Only Murders in the Building returns for its fourth season this week, and our favorite fictional podcast hosts, Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez), will begin recording another installment of their true-crime series. While they might have what it takes to solve a murder, we here at Wirecutter couldn’t help but wonder whether the amateur podcasters are using the right gear to sound good over the airwaves, especially because they’re often recording on the go, surrounded by the chaos of New York City.
To get some answers, we spoke with Wirecutter’s resident audio experts, senior staff writer Brent Butterworth, podcaster and author of our USB microphone guide, and senior staff writer Lauren Dragan, who covers headphones and audiology equipment for Wirecutter and is a veteran voice actor who has booked commercials for decades.
As it turns out, Only Murders in the Building might actually be a well-produced podcast. According to Brent, you don’t need top-of-the-line microphones or a soundproof booth to record a decent show: “It’s okay that they don’t use acoustic treatment. If a podcaster has a decent cardioid (unidirectional) mic, a thick rug or carpet, a reasonably quiet room, and the discipline to stay on mic, they should be fine.”
Here’s all the podcasting gear used in the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building, and what we think of it.
