What Podcast Gear Does Armchair Expert Use?
Get the microphone, headphones, and podcast equipment used by Dax Shepard on the hit show Armchair Expert
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman has become one of the most popular podcasts.
Like Russell Brand, Dax has successfully made the transition from Hollywood actor to superstar podcaster.
Armchair Expert is a long-form conversational podcast where Dax speaks with a range of celebrities and experts about any topic imaginable.
The show has featured some of the world’s biggest names in entertainment, business, and personal development, including Justin Timberlake, Natalie Portman, Jon Bon Jovi, Bill Gates, and Sam Harris.
Struggles, vulnerability, and “the messiness of life” tend to be common themes on the show and Dax is very open about his own challenges with addiction.
Armchair Expert is right up there with the likes of The Joe Rogan Experience and the Tim Ferriss Show as one of the most-listened podcasts in the world.
The show has an estimated monthly audience of 20 million and makes around $9 million a year, according to Forbes.
Armchair Expert sounds incredible. Part of that comes down to the co-hosts’ acting background, which has given them the ability to ad-lib and enunciate their words.
But you’ve got to give some credit to the podcast gear they use to produce the show.
You might think it’s produced in a fancy studio somewhere in downtown LA, but Armchair Expert is actually recorded in Dax’s attic with a minimal setup that most people can probably afford.
What microphone does Armchair Expert use? — Shure SM7B
The microphone Dax Shepard uses for Armchair Expert is the Shure SM7B.
The Shure SM7B is *probably* the #1 podcast microphone, used by Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, Marc Maron, and Rich Roll to name a few.
Why? Because it sounds so damn gooooood.
Shure is one of the world’s best microphone producers. Their SM58 microphone is found on every stage and in every recording studio around the world (Tim Ferriss actually uses it for his podcast).
The Shure SM7B is cardioid studio especially designed for recording clean, clear, warm vocals.
It’s not cheap, coming in at around $400, but if you want to sound as good as your favorite podcasts, this is the microphone for you.
Armchair Expert uses at least four of these microphones for when they have extra guests, which means they really must believe they’re the best.
The only downside with the SM7B is it has an XLR output so it’s not ‘plug-n-play’ like many of the USB microphones made for podcasting.
You can just get an adapter or run it through a pre-amp. It’s not difficult.
Get the Shure SM7B microphone here
Quick note: If you’re going to use the Shure SM7B you’ll want to get a pre-amp like the Cloudlifter CL-1. You need this to boost the signal of the microphone.
The SM7B is a “quiet” microphone. This is a good thing because it doesn’t pick up much background noise. If you listen to Joe Rogan, you’ll often hear him telling guests to pull the microphone closer.
This is why.
The Cloudlifter CL-1 or CL-2 will help you to get the most out of your SM7B.
Get the Cloudlifter CL-1 or Cloudlifter CL-2 here
What podcast headphones does Dax Shepard use for Armchair Expert? — beyerdynamic DT 770 PROs
The headphones Dax and Monica use on Armchair Expert are the beyerdynamic DT 770 PROs.
These headphones sound seriously good. They’re designed for mixing and mastering in a recording studio, which means they pick up the full range of sound, including the intricacies that are drowned up by lesser headphones.
You don’t necessarily need these headphones for podcasting, but they will enhance your experience.
Russell Brand also uses these headphones, as do many music producers.
The best thing is, they’re only around $150, which is a very fair price for headphones of this quality.
Get the beyerdynamic DT 770 PROs here
What microphone stand does Armchair Expert use? — Hola! Music HPS-101TB
If you’ve seen any photos of the Armchair Expert ‘studio’ you’ll see that they use microphone stands for the ‘hands free’ podcast experience.
You might think a show of this calibre uses the highest quality, most expensive microphone stands money can buy.
But Dax and the Armchair Expert team uses surprisingly affordable microphone stands.
Introducing… the Hola! Music HPS-101TB microphone stand.
This is a simple, solid microphone stand that’s going to serve your needs whether you’re kicking back in an armchair, sitting at a desk, or even standing to perform live as the frontman of a rock band.
The best part is they only cost $35! Crazy.
Get the Hola! Music HPS-101TB microphone stand here
What computer does Armchair Expert use?
I feel a bit stupid including this because it’s kinda irrelevant for podcasting.
But if you’re interested, Dax uses a Macbook Pro 16" laptop during the show.
I’m not sure if he uses it to record the podcast, but you can see it sitting in his lap in the photo above.
I personally prefer Macbooks for all things podcasting, but it doesn’t really matter. Use what you’ve got.
Get the latest Macbook Pro 16-inch computer here
What armchair do they use for Armchair Expert?
Honestly, I feel like this is the most important question of this whole article and yet… I don’t know the answer.
I would love to know what armchair Dax uses for Armchair Expert because that’s where the name of the podcast comes from.
It looks like it’s a black leather recliner of some kind, but that’s about all I can tell.
If you know, please send me an email to podrecs.contact@gmail.com.
Thanks!
Hey, just a heads-up that I’ve included some affiliate links in this article. I do this for fun, but I’m also enjoy money. If you buy something through one of these links, I’ll get a little cut from Amazon. Let’s face it, Jeff Bezos has enough money already. Help me take some of it.
