
Recordings are made on Mac with QuickTime and saved to a directory that is automatically synchronised with the iPad. The Ferrite app on the iPad is then used to import and produce the final podcast episode. Alternatively, the Focusrite interface can be connected directly to the iPad via USB-C.
Can you tune an SM57 to sound more like an SM7B?
Yes — the SM57 can be adjusted with an equaliser to move its sound closer to that of the SM7B. It is also worth noting that every microphone suits certain voices differently, so trying out options is always advisable before committing to one model.
What non-audio tips are mentioned for a better video appearance?
Two practical tips are given: avoid having a window directly behind you, and keep the background neutral. A dark-coloured garment (such as a dark blue scarf) also helps a dark microphone boom blend in and remain less noticeable on camera.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- Shure SM7B – popular podcaster dynamic microphone (~€400)
- Shure SM57 – dynamic microphone used in this setup, nearly identical sound to SM7B at ~€100
- Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB – USB-C audio interface for XLR microphones
- Audio HiJack – Mac audio routing app used here to apply a 40 ms sync delay
- Loopback – Mac app for creating virtual microphones by combining audio sources
- Ferrite – iPad podcast production app used to edit and export episodes
- Elgato Stream Deck – hardware controller used to trigger sound effects during recordings
- Sennheiser PC7 USB-C – budget headset (~€20) recommended as a simple all-in-one audio solution
- QuickTime – Mac recording application used to capture audio/video before transferring to iPad
- Blackmagic ATEM Mini Extreme ISO – 8-input video switcher used to combine camera and microphone signals
