Podcast Studio Glossary: 15 Terms Explained
The words that show up in podcast studio specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon.
- Acoustic treatment
- Absorbing panels that reduce echo and reflections. Different from soundproofing, which blocks sound from travelling.
- Related: Best Acoustic Panels →
- Audio interface
- A box that converts XLR microphone signals to digital audio for a computer.
- Related: Best Audio Interfaces →
- Boom arm
- An articulating mic stand that clamps to a desk and keeps the mic close to your mouth.
- Related: Best Boom Arms →
- Cardioid
- A heart-shaped pickup pattern that captures sound mainly from the front of the mic.
- Condenser microphone
- A sensitive mic that captures detail and room sound. It needs phantom power when using XLR.
- Related: Best Condenser Microphones →
- dBFS
- Decibels relative to full scale. 0 dBFS is the digital ceiling, and anything reaching it clips.
- Dynamic microphone
- A rugged mic that picks up less room sound, often the best choice for untreated home rooms.
- Related: Best Dynamic Microphones →
- Gain
- Input amplification set at the interface or mic. Set it so speech averages around -18 to -12 dBFS.
- LUFS
- Loudness units relative to full scale, a measure of perceived loudness over an episode. Around -16 LUFS is a common stereo podcast target.
- Phantom power
- 48V supplied through an XLR cable to power condenser microphones.
- Pop filter
- A screen in front of the mic that softens plosive p and b sounds.
- Related: Best Pop Filters →
- Proximity effect
- Bass boost when you speak close to a directional microphone.
- True peak
- The real peak level including inter-sample peaks that appear after MP3 or AAC encoding. A -1 dBTP ceiling is a common safety margin.
- USB microphone
- A mic with a built-in interface that plugs straight into a computer.
- Related: Best USB Microphones →
- XLR
- A three-pin balanced audio connector used by professional microphones and interfaces.
- Related: Best XLR Microphones →