5 Things To Avoid When Buying Audio Equipment
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- I just wanted to share 5 mistakes that I see a lot of people making when purchasing audio equipment that should be avoided. I know this channel could be used to justify over consumption of audio equipment so I wanted to take a week to advocate for fiscal responsibility. Also, these tips could apply to pretty much any good you're considering purchasing.
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Tip #1 - Avoid Following Trends
01:39 - Tip #2 - Avoid Impulse Purchases
02:31 - Tip #3 - Avoid Buying The Dream
03:40 - Tip #4 - Avoid Going Into Debt
04:56 - Tip #5 - Avoid Paying Scalpers/Flippers
06:11 - Outro
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This is an absolutely awesome list of advice. I’ve definitely been guilty of buying “dreams” that really weren’t what I needed at all. 🤦🏻♂️
Ditto… 😅
Well, buy nice or buy twice, haha
You and him are legends in this field my man
@@DarkPa1adin true
i bought the AKG k240 studio because of that mindset!
some of the worst headphones i've ever used despite AKG being a solid audio company 😐
learned my lesson for sure
SPOT ON! I do this with everything - audio gear, cameras, guitars, computers.... thinking it's going to improve my work.
We have all gone down that road, and most of the time the higher end equipment becomes more transparent and shines a spotlight on our flaws. The more professional stuff is much less forgiving.
@@Podcastage Hey bro, I want to restart my TH-cam channel .... I want to buy a camera but before I do so .. I wanted to upload on my Pixel 6 until I'm monetized and know I'm getting money before going ahead and buying that camera .. I was thinking before I do that ... let me upload from my phone first and make sure it's working out and have been wondering what a good microphone is for a USB C? Whats your recommendation? I was thinking to get a Sony lavalier mic with a TRS connection, and just gett the USBC adapter and hook it up to the pixel 6 ..... what do you think about this setup and what is your recommendation? Thanks brotha
Look who we have here 😱
@@BensWatchClub What's up bro ... I saw the checkmark on your name and checked out ur channel... I want to buy a watch for myself but also want to get able to resell it later and make sure it goes up in value ... What are some good brands that not only hold their value, but also increase over time? I think Rolex and Omegas are like that ... But what about Cartier or other types of watches that are good investments? Also, get a pre-owned one right?
@@BensWatchClub haha @podcastage is a fellow watch guy, he's got some great watches.
I’m slowly building my podcast studio. I’ve been at it since 2019. I can’t thank you enough for your channel and all you do. Thank you
What is good for beginner podcast equipment?
@@eddieanderson714 I can’t tell you specifically what’s good for you, but I used Andrew’s reviews learned from this channel and got me these.
1.ElectroVoice RE320 (reviewed in this channel)
2. Shure SM58 (reviewed in this channel).
3. Best boom arms and cables I could afford.
4. KlarkTeknik CM2 mic booster.
Running directly into a pair of
5. DBX286s. (reviewed in this channel)
6. Behringer composer pro MDX 2200.
7. Yamaha MG10xU I have used as both mixer and audio interface in some cases. And a
8. Zoom Podtrack P4.
9. Comica boom XD Lav mics
10. Going for a used Motu M2 audio interface asap.
Hopefully I can submit a voice recording in the future😃
And lots of DIY sound treatment for a noisy room next to a parking lot. Ouch!
I hope that helps someone.
Do a rode caster pro, with a mediocre mic still sounds fantastic!
I'm a huge fan of this video. Sharing general tips and advices is super helpful for newer podcasters, and just in general, audio engineers. Please make more!
I just financed a Nord keyboard and it's the first time I've ever financed music gear. HOWEVER, it was a terrific deal and it will be paid off at no interest using money made from gigging with the keyboard. I completely agree on this list! Great info and great principles to keep in mind!
3:32 Is the most important thing. It can actually be beneficial to build your skills on crummy equipment... If you've only every practiced with premium gear, you'll be in a bind whenever you find yourself with nothing but cheap junk to work with. If you built your skills on cheap junk, you'll be just fine even when there's nothing high-quality on hand, and when you do have the good stuff, you'll be way ahead of the game.
100% agree. It's also what sets off a real pro from the rest.
Yep! Started with Radio Shack stuff…..
Swinging the practice bat! As they would do in baseball. It’s huge.
That's great advice from someone with their heart in the right place
This is an amazing video. Thank you Bandrew! It is important to note, especially when you are starting out with any expensive hobby or practice, that you don’t need the professional level gear. I did not know this how ever when I was just starting out as a young lad in high school and made some not so great purchase decisions and had to learn what you’ve said in this video, the hard way. You can make great sounding music, podcasts, voice overs, etc. without the need for a $4000.00 setup. People do it all the time. And so can you! If you have the drive and the will power, you can do it!
Always a pleasure to see a general video from Bandrew
You are totally spot on with the advice in this video. I do not always agree with your reviews because I think we have different ears and also what we are going for, but I always find your reviews very helpful because you are generally super balanced and consistent in what you are looking for from a mic. That is a great yardstick for anyone. You also help a lot of people deflate their G.A.S. by me realizing that my gear is already up to the task. How I do tire of cork sniffing, particularly when my task at hand is just cranking out demos with a very limited audience.
Great advice - I completely co-sign on it. Makes me think back to when I met an artist right after they bought the gear for their first album. They had spent over $2,400 on their first set of sample libraries right off the bat and later were disappointed with them that they literally gave them away.
Thanks for speaking truth! You're encouraging all of us to take a breath and reconsider what we want or need and weigh it out on a cost/benefit scale. That's all good!!! Encouraging patience is a virtue. Will you still be using this and liking it 2 months from now! Most of us get wrapped up in dreams, but practice, research, refine and improve Ourselves... the Human is a very important part of the quality equation.
I am so impressed by your clarity of thought, and your ability to distill to the essence of the topic. Well done, and much appreciated! cb
Great advice. It can be really hard sometimes to hold back on gear purchases, and this serves as a nice reminder to at least be sensible about the gear you do buy.
I totally agree with you. Sometimes we want the most expensive gear but we don't need it or we don't even know how to use it. It is better to do a research and buy what you need based on your specific needs.
Thanks for this video, Bandrew. I was almost about to spend my entire monthly allowance on a mic. You made me rethink my decision.
One of your best! IMO - THIS should be the first video anybody thinking about buying podcasting equipment should watch before your excellent recording gear reviews. Thanks!
This is really helpful as I’ve had huge life changes that make me want to interview my family to make a multimedia family history or yearbook. Anyway, I’ve been overwhelmed with how much equipment is available. Thanks for this, on many levels.
Good tips. I would add buy quality. 10 plus years ago when I was trying to make records I bought a bunch of studio gear for my home studio - compressors, EQs, preamps; most of it second hand. When I came to sell it recently, I got my money back and in some cases made a tidy profit. Also, the paint of the extra cost of buying quality upfront reduces the risk of making a rushed ultimately unnecessary decision
Man, this is the most valuable video of yours I've watched here.
I've of lately thinking about all those marketers out there who call themselves TH-camrs promoting "the best" this and "the best" that of equipments. In the end, they themselves don't use those equipments they promote, just for affiliate and viewship sake.Not many do advise people to try different equipments (mics, cameras and other gears) to identify which works better for their needs, voice and what have you.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the good common sense advice, for some people this will hopefully keep them from falling into an audio pit. It's easy to convince yourself you need something or it convince yourself that this one product will make things so much better. Great video and advice
great advice on all 5 tips, Bandrew! Just like musical instruments, the paradox in which we find ourselves is this:
***the more experience we gain, the less the equipment "matters"***
Reminds me of Michelle Shocked in a campfire recording from a cassette recorder... it was really engaging, fun and low-fi. A Perfect musical moment in time. The musician transcended the limited technology.
Fantastic! More vids like this please!
LOVE IT!!!! I have been recording music professionally for 20 years, and I learned my craft in the box first before I started investing any outboard gear. The outboard gear I have invested in meets all of my criteria (Color, EQ, and Compression). So many people don't realize how versatile a good channel strip is versus a high-end mic pre. Also, Warm Audio. If you are a fiscal conservative, then you should own Warm Audio gear.
This is an absolutely awesome list of advice. I've definitely been guilty of buying "dreams" That really weren't what I needed at all.
This is great advise, we sometimes are tempted to purchase more expensive hardware, because you watch a lot of youtubers or podcasters using the best of the best, i'm guilty of that as well. I've fallen into debt and lost the income I was used too and struggled because of my lack of perspective and patience. Thanks for this. Great content as usual
Everything that was discussed is 100% accurate. I’ve noticed that I hardly use a lot of my previous impulse buys
Great job as always and you videos has help me up out with my current journey in twitch. I have a bad habit with buying dream equipment, which ends up collection dust.
I feel I find myself in this rabbit hole too often. Take a breath, re-evaluate. Is the thing I want really going to improve what I'm doing? I try and answer this question first before buying anything. Thank you for putting this bit of wisdom out there. Cheers!
Good stuff. I agree. Before a major purchase, I take my time and wait to make sure it is what I need.🦋
Great advice! I have been much better off ever since I took the approach that these things are tools. Spend the time and find the right tool for the situation (even if it's not the one that everybody else uses) and you won't be wasting your money.
I struggle with content creator reviews and the hype lol, I appreciate this perspective and if it's coming from maybe a place of guilt at all then just know you're putting out a lot of good quality content thats quantitative and valuable as people research their mics. Yes, I imagine you sell a lot of mics, but those were going to be bought either way and you're helping people make an informed decision. To all the buyers out there, my personal advice is if you're looking at a mic, try to seek out at least one negative review and see what they say about it. After a good bandrew review I'm stoked to buy, but take his good advice of waiting and letting that thought simmer a bit.. I'll say though that I recently got an Nt2-a and it was podcastage that helped me get through the analysis paralysis. Wasn't even a glowing review really, but together with my other 'research' it was what put me over. So many good mics out there, another good point is that once you buy, stop looking for awhile! Get to know what you have and what if any limitations are, then fill any gaps as needed. I myself have a home recording space (guitar, keyboard, vocals) and do voiceovers and interviews for work, I have the nt2a, sm57 beta, ev76, xm8500, videomic pro, ntg2+, and a yeti.. Once I get a re20 and a set of pencil condenser, I'm done with mics (at least for a few years :p)
hah we have similar recording needs, and consequently, mics.. I have the 57, and soon after a 58, for stereo recording acoustic. Love Shure. Got the Video Mic go 2 shotty for recording live streams and not wanting to be right up on the mic the whole time, and I got an RE20 a while ago, which is mostly for recording videos, and streaming when I want quality, and then its great for singing/instruments too. All through a Motu m4. The SM7b is too obvious for me haha I like the odd choice, always. The SM7b sound is so familiar. Re20 has more character, which some don't like. Then I have a Blue Nessie which I haven't touched in years lol. Dynamic is the way to go for untreated rooms... and yes research is your best friend for buying, well anything, but getting the wrong mic or audio equipment is much easier than most things.
The 57 or 58 is always a great entry option for XLR. It handles reflections quite well. Next on my list, a wireless lav would be nice. But yeah, it seems like all you'll need is one good mic, but then the more you learn the more you realize the shortcomings every mic has, in certain scenarios. It's good to have an arsenal.
I love your recent videos! Reviews are great but you’ve some good wisdom in that noggin too.
Now that I've been a professional in the industry for a few years, I am the most patient buyer you can think of. I literally waited 3 years to buy my first bass, wasn't happy with it, sold it, got the money back, waited another year, got advised by a top level instrument tech and bought my second bass today. I still haven't made my mind up yet on what kind of high-end in-ear system I'd like but I still have time. My audio interface is long overdue for a change but ...!! It works. It's stable. Maybe if I change... hmm actually if I change I *know* I'll run into issues I can't afford right now. Anyway...! Great advice :)
Tip 4 is something so many people need to hear nowdays. Not just for audio but just for buying anything. Especially here in Sweden, tons of people are buying all their non-essentials on "buy now pay later" platforms. Which just ends up costing more money, money they didn't even have in the first place. I'm all for people buying the things they want but man, some just need to learn financial responsibility
You are so right about the equipment part. I once bought a $65 boom arm I had to return days later because my desk didn't have enough space for it. Eventually I found the right purchase In a gator table stand and I love it. I also researched for several weeks before buying an audio interface, and I only did it because the Fduce SL40 mic I bought came with its XLR cable plus it was at a %45 discount on Amazon. I also bought my audio interface for a discount as well. The interface I bought was the Evo 4 audi9 interface with Smart Gain
This was trully fun, interesting and helpful. I really enjoy when you go on this kind of subject.
Thank you, Brandon, go ahead!
This was your best video, in general all your video are great, but this one and the one about the law of diminishing returns you help us ground ourselves and see thing clearer. Thanks
Good Greetings. Thank you for this brilliantly well made and well spoken and also, well suggested video. I am in the process of having to really do some learning and watching reviews over which mic I should buy at the moment according to the financial situation I have right now. Your advices are very truly resonant to indicate to how many errors I've made and how susceptible I still am in repeating those errors as I'm just having to desire for so many different things at once and even thinking about taking a loan in order to buy a mic but I fully agree in what you've suggested as to not indulge in impulsive purchasing and instead to just be patient and being more rationally reasonable with our choices for this. Excellent video. I really appreciate your insight for this. Stay safe and stay happy
Solid advice, thank you for putting things into perspective.
Most people on TH-cam don't bring up financial constraints as you did - thank you for helping us impulsive spenders!
All EXCELLENT points! One addition to the section about scalpers; I will buy from a retailer 99% of the time because of ware tees/support. After I’ve researched a purchase to exhaustion, I’d be really upset if my perfect piece of gear breaks (which it inevitably will), and there’s no one to fix it.
"Unless your name is SoundSpeeds..." LMAO! And hey! I can tell thee future. I tell it to shutup a lot. Joking aside, love the formate. :)
Thank you for this. I was ready to jump in. I will relax and do some more research. I love your channel
This year has been an exception, due to preparing for my first short film shoot. Instead, I made sure every component could actually be used instead of needing replaced later. Biggest purchase? A used Sennheiser MKH 416, and a pair of Sennheiser EW100 body packs. Looking forward while replacing a Rode NTG4+ that sounds worse than I remember. Selling gear is a must at this point haha
The biggest mistake you can make is to talk about equipment, you should write and give yourself enough time to make a great script first
@@ramzichouk4080 Thankfully, the directors have it covered :-)
@@jeremyryannoel i thought you were a freelance filmmaker trying to make a short film.
@@ramzichouk4080 Nah just a sound guy, yet I do dabble with video.
Clear and concise! So useful!
Man I appreciate you taking a genuine interest in educating the viewers instead of solely plugging gear or shilling for companies
Thanks for the kind words.
I needed this advice 5 years ago! Great Video!
Your advise is as valid today as it was when you posted it.
Thanks!
On "Buying the Dream": I'm glad I dodged this bullet earlier. As tempting as it was to buy a Focusrite 2i2 and an SM7b and call it an 'investment'. I gave it a bit of distance, and found a gently used Shure Beta 58a and a Barringer UMC 202HD for a quarter of the price. Met functionally all of my needs.
You're a wise man Nick
@@Tewahedo Ahhhh shucks, man.
Buying used is always smart
Smart man. I'm struggling to see the benefit in getting the Focusrite over the Behringer, other than they seem to have given a lot of free products to a lot of TH-camrs, and so we're flooded with gushing praise of it at the moment. The Behringer options seem so much better for a much lower price!
@@simon_patterson I'm not too proud to admit that the Focusrite is a beautiful product. Looking good/nice packaging & "Image" can move a lot of product. Especially when the product performs not half bad. But if figure- if I manage to actually manage to make enough money to make it a worthy investment, an upgrade won't be out of the question down the line.
Really enjoyed this video. I also think it's valuable for someone to start on a cheaper piece of gear and learn through experience what upgrading to something better will do for them.
I feel like I just got life advice from a video about audio equipment when I am considering to buy a gaming microphone o.o dude, this is awesome! :D Great video, much love
Awesome vid. Great advice. This comes from a really good sensible and considerate place. Love to see it.cheers
Great advice. Just to embellish your point, using this exact advice I am completely debt free including all vehicles, house and no credit card debt. Any and all gear purchases are with cash.
This is just good advice for life! Thank you for all your content, it is so helpful.
really good advice. I got a little carried away with my new guitar center card in late summer. than something happened money wise that I knew was coming but was not thinking about. it's called winter!
Great advice video
I remember in one of your podcast for beginners video you did a "beta" version of this video
That helped me a lot...im setting up a yt channel from my truck and i needed audio equipment (duh lol) on a tight budget
I was tempted to follow the trend and go with the snowball or the yeti but your advice put me back on track and i focused on my main requirement; background noise rejection. And from your review(and others), i bought the Q2U with a shockmount...its cheaper and suits my needs, win-win 👌👍
Great video and great content on this channel. Thank you
Ei! Awesome video Bandrew! Thanks a lot, really helpfull. Man, if you have more "advices" like those just say it. It is very nice listening this idead from someone who knows so mich of audio gear. Again thanks! ❤️
I have a 21 day cooling off period with my partner from the first time I say I want/need. Gives us time to figure if we missed something, needs more research and sorting out budgeting. We have a kid so choices matter.
Spot on Bandrew. Research, research & research again. The make a considered purchase that is within your means that will serve you well for years to come.
Stumbled upon your channel and absolutely love your reviews and humor. Amazing tips! Impulse buying is a real thing 😅 Black Friday can sure get the best of you 😂 But I wish you nothing but success. New subscriber 👍🏻
I agree. (Continues to follow the podcastage trend, impulse buying the Austrian Audio OC818 after Bandrew calls it an instant classic but still waits for the Telefunken TF47 review)
I definitely agree with the points, especially the buying into a dream, debt, and impulse purchasing. I actually wound up falling into that "losing your job" category, and while EI was there, I found a new job in a similar market reasonably quickly ~and~ I got a sizeable severance (which I used to clear outstanding debts, and pick up a few things that had been on "the list for a while") it really did suck having to call a few places and negotiate for late payments on a thing or two while I waited for the transition of regular income to EI.
Good advice.... I never do impulse buys I always wait weeks and keep researching. I always end up changing my mind in that timeframe.
Fantastic... what a great subject: Impulse and/or trend buying, a great subject for all guys in music.
My dream was great video sound with good XLR mics and an external recorder - M5 stereo pair + simple 4-ch recorder.
What I really use is (1) Videomic NTG (2x for stereo) and (2) a tiny self made Mid-Side-Mic with Primo capsules.
Both work with the 3.5mm TRS inputs of my cameras, do not need synchronization in post, do not need special power supplies or battery and sound very good. They are not fancy but practical!
You just put everything I already did. Genius. Thank you for great video.
So on point; thank you!!!
Just recently discovered this channel, it's fantastic
Very well put!
Great advice! You are amazing. Big love from Seattle
This is all 100% applicable in the DJ space also. So many people think the gear makes the DJ…if you got the money..buy what you want..but only hard work going to take you to the next level
Great content Bandrew!
Hi @podcastage - any tips of foam placement based on room shape/size? How much foam we need? Does having a large piece of metal on the wall a bad thing? (Video suggestion??)
Great advice!! Live the focus on fiscal responsibility
I buy 90% of my studio gear through Sweetwater. I have developed a great report with my sale's engineer Perry. I tell what I'm looking for and he places a tag for demos. It's been a great experience working him Perry. Great topic btw. Good news for me is I've hit my maximum I/O for my studio. So for now I can't buy any outboard gear 😂. But microphone's there's no limit on those suckers 😂. Please continue doing what you do here. Thanks again
I wish you luck on avoiding the constant urge to buy new mics.
You are so correct bro! Thank you for this video.
This is very helpful. .thanks for sharing bandrew💯. .i wanted to ask you like which dynamic mic is best for singing? rode podmic or se v7,could you suggest me which one should i get?
Yep. I went down this road a bit. Turns out my favorite mic to sing through for recording is a Shure beta 57.
much needed discussion. thank you
Great tips and that has been how I was I was tought and found out myself.... Like I have the Blue Studio mic because I like the way it sounded and also it has the duel outputs and honestly the rest of it like the price and it has served me and my voice well for 3 years now. Also about the dream yes you should not let the idea of a product consume you but if you want that sound above nothing else and you thought really hard about it maybe then.
Wow. What a great video. Helpful for me. Thanks for this kind of content dude.
this is perfect! excellent reminder
Very wise and much needed advise for many!!!
Ah yes, i remember when everyone (relatively here in asia at least) went all out into buying the cursed unbranded BM-800 mic, and bought alot of expensive accessories/equipment to try making the mic decent.
I did plan to make a video on why the mic sucked, and why many people in my country buy it, but i took too long and people have moved on to using better budget gear like the Maono branded stuff.
There are a few guys that are an absolute must when purchasing audio, Podcastage, Tom Buck. Couple others. So good!
P.s. have done all of these
I got the Shure MV7 on impulse at a retail store in-between the pandemic was opening and closing the stores to replace my 10-year old Blue Yeti. It was on sale, plus saved on shipping if I bought it online.
Great Video with advice that works for most all purchases. Except for motorcycles, aquariums, and a few other items.
Some advice. Just buy the motorcycle you want first. Don't work your way up to the bike you really want. Don't buy a 125cc, then a 250cc , then a 500cc, then finally buy a 750cc. Buy the bike you wanted in the beginning. You'll save money and time by just buying the bike you wanted in the beginning.
Salt water aquariums are the same way. Just buy the big aquarium that you wanted in the beginning. Don't waste your time starting with a 10 gallon, then upgrading to a 50, then a 100, then a 200, etc. Buy the 200 gallon right off the bat. You'll actually save money by not buying 5 tanks in-between. This may sound strange but larger aquariums are actually easier to maintain than tiny ones. The larger volume of water makes changes to the water take longer. The tank won't crash overnight like a small 10 gallon tank could.
Your videos are just amazing! Thank you!
Absolutely this - my home office is pretty noisy, and thanks to Trendcastage pointed me towards the Procaster and SSL2
I really enjoy taking your advice on audio equipment...P.S. my roommate Hates watching you 😆 because when I have been on the search for microphones I have watched a Ton of these 🗣️ Thanks again
Sorry your roommate hates it, but maybe some audio knowledge will seep in and they will unknowingly be brainwashed into caring about good quality audio! Muwahahaha!
thanks for watching Bill.
I love this, thank you!!!
Great advice! (but . . . I loaded up Reverb while listening to make sure I'm not missing out on some cool piece of gear that will make all my dreams come true! 🤦♂️😅)
Thanks for the video. I have a small budget with which to buy a small unit for field recording. While researching over a few months, I noticed the prices started to rise. One unit I was interested in has doubled in price. Add a few minor accessories and the price triples. And don't get me started on compatibility with your computer operating system !
Solid advice. A good dose of reality for everyone.
Love you bro, amazing vids. and btw you may have just saved me a couple thousand more on equipment lol.
A really good video. One small voice of reason!
Fantastico and reasonable as always mi amigo!
Thankyou very nice one ...need of the hour... Audiophile journey too