A portable podcast kit for conferences and client visits

Trade shows, client offices, a hotel room the night before a keynote. A travelling show needs a kit that works on a hotel desk in five minutes.

The kit

• Two dynamic broadcast microphones. Dynamic because hotel rooms are not treated.
• A handheld multitrack recorder with 32-bit float, so nobody has to set levels under pressure.
• Two pairs of closed headphones and a small headphone splitter.
• Two folding desktop stands, short XLR cables, a windscreen for each mic.
• A hard case with cut foam. Airlines are not gentle.

Weight and cost

About four kilograms and roughly $1,600 at retail. It fits under a seat.

Technique on the road

Record in the corner of the room, not the middle. Put the bed between you and the window. Keep the mics close and the recorder on a towel.

Where it fits

Teams often start with this kit, then build a studio once the show has an audience. Equipment Sourcing assembles it for $99, credited toward the installation later.