Audio Drama Equipment for All Fiction Formats (& Budgets!)

Audio drama equipment advice was harder to come by back in 2010. I took my first tentative steps into fiction podcast recording by using the built-in mic on my Zoom H2n. Not a bad mic, by any means, but certainly not always the best tool for the job.

Audio drama and fiction podcasting are like podcasting as an overall medium – there are so many people creating content in different ways. Just like an on-location interview has different technical demands than a remote interview in the non-fiction podcasting realm, so too do the various ways dramatised pieces are recorded. And that seems like the most logical way to break this down – into fiction podcasting formats.

I’ll caveat this audio drama equipment guide by saying that I’m never explicitly telling you to go out and buy something. My approach here is more of a “What would I do?”. A vast amount of new kit has come onto the market in the past 14 years, and I’ve been fortunate to review a lot of it. So here’s my thoughts:

A quick heads up to say that we use some affiliate links in our gear roundups, which help support all of our free content. Rest assured, though, that affiliate links never cloud our judgement or prevent us from giving our honest thoughts!

Audio Drama Equipment for Solo Fiction Podcast Makers & Voice Actors

Whether you’re reading chapters of an audiobook or doing remote lines for an audio drama, the priority here is to record a good clean vocal recording.

Budget Mic Options

A toss-up between the Samson Q2U and ATR2100. These affordable workhorse mics offer a solid level of sound quality and are forgiving of suboptimal room conditions. You can start out by using either in its USB form, then upgrade to an interface later on via XLR.

Mid-Range Mic Options

USB mics have come on leaps and bounds this past decade. I’d happily trust the Rode Podcaster, AKG Lyra, or Sennheiser Profile to record quality vocals. But again, having the option to switch to XLR further down the line is a big plus, so let’s opt for the Samson Q9U.

Premium Mic Options

If you’re somehow swimming in a pool of money (let us know where you found it) and want something high-end, then there are a range of options as wide as your wallet. Standouts for me are the Shure SM7db, Shure MV7+, the Rode NT1 5th Gen, or the Electro-Voice RE20.

All of these mics are world-class. But you can’t rely on an expensive mic alone to make a recording sound good. If you’re investing heavily in your setup, please treat your room with the same importance as you are your gear.

Solo Interface Options

I’ve mentioned a lot of mics that run via USB. Some of them (like the Q9U or NT1 5th Gen) work as USB or XLR mics, while others (SM7db, EVRE20) are exclusively XLR.

If you want to run an XLR mic, you’ll need an interface. I’ll give one recommendation here: the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I’ve used mine for about 13 years, and the newer incarnations are even better. The 2i2 plugs in via USB and lets you run one or two XLR mics into it.

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is the most popular audio interface among podcasters, according to our 2024 Gear Survey Report.

Audio Drama Equipment for In-Studio Performance

A “studio” can take many different forms. It could be a pro-level radio or sound studio, or it could be a room in your house with some acoustic treatment. The point is that we want to record multiple voices in the same room and do it as cleanly as possible.

By “clean”, I mean that the producer (possibly you) should be able to take these voices and place them in any fictional soundscape in post-production. To achieve this, you need no background noise and definitely no reverb in those vocals.

Studio Interface Options

This time, I’m starting with the interface because it’s the central hub for recording all your voices and having them separated neatly into their own individual tracks.

As a budget option, I’m going to recommend the Zoom PodTrak P4. This handy little device is great value for money, and you can record four actors at once into its XLR inputs. The PodTrak P4 will run on its own, no computer needed.

If you’re doing the Brewster’s Millions thing, then the Rodecaster Pro II might be for you. It’s a bigger, brighter alternative to the PodTrak P4, with even better preamps (and the P4’s preamps are good) to power even the hungriest of mics. Again, no computer needed.

Studio Mic Options

Much of what I said about the mics in the solo audio drama equipment section still applies here. One key variable is mic bleed. That “clean” recording we talked about can be affected by the sounds of other actors.

Preventing this isn’t necessarily down to mic choice – though that can help – but the positioning of your actors in the studio. Getting a decent amount of distance between everyone is good practice, and if you can add in some baffling or shielding (more on this in the “Other” section), then that’s ideal.

On a budget, I’d happily use the Samson Q2U or ATR2100 here. Both reject noise from around them very well. I’ll also throw the Shure SM58 into the hat.

If you can spend a bit more, then I’d opt for some Samson Q9Us or Shure MV7+s. These will improve the quality of your vocal recordings whilst still minimising that unwanted bleed.

Audio Drama Equipment for On-Location or Field Recording

Field recording involves taking your actors to a location and using its natural soundscape as a “baked-in” backdrop to their performance. Many actors love this approach, which can feel similar to working on a film or TV set. For producers, it can save time in post, too. You don’t need to edit in background ambience because it’s already there.

That said, field recording isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Good luck trying to make your sci-fi audio drama sound like it’s set on Mars with the sound of a fire engine or ice cream van passing by.

Field Recording Interfaces

Again, starting out with the central hub of our kit, we want an interface that’s portable, durable, and battery-powered. The Zoom PodTrak P4 remains an excellent option on this front. I’ll throw its cousins, the Zoom H5 and H6, into the hat, too. Both are superb field recorders and have the advantage of coming with built-in stereo mics.

Field Recording Mics

There are a few approaches here. One is to opt for durable audio drama equipment that can get a bit dirty and beat up and still perform well. As the Shure SM58 is invincible, you can run a couple of those into a Zoom H5 or H6 to capture the vocals while using the recorder’s built-in mics to grab your ambient soundscape.

Next up, you can opt for the film-style approach of sticking mics onto boom poles and dangling them in front of actors, which allows them to move around a little more. Shotgun mics are a good option here, and the Audio-Technica AT875R is very affordable. That said, costs can stack up when you need multiple, as well as boom arms and numerous people to help you wield them. As an alternative, you can also buy a shotgun mic capsule that’ll fit on the Zoom H5 or H6.

For me, the obvious choice would be to opt for wireless or lavalier mics. A costly but top-quality option is the Rode Wireless Pro kit, which can really free up your actors to do all the physical stuff without the need for extra production help. For this approach on a tighter budget, consider getting a smartphone lav for each actor who records directly into their own phone. There is a bit of extra production (not to mention much more chance of something going wrong), but you can definitely make it work.

Other Audio Drama Equipment

Microphones and audio interfaces are the most essential and prominent parts of your fiction podcast recording kit. But every good story needs a solid supporting cast, too.

Stands, Mounts, & Boom Arms

If you’re flying solo, any desk stand or boom will do the job. The Rode PSA1 is the pick of the bunch, but you’ll find many cheaper alternatives.

Rode also has a boompole if you’re taking the field recording approach, but for less than half the price, the Neewer NW-7000 is a popular and well thought of option.

If you’re getting everyone together in-studio, then your standard musician’s floor stands are ideal. You’ll find highly affordable options on Amazon or at your local music store.

Headphones

There is certainly no shortage of brilliant options when it comes to headphones for monitoring recordings and post-production. My personal favourites are the Audio Technica M20xs. They have higher-range models available (M30x, M40x, etc.), but I’m more than happy with the 20s.

When choosing headphones, be wary of consumer-level models designed for listening to music. If you have a pair of cans that add extra bass to your audio, then you’re not getting an accurate depiction of how your recordings actually sound, and – crucially- how everyone else will hear them.

Sound Treatment & Audio Protection

Pop filters are a low-cost safeguard to prevent a brilliant take from being ruined by a thumping plosive. Again, these can be picked up cheaply online or at your local store. Many mics claim to have built-in pop filters these days, but I’d still recommend using an external one.

Foam windjammers or “furries” are more suited to field recording. Avoid buying anything until you get your mics, though, as many models come with their own (external) plosive and wind protection.

If you’re creating an in-studio environment, then some acoustic treatment is essential to eliminate reverb from your vocals. You can buy foam acoustic tiles or hang sound blankets around your space. Who said sound treatment had to be baffling!? I’m making a joke here, and I sincerely hope it landed, albeit without causing any reverb or background noise.

Cables

Whilst I won’t go as far as to say an XLR cable is an XLR cable (an audio engineer would likely string me up with one), I can honestly say that I’ve never had to swap one out because I noticed it was negatively affecting the audio quality. You can buy very fancy and high-end cables with gold (gold!) in them, but again, unless you’re an eccentric millionaire, I wouldn’t worry about it. A decent amount of XLR mics come with cables these days, but if not, they’re very accessible and affordable.

What About Software?

Software for recording or editing audio drama is a subject in its own right. I’ve always used Adobe Audition. I learned on AA, and I know my way around it, so I never had any reason to go elsewhere.

Many fiction podcast pals use DAWs like Reaper and Hindenburg and speak highly of them.

The most popular podcast recording and editing software is Audacity. It’s free, and has every tool and feature you’ll ever need, but the layout can feel clunky and unintuitive to some.

I mentioned a fire engine potentially ruining your recording earlier on, too, and that’s a nice opportunity to mention Alitu. Check this out:

Noise reduction like that was unthinkable even a couple of years ago!

Audio Drama Equipment: Most Popular Kit

Our 2024 podcaster gear survey told us loads about the gear 500+ creators are using, and 8% of them were audio drama and fiction podcast makers. Obviously, that’s a small sample size, but a few patterns emerged that might suggest wider trends in our corner of the medium.

• The Blue Yeti was the most popular mic (as it is in podcasting, overall)
• The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 was the most popular audio interface (as it is in podcasting, overall)
• Rode was the most popular brand, with fiction podcast creators creators using the Podcaster, Procaster, and NT1-range models.
• Adobe Audition pipped Audacity as the most popular software program.

More Fiction Podcasting Help

I hope this audio drama equipment guide has been useful in helping you choose the right tools to record and produce your show. A couple of additional resources for you are our guides on how to make a fiction podcast and how to edit and produce and audio drama.

Last but not least, be sure to sign up to the Fiction Podcast Weekly, an essential newsletter for creators and enthusiasts in the space. You’ll get all the latest info delivered straight to your inbox each week, from creator resources and casting calls to various other opportunities and industry news as a whole. If you’re even thinking about making an audio drama, then you need to be getting this.