Audacity and Blue Yeti Revealed


Breaking down the most debated podcasting tools and events with an insider's perspective - David Hooper rates them as overrated, underrated, or accurately rated on this episode of Build a Big Podcast!

Episode Timestamps

Introduction (00:00:05 - 00:00:56)

  • Breaking the 4th wall
  • Mentioning past insider episodes and newsletter
  • Overwhelm with other work (new book, other projects, client work, NPR podcast)
  • Introduction to "Build A Big Podcast" and episode format

Episode Format: Over, Under, or Accurate (00:00:56 - 00:01:21)

  • Explanation of the format: Overrated, Underrated, or Accurately Rated

Blue Yeti Microphone (00:01:21 - 00:03:33)

  • Overrated for most people, underrated for podcasters
  • Best practices for using Blue Yeti
  • Cost and sensitivity issues
  • Alternative: ATR 2100 by Audio-Technica

Audacity (00:03:33 - 00:04:12)

  • Highly underrated
  • Long-time user perspective
  • New features and plug-in compatibility
  • Opinions on destructive vs. non-destructive editing

Podcasting Conferences (00:04:12 - 00:10:24)

  • General opinion: Underrated until they are overrated
  • Costs and company expenses
  • Differences between independent and company podcasters
  • Importance of having a plan for bigger events
  • Music industry comparison: SXSW
  • Opinion on smaller, regional events
  • Potential for organizing small events for independent podcasters

High-End Microphones (00:10:24 - 00:14:16)

  • General opinion: Overrated for general use, underrated for reliability
  • Examples: RE 20, SM 7B, SM 58
  • Issues with counterfeit microphones
  • Importance of reliability and  quality

Remote Recording (00:14:16 - 00:19:20)

  • General opinion: Accurately rated
  • Benefits of in-person interviews
  • Personal anecdotes (e.g., Dolly Parton interview)
  • Time-saving aspects of remote recording platforms
  • Comparison with past technologies (ISDN)
  • Unique experiences tied to in-person interviews

Conclusion (00:19:20 - 00:20:01)

  • Future episodes on overrated, underrated, or accurate topics
  • Information on how to subscribe and stay updated on new episodes

The Newsletter for Podcasters

Want more help growing your podcast audience?


Check out the episode!