Who are you, and what are your podcasts about?
I'm JP, the founder of Pop Up Podcasting in Ottawa. We make podcasts for businesses, non-profits, and individuals. Some of our clients include the Canadian Human Rights Commission, First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, Syntax Strategic, restaurateur Adam Vettorel, and realtor Nick Fundytus.
Where do you record your podcasts?
Our studio is small but mighty! It's about 200 square feet in an office tower in downtown Ottawa, split into a control room and a studio.
What equipment do you use to record your podcast?
Four Electro-Voice RE320 mics are connected to an Allen & Heath SQ-5 mixer. We have three Sony AX53 camcorders going into a Blackmagic ATEM Extreme ISO for video. We also have a teleprompter and several TVs to display client artwork and to let clients see remote guests. Everything goes into a custom PC for editing.
Is there any equipment in your setup you might not recommend to others?
Our setup only makes sense because it helps us land paying clients - it's overkill for most podcasters. For example, if you're starting a new podcast, instead of the $6000 mixer, I'd recommend a Rodecaster Pro II for 1/5th the price, and even that is overkill for many. If you're recording solo/remotely, a $100 USB mic will often do the trick!
What software do you use to record and edit your podcast?
We use Hindenburg Pro, Davinci Resolve, Descript, Riverside, and Zoom to record and edit depending on the scenario. We typically recommend our clients use Simplecast for hosting audio.
Do you record a video podcast as well? What's your process for recording, editing, and publishing it?
Yes, we do! If we can, we'll record live in the studio using our ATEM and an iPad app called MixEffect to enable "Video Follows Audio" - this automates camera switching so the mixer switches to the active speaker automatically, which is handy. For remote video, we use Riverside. Everything is edited in either Davinci Resolve or Descript (which is especially great for clips with captions).
What would your dream podcast recording setup be?
I think we've just about got it - though I'm always thinking about what's next and how we could improve. I'd love more space, but rent is expensive. And a camera upgrade would be great too, but when you're buying 3 at a time, that cost can get out of hand quickly too! Oh, and video lighting - I'd love to upgrade that eventually. I have the dream setup I wanted 5 years ago, but my dreams just keep getting bigger.