Podcast Studio Glossary: 24 Terms Explained
The words that show up in podcast studio specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon. Open any term for the full explanation and what to look for when buying.
- Acoustic treatment
- Absorbing panels and surfaces that reduce echo and reflections in a room, distinct from soundproofing.
- Read more about acoustic treatmentRelated: Best Acoustic Panels
- Audio interface
- A box that converts analog signal from XLR microphones into digital audio a computer can record.
- Read more about audio interfaceRelated: Best Audio Interfaces
- Bass trap
- A thick acoustic panel, usually placed in room corners, that absorbs low-frequency sound that thin foam misses.
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- Bit depth
- The number of bits used to represent each audio sample, which sets the dynamic range and noise floor.
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- Boom arm
- An articulating, spring-loaded mic stand that clamps to a desk and keeps the mic close to the mouth.
- Read more about boom armRelated: Best Boom Arms
- Cardioid
- A heart-shaped pickup pattern that captures sound mainly from the front of the mic and rejects the rear.
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- Compressor
- An audio processor that reduces the gap between the loudest and quietest parts of a recording.
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- Condenser microphone
- A sensitive mic that captures fine detail and room tone, and needs phantom power when wired over XLR.
- Read more about condenser microphoneRelated: Best Condenser Microphones
- dBFS
- Decibels relative to full scale, the digital loudness scale where 0 dBFS is the hard ceiling and clipping.
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- Dynamic microphone
- A rugged, low-sensitivity mic that rejects room noise, usually the best pick for untreated home rooms.
- Read more about dynamic microphoneRelated: Best Dynamic Microphones
- Gain
- Input amplification set at the interface or mic, ideally leaving speech averaging around -18 to -12 dBFS.
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- Lavalier microphone
- A small clip-on mic worn on clothing, used for hands-free recording while moving around on camera.
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- LUFS
- Loudness units relative to full scale, a perceived-loudness measurement used to hit podcast platform loudness targets.
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- Microphone preamp
- The amplification stage inside an interface or mixer that boosts a mic's weak signal before conversion.
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- Noise gate
- An audio processor that mutes or lowers a track when its level drops below a set threshold.
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- Phantom power
- 48V direct current supplied through an XLR cable from an interface or mixer to power condenser microphones.
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- Polar pattern
- The shape of a microphone's sensitivity around its capsule, such as cardioid, omnidirectional or figure-8.
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- Pop filter
- A mesh screen placed in front of a microphone that softens plosive p and b sounds before they hit the capsule.
- Read more about pop filterRelated: Best Pop Filters
- Proximity effect
- A bass boost that occurs when speaking close to a directional microphone, common with cardioid dynamic mics.
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- Sample rate
- How many times per second an analog audio signal is measured and converted into digital data.
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- Shock mount
- A suspension cradle that isolates a microphone from vibrations traveling through its stand or boom arm.
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- True peak
- The real peak level including inter-sample peaks that appear after MP3 or AAC encoding, not just the sample meter.
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- USB microphone
- A microphone with a built-in analog-to-digital converter that plugs straight into a computer, no interface needed.
- Read more about usb microphoneRelated: Best USB Microphones
- XLR
- A three-pin balanced audio connector used by professional microphones, interfaces, mixers and studio monitors.
- Read more about xlrRelated: Best XLR Microphones