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Developer Tea Gear: From My Room to Your Ears

Summary

In this episode, host Jonathan Cottrell provides a detailed walkthrough of the equipment and software he uses to produce the Developer Tea podcast. He begins by explaining the motivation for the episode, noting that many listeners have requested a behind-the-scenes look at his setup. He emphasizes that while he uses professional-grade gear, much of it was acquired from his previous work in music and that starting a podcast does not require a large initial investment.

Cottrell starts the technical breakdown with the microphone, a Shure SM7B dynamic microphone known for its use on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. He highlights its low gain output and the necessity of pairing it with a good preamp. He then discusses the importance of the recording environment, describing his home office studio setup which includes RLX acoustic padding and a Sterling VMS voice microphone shield to dampen echoes and improve sound quality.

The signal chain is explained step-by-step: the microphone connects via a Redco/Mogami cable to a Cloudlifter (which adds 50dB of gain), then to a Universal Audio 710 preamp that blends solid-state and tube-driven channels, and finally into a Focusrite Clarett 8Pre audio interface connected via Thunderbolt to a dedicated 27-inch iMac Retina. Cottrell notes he received the interface at an industry discount but purchased all other gear himself.

He details the software side, using Apple Logic Pro as the digital audio workstation (DAW), chosen for its quality, popularity, and lower cost compared to Pro Tools. Episodes are recorded into Logic and shared via Dropbox for editing by his colleague Sarah, who uses specific plugins for mastering. For monitoring, he uses in-ear headphones while recording and Yamaha HS7 studio monitors on RLX Mopads for playback.

Cottrell concludes by reiterating that high-quality podcasting can be achieved with less than $500 worth of gear and invites listeners interested in starting their own podcast to join the free Spec Slack community (spec.fm/slack) for further discussion and advice. The episode is sponsored by DigitalOcean, which offers a free month of hosting with the code DEVELOPERT.

Recommendations

Accessories

  • Sterling VMS (Voice Microphone Shield) — A sound reflector placed behind the microphone to help dampen echoes and improve vocal recording quality in a home studio.
  • RLX Acoustic Padding & Mopads — Acoustic padding used on walls to treat the room and Mopads used under studio monitors to isolate them from the desk and reduce vibration.

Hardware

  • Shure SM7B Microphone — A dynamic microphone with low gain output, famously used by Michael Jackson on the Thriller album. Cottrell uses it as his primary podcast microphone.
  • Universal Audio 710 Preamp — A single-channel preamp that allows blending between a clean solid-state sound and a warm, slightly overdriven tube-driven sound.
  • Cloudlifter — A device that adds 50 decibels of gain to the microphone signal, crucial for using with the low-output Shure SM7B.
  • Focusrite Clarett 8Pre Audio Interface — An eight-channel Thunderbolt audio interface that converts analog signals to digital. Cottrell mentions getting it at an industry rate.
  • Yamaha HS7 Studio Monitors — Studio monitor speakers used for playback, placed on RLX Mopads to prevent desk reverberation and ensure clean, flat sound.

Services

  • DigitalOcean — A cloud SSD hosting provider sponsoring the episode. They offer simple, scalable droplet servers. Listeners can get a free month of a 1GB droplet using the code DEVELOPERT.
  • Spec Slack Community — A free Slack community (spec.fm/slack) where listeners can discuss podcasting gear and get advice on building an affordable setup, mentioned multiple times as a resource.

Software

  • Apple Logic Pro — The digital audio workstation (DAW) used to record and edit Developer Tea. Cottrell praises its quality and value, noting it’s cheaper than Pro Tools and used by everyone on the Spec network.

Topic Timeline

  • 00:00:00 — Introduction and episode premise — Jonathan Cottrell introduces the episode, explaining it will cover the gear he uses to record Developer Tea. He mentions the episode was requested by listeners and is sponsored by DigitalOcean. He sets the context that the gear list is from January 2016 and may change over time.
  • 00:01:43 — Microphone: Shure SM7B and room setup — Cottrell begins with the microphone, a Shure SM7B dynamic mic, noting its low gain output and famous use on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. He stresses the importance of a good preamp. He then describes his home studio setup, including RLX acoustic padding and a Sterling VMS voice microphone shield to control room acoustics and echo.
  • 00:04:00 — Audio interface and recording workflow — The host reveals his audio interface is a Focusrite Clarett 8Pre, which he got at an industry rate. He emphasizes the importance of a comfortable recording setup that allows easy control of the digital audio workstation. He mentions his transition to using a standing desk for recording.
  • 00:07:02 — Signal chain: Preamp and Cloudlifter — Cottrell details the signal path from the microphone. The signal goes through a Redco cable, into a Cloudlifter (which adds 50dB of gain to compensate for the SM7B’s low output), and then into a Universal Audio 710 preamp. He explains the preamp allows blending between clean solid-state and warm tube-driven sounds.
  • 00:08:57 — Sponsor break: DigitalOcean — A sponsored segment promoting DigitalOcean’s cloud hosting services. Cottrell highlights their growth, simple droplet servers, scalable infrastructure, and straightforward pricing. He offers listeners a free month of a 1GB droplet using the code DEVELOPERT at checkout.
  • 00:10:46 — Advice for starting a podcast affordably — Cottrell clarifies that his gear collection predates the podcast and was partly from his music background. He stresses that starting a podcast doesn’t require expensive gear; a professional-sounding setup can be built for under $500. He invites listeners to join the Spec Slack community (spec.fm/slack) for personalized gear advice.
  • 00:12:45 — Audio interface and computer setup — The signal from the preamp enters the Focusrite Clarett 8Pre audio interface, which converts analog signals to digital. This is connected via Thunderbolt to a dedicated 27-inch iMac Retina used solely for Developer Tea production work.
  • 00:13:45 — Software: Logic Pro and production workflow — Cottrell uses Apple Logic Pro as his digital audio workstation, praising its quality and value compared to Pro Tools. He describes the production workflow: recording into Logic, sharing project folders via Dropbox, and having episodes edited and mastered by Sarah using specific plugins. He promises to link those plugins in the show notes.
  • 00:15:33 — Monitoring: Headphones and studio monitors — While recording, Cottrell monitors his voice with simple in-ear headphones. For playback and mixing, he uses Yamaha HS7 studio monitors placed on RLX Mopads to isolate them from the desk and provide a flat, accurate sound.
  • 00:16:25 — Conclusion and community invitation — Cottrell summarizes the gear tour, hopes it was interesting, and reiterates that expensive gear isn’t necessary to start. He again invites aspiring podcasters to the free Spec Slack community for guidance. He closes by reminding listeners of the DigitalOcean offer and thanks them for listening.

Episode Info

  • Podcast: Developer Tea
  • Author: Jonathan Cutrell
  • Category: Technology Business Careers Society & Culture
  • Published: 2016-01-13T08:00:00Z
  • Duration: 00:18:09

References

Podcast Info

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hey, everyone, and welcome to Developer Tea.

[00:00:05] My name is Jonathan Cottrell, and in today’s episode, I’m going to be going over some of

[00:00:10] the gear that I use.

[00:00:12] This is a little bit of an unconventional episode of Developer Tea.

[00:00:16] Today’s episode is sponsored by DigitalOcean.

[00:00:20] If you are a developer and you’re looking for a cloud SSD hosting solution, DigitalOcean

[00:00:26] very well could be the best solution for you on the market today.

[00:00:31] You can get started for free.

[00:00:34] We will talk a little bit more about how you can get a free droplet on DigitalOcean.

[00:00:38] That’s a free server for a month later on in today’s episode.

[00:00:42] But first, I want to jump straight in and start talking about the gear that you are

[00:00:46] hearing this podcast through, where this audio is coming from, from my mouth all the way

[00:00:52] to your ears.

[00:00:53] First, I should say that we are recording this episode.

[00:00:56] In the middle of January, or near the middle of January of 2016, so if you’re listening

[00:01:01] to this at some point later on in the future, this gear might have changed at that point.

[00:01:08] But I’ve received a few requests for this episode, and that’s the reason I’m doing it.

[00:01:13] You may be a developer, and you may be totally uninterested in this gear that I’m getting

[00:01:18] ready to tell you about, but regardless, I feel like it’s interesting enough to talk

[00:01:24] about.

[00:01:24] I believe enough developers.

[00:01:26] out there want to get into recording audio, or are interested in how we make the audio

[00:01:32] at spec, as well as how this specific podcast is created.

[00:01:38] So I wanted to talk to you about the gear, and we’re going to start with the thing that’s

[00:01:43] sitting in front of my face.

[00:01:45] It is a Shure SM7B.

[00:01:48] This is a dynamic microphone.

[00:01:51] Don’t confuse it with the SM57.

[00:01:53] There are two different microphones.

[00:01:54] The SM7B is a dynamic microphone that was used by Michael Jackson on the Thriller album,

[00:02:04] and that’s kind of the claim to fame, but it’s actually been used in many, many other

[00:02:09] instances since then.

[00:02:11] The microphone is an incredibly important part of your setup if you are going to be

[00:02:15] doing audio recording, and this particular microphone has a very low gain output.

[00:02:22] So if you are going to get an SM7B.

[00:02:25] Make sure you get a decent preamp.

[00:02:28] We’ll talk about the preamp in just a minute.

[00:02:31] The other stuff that goes into the microphone other than my voice is the sound in the room

[00:02:37] around me.

[00:02:37] Now I am recording in my home.

[00:02:40] I’ve kind of converted a room in my home to a studio of sorts, but it’s really just an

[00:02:46] office.

[00:02:47] I’ve put up some RLX acoustic padding around the room, and I actually have a sound reflector

[00:02:54] behind the microphone.

[00:02:57] It’s called a VMS.

[00:02:59] It’s made by Sterling, a voice microphone shield.

[00:03:03] If you do choose to record and you are recording vocals particularly, it is important that

[00:03:09] you get the room as quiet as possible.

[00:03:12] And especially with rooms that are that are square shaped or that have parallel walls,

[00:03:18] it’s important to make sure that you’re dampening the sound from your voice so that it’s

[00:03:22] not echoing too loud.

[00:03:24] So.

[00:03:24] That’s why I have all of the acoustic padding in the room.

[00:03:27] Of course, there will be links in the show notes to all of this gear that I’m talking

[00:03:31] about.

[00:03:32] And I think I should mention that none of the gear that I’m using have I gotten for

[00:03:37] free or as a result of a sponsorship.

[00:03:39] I’ve gotten one piece of gear for a slightly reduced rate for an industry rate, and that

[00:03:45] is my audio interface.

[00:03:47] I got my audio interface at the industry rate, which is just a little bit of an incentive

[00:03:53] for people in the industry to buy into the high end audio gear that is available.

[00:04:00] My audio interface is the Claret Pre.

[00:04:04] It’s a Focusrite Claret 8 Pre.

[00:04:07] It has eight channels of input, which allows me to record multiple channels if I choose

[00:04:12] to do so.

[00:04:13] If I have an interview on site or if I choose to record music for the podcast, I can do

[00:04:19] that through the 8 Pre.

[00:04:21] But I want to back up and talk about the room.

[00:04:23] Again, make sure that we understand the importance of setting up the room.

[00:04:29] You want to make sure that you are able to start and stop the recording very easily.

[00:04:35] If you were to watch me record an episode of Developer Tea, it may sound like I am talking

[00:04:40] all in one string, but there are many times where I have to check my show notes or I have

[00:04:46] to go and Google something or maybe I trip up on my words.

[00:04:49] And I’m sure you guys have heard me do that on air before.

[00:04:52] But I…

[00:04:53] I try to have that stuff easy to edit out and I try to re-record if I end up stumbling

[00:05:00] on my words or, you know, trailing off onto a tangent.

[00:05:04] So setting up the room so that you are comfortable and that you are able to reach the controls

[00:05:09] for your digital audio workstation, which we will talk about in just a second, that

[00:05:14] is an essential part of this process, making sure that you have yourself set up to be able

[00:05:20] to record and easily control.

[00:05:24] Your computer as you are recording, that’s an important part of this process.

[00:05:28] So the SM7B is connected through a Redco cable.

[00:05:34] The cable is actually Mogami style cable, but I ordered it through Redco.

[00:05:40] Again, all of these companies will be linked in the show notes.

[00:05:44] It’s shielded by the Sterling shield.

[00:05:47] It’s sitting on a regular boom stand, a normal boom stand for microphones.

[00:05:52] I’m currently sitting on an office chair, but I ordered a smart desk, which is arriving

[00:05:58] next week.

[00:05:59] So I will be standing while I record in the coming weeks.

[00:06:04] And in fact, I’ve stood for a few episodes in the past.

[00:06:07] I couldn’t tell you which ones because I didn’t keep track of it, but I’ve stood for quite

[00:06:12] a few episodes of Developer Tea in the past, and I hope to stand more in the future as

[00:06:17] I’m recording.

[00:06:19] I actually feel much better when I stand.

[00:06:21] I have a stand set.

[00:06:22] I have a stand set desk at work at Whiteboard, and I usually use both of those features throughout

[00:06:28] the day.

[00:06:29] I stand more than I sit, but there are many times where I feel like I do need to sit to

[00:06:34] take some of the weight off of my feet and off of my knees.

[00:06:37] And I spend enough time working on the podcast that I’m able to justify getting a standing

[00:06:43] desk.

[00:06:44] I plan to continue that pattern of standing and sitting, alternating between those two

[00:06:50] positions.

[00:06:51] When I come home.

[00:06:52] After being in the office all day.

[00:06:55] So the signal travels from the microphone through the Redco cable directly into my preamp.

[00:07:02] The preamp is a UA710, that is Universal Audio 710.

[00:07:08] This is a single channel preamp that allows me to blend the audio between a solid state

[00:07:14] and a tube driven preamp channel.

[00:07:18] Basically, all that means is that I can go from a very clean,

[00:07:22] sounding preamp, a very clean sounding channel, to a little bit more of a warm and slightly

[00:07:28] overdriven sounding channel.

[00:07:30] And I can blend between those two styles of preamps.

[00:07:34] Now, I actually forgot to mention that as the microphone is headed to the preamp, it

[00:07:39] actually goes through a little blue box called the cloud lifter.

[00:07:44] Now, the reason I forgot to mention this is because I never touch this thing.

[00:07:48] It is so transparent.

[00:07:50] It just sits in the signal chain.

[00:07:52] Between the microphone and the preamp, and the cloud lifters job is quite simple.

[00:07:57] It adds 50 decibels of gain to the signal coming from the microphone.

[00:08:03] Now, this is particularly important for the SM7B.

[00:08:06] As I mentioned before, the SM7B has a very low output in terms of gain.

[00:08:13] So you have to add gain for it to have a decent enough signal when you are recording to not have a

[00:08:21] bunch of noise.

[00:08:22] And you also have to add gain for it to have a decent enough sound.

[00:08:23] So you have to add gain for it to have a decent enough sound.

[00:08:24] So you have to add gain for it to have a decent enough sound.

[00:08:25] So you have to add gain for it to have a decent enough sound.

[00:08:26] By the way, some of these terms may be totally foreign to you.

[00:08:29] If you are interested in audio mixing, then go and check out the show notes.

[00:08:34] I will include a few links that kind of give some basic idea of what this vocabulary means

[00:08:40] and the basic process for recording audio.

[00:08:44] I will include a link in the show notes, which you can find at spec.fm.

[00:08:49] Now, before I continue and finish up talking about the GBA, I want to talk about a couple of things.

[00:08:52] The gear that I use, I want to take a quick break and talk about our sponsor, DigitalOcean.

[00:08:57] DigitalOcean is the fastest growing cloud infrastructure provider.

[00:09:03] And that’s because it’s totally focused on providing simple and elegant solutions for developers.

[00:09:10] To prove this point, DigitalOcean recently launched their 10 millionth droplet.

[00:09:16] That means 10 million different servers that DigitalOcean is supporting.

[00:09:22] These servers are totally configurable.

[00:09:24] It is incredibly easy to deploy these.

[00:09:27] They call their service droplets.

[00:09:29] They’re pre-configured with popular open source platforms like Node.js or Magento or Docker.

[00:09:35] You can customize these before you launch them, of course.

[00:09:38] It’s built to scale.

[00:09:40] They have an internal API that you can kind of coordinate droplets together, for example.

[00:09:46] They have straightforward pricing, which is a super important part for especially young developers

[00:09:51] who are looking to get their software out there.

[00:09:52] Who are trying out new products and especially for startups.

[00:09:57] The straightforward pricing means that you only pay for the resources that you actually use.

[00:10:03] Now, DigitalOcean is committed to making developers successful, which is why they have this special offer.

[00:10:11] If you use the code DEVELOPERT at checkout, you can get an entire month,

[00:10:17] one full free month of a one gigabyte droplet with DigitalOcean.

[00:10:22] And that’s just for being a Developer T listener.

[00:10:25] So make sure you check it out.

[00:10:27] Head over to DigitalOcean.com and use the code DEVELOPERT at checkout.

[00:10:32] Remember, you can always find that code and the link in the show notes at spec.fm.

[00:10:37] Thanks again to DigitalOcean for sponsoring Developer T.

[00:10:41] And congratulations to the DigitalOcean team for launching your 10 millionth droplet.

[00:10:46] So we’ve been talking today about the hardware that I use to record Developer T.

[00:10:52] And I want to be very careful here and let you guys know that a lot of the stuff that I own

[00:10:58] and that I record Developer T with isn’t what I started out with

[00:11:02] and isn’t necessarily what you need to create a successful podcast.

[00:11:08] In fact, a lot of the gear that I own, I actually owned before I started a podcast

[00:11:13] because I was a musician and I helped start a record label before.

[00:11:18] And so I had some gear left over from those.

[00:11:22] It wasn’t necessarily purely for starting a podcast.

[00:11:27] In fact, there are ways of starting podcasts with less than $500 worth of gear

[00:11:34] and your stuff is going to sound really, really good.

[00:11:38] And if you guys would like for me to, you can jump in the Slack channel.

[00:11:43] You can go to spec.fm slash Slack.

[00:11:45] We can talk more about how you would build a package of gear that is less than $500

[00:11:51] and you can build a package of gear that is less than $500.

[00:11:52] That you can accomplish really professional quality sounding stuff if you are interested in that.

[00:11:59] Now, I’m not going to include that in the show notes

[00:12:00] because I don’t think everyone who is listening to the show is necessarily interested in starting a podcast.

[00:12:07] But if you are interested in this gear discussion,

[00:12:11] make sure you join the spec community by going to spec.fm slash Slack.

[00:12:17] I would be happy to answer any of your questions

[00:12:20] and help you build your gear.

[00:12:21] I would be happy to help you build your package

[00:12:23] if you are trying to start a podcast

[00:12:25] or perhaps maybe screencasts or something like that.

[00:12:29] So, we’ve gone from the microphone through the cables.

[00:12:33] We’ve gone through the cloud lifter,

[00:12:35] the little blue box cloud lifter into the preamp.

[00:12:39] And now we’re coming out of the preamp

[00:12:42] and we’re going to go straight into the audio interface.

[00:12:45] Now, this is an incredibly important piece of gear

[00:12:48] whose job it is to take the electronic interface

[00:12:51] impulses from the microphone that have been amplified by your preamp

[00:12:56] and turn them into digital zeros and ones.

[00:13:00] This is called the audio-digital conversion process.

[00:13:04] And it’s paired with the digital-to-audio conversion process

[00:13:07] coming back out of the computer

[00:13:09] and representing the sounds that the computer has kind of created

[00:13:14] out of the input that the interface has provided it

[00:13:19] and representing those back to mic.

[00:13:21] So, we’re going to go ahead and start the podcast.

[00:13:22] So, we’re going to go ahead and start the podcast.

[00:13:22] So, we’re going to go ahead and start the podcast.

[00:13:23] So, we’re going to go ahead and start the podcast.

[00:13:24] The Focusrite Claret Pre does a very good job of this.

[00:13:28] It is very fast.

[00:13:29] It is powered by Thunderbolt.

[00:13:31] And I connect that directly into my 27-inch iMac Retina,

[00:13:36] which is totally dedicated to developer T work.

[00:13:41] In the iMac Retina, I have a host of software.

[00:13:45] But the most important piece is Apple Logic Pro.

[00:13:49] Logic Pro is arguably,

[00:13:51] one of the best digital audio workstations on the market. It is certainly one of the most popular.

[00:13:57] It is probably only second to Pro Tools, which is historically the most popular digital audio

[00:14:04] workstation. But because Apple is behind Logic, it has grown in popularity and it’s significantly

[00:14:12] cheaper to get into a copy of Logic than it is to get into a copy of Pro Tools. A few YouTube videos

[00:14:19] worth of training and you’ll be able to get up and running with Logic relatively easily.

[00:14:25] Now the price tag on the digital audio workstation is incredibly important because as a part of the

[00:14:33] network, I use Logic and so does everyone else who is on Spec. All of our shows are actually

[00:14:42] recorded directly into Logic and then we share those shows as folders through Dropbox.

[00:14:49] This allows us to share these entire episodes worth of audio and all of the different cuts and

[00:14:56] all of those particular pieces and parts with the different teams that are involved in the

[00:15:04] production process. Specifically, this episode is going to be edited by Sarah. She edits all of the

[00:15:10] episodes of Developer Tea and she uses a couple of plugins that I actually don’t have the names for,

[00:15:16] but I’m going to ask her to send me the links so that I can

[00:15:19] understand them.

[00:15:19] I’m going to include them in the show notes so you guys know what plugins my voice is being run

[00:15:24] through and how she masters those episodes. While I am recording, I am actually listening to my own

[00:15:33] voice in my own headphones and I’m wearing a pair of relatively simple in-ear headphones.

[00:15:40] They are not cheap, but they’re not expensive. They’re about the quality that I expect the

[00:15:45] people who listen to this show are using for themselves.

[00:15:49] Now, with that said, I do own a pair of studio monitors. My monitors are Yamaha HS7s. They are

[00:15:58] very simple and they sit on top of RLX Mopads, which basically makes the sound coming out of

[00:16:06] the monitors a little bit cleaner. It keeps it from reverberating through the desk and into the floor

[00:16:12] and it just keeps the sound clean and as pristine and flat as possible.

[00:16:18] And that about sums up the hardware and software side of how I create Developer Tea,

[00:16:25] all of the gear that I use. I hope for those of you who have been wondering what gear

[00:16:30] this podcast uses, that this is enlightening and it’s interesting to you. And for those of you who

[00:16:36] are interested in creating podcasts, go and take a look at the gear that I have. But also,

[00:16:42] remember that you don’t have to get a lot of expensive gear to get started creating a podcast.

[00:16:48] Particularly, if you are interested in starting a podcast and you want to talk about gear,

[00:16:53] come and join the Spec Slack community. You can go to spec.fm slash slack. Now,

[00:16:59] I didn’t mention this before, but that Slack community will always be free to you. We will

[00:17:05] never charge you to be a part of that Slack community and you can join today just by entering

[00:17:10] your email. So go and check it out, spec.fm slash slack. Now, while I’m talking about spec.fm,

[00:17:16] remember all of the show notes are in the description below. So if you’re interested in

[00:17:18] for today’s episode can be found at spec.fm. And that includes the very special code from

[00:17:24] today’s sponsor, DigitalOcean. That code is developer T. Make sure you go to digitalocean.com

[00:17:30] and when you check out, enter the code developer T for a full free month on a one gigabyte droplet.

[00:17:38] That’s digitalocean.com. Remember, DigitalOcean just launched their 10 millionth droplet.

[00:17:43] There are tons of developers already using the service,

[00:17:46] and you probably have seen or heard about them before. And now is the time to adopt

[00:17:53] DigitalOcean as your cloud service provider. Thank you so much for listening to today’s

[00:17:58] episode of developer T. And until next time, enjoy your tea.

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