Someone asked me what equipment I used to record the two recent episodes of the Tom Woods Show with Michael Malice. Michael paid us a visit in Florida, and we recorded those episodes in person.
It turns out that the technology changes substantially when you move from recording one voice into a computer to recording two or more. You can’t just plug two microphones into your computer.
Here’s exactly what I used, thanks to the expert counsel of Chris Williams, my audio guy (his commentary is included):
1. Focusrite 2i2 Scarlett USB Audio Interface. This is the best bang for the buck 2-channel USB interface in existence. $140 is a steal for it… plus it comes with Pro Tools First, which is much better for recording multiple mics at once than Audacity or any other free software. Operating this interface is a piece of cake.
2. SM57s are some of the cheapest, most widely used, most reliable mics in existence. They’re virtually indestructible and have a very balanced tone on vocals, especially if you speak close to the mic (proximity effect enhances the bass and warmth of your voice). (If you only have USB mics and don’t have any standard mics with XLR connectors, you’ll need two SM57s.)
4. Two pop filters.
5. Cheap 6 ft. XLR cables to connect the mics to the interface.
