Key takeaways
Give each host their own dynamic, cardioid mic, ideally two of the same model, and keep it within about six inches of their mouth.
Seat the hosts at an angle rather than straight across from each other, and point the back of each mic toward the other person.
Record each voice to its own track through a two-input audio interface or a podcast mixer. Separate tracks are what make bleed fixable later.
Aim for peaks around -12 dBFS, never above -6, and have both hosts wear closed-back headphones.
Two USB mics on one computer can work, but they're the least reliable setup; an interface or mixer is the upgrade.
Why two people in one room is tricky
When two people talk in the same room, each mic hears both voices. The other host's voice arrives a few milliseconds later and much quieter, but it's there, and when you mix the two tracks together that delayed copy can make voices sound hollow or phasey. This leakage is called bleed or spill. You can't remove it completely, so the goal is to keep each voice much louder at its own mic than at the other one. Almost every step below comes back to that.
Step 1: Choose two dynamic, cardioid mics
Dynamic mics are less sensitive than condenser mics and pick up less of the room and less of the other host, which is exactly what you want here. Condensers capture more detail, but in a shared, untreated room that detail includes everything you don't want.
Choose a cardioid pattern. A cardioid mic is most sensitive at the front and least sensitive directly behind, so you can aim its back at the other person. Use two of the same model, so both voices have the same tone and need similar gain.
Some common choices:
Samson Q2U: an inexpensive dynamic mic with both USB and XLR outputs, sold in a pack with accessories for about $100.
Rode PodMic USB: a dynamic mic with USB-C and XLR outputs, a headphone jack and built-in processing, at about $190.
Shure MV7+: a dynamic mic with USB-C and XLR outputs, at about $280 to $300.
Shure SM7B: an XLR-only studio standard at about $439, which needs a preamp with plenty of clean gain.
Electro-Voice RE20 and RE320: broadcast-style XLR dynamics common in radio studios.
The hybrid mics (Q2U, PodMic USB and MV7+) let you start on USB and move to an audio interface later without buying new mics.
Step 2: Put each mic close to its host
Distance is the biggest lever you have. Rode's advice for recording several people in one room is to keep each mic within six inches of the speaker's mouth, place the mics as far apart as you can and point them away from each other.
Position each mic two to six inches from the mouth, slightly off to one side, so the host speaks across it rather than straight into it. This also cuts down plosive pops from "p" and "b" sounds.
Use boom arms or separate stands rather than placing both mics on the table, which carries thumps and taps into the recording.
Set the gain so each host can sit naturally at that distance without leaning in.
Step 3: Seat the hosts at an angle
Sitting directly across a table feels natural, but it points each mic's sensitive front almost straight at the other person. Instead:
Sit at a 90-degree angle, at the corner of a table, or angled in toward each other in a V.
Point the back of each mic toward the other host, since that's where a cardioid mic hears least.
Keep as much distance between the two mics as the space allows, while staying close enough to see each other. Eye contact keeps the conversation natural.
Step 4: Tame the room
Hard surfaces reflect sound back into the mics, and those reflections make voices sound distant. You don't need acoustic panels to improve things:
Pick a smaller room with soft furnishings, such as a bedroom with a bed, rug and curtains, over a large room with bare walls and hard floors.
Add rugs, curtains, a sofa or bookshelves full of books. A duvet or moving blanket hung behind each host also helps.
Avoid recording in the middle of a big, empty room or facing a window.
With dynamic mics close to each host, room treatment is a bonus rather than a requirement, but it makes a noticeable difference.
Step 5: Choose what to record into
Option A: a two-input audio interface
An audio interface connects XLR mics to a computer. A two-input model, such as the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (fourth generation), has two mic preamps, so each host plugs into their own input and lands on their own track in your recording software. This is the cheapest flexible setup if you already have, or plan to buy, XLR mics. Check the preamp gain if you use a low-output mic like the SM7B; our guide to the best audio interfaces for home studios covers this in more detail.
Option B: a podcast mixer
A podcast mixer, such as the Rode RodeCaster Duo ($499, two mic inputs) or the Tascam Mixcast 4 ($499, four mic inputs and four headphone outputs), gives each host their own fader and headphone feed. Both can record a separate track for each mic to an SD card without a computer, which also gives you a built-in backup if you record to a computer at the same time. The RodeCaster Pro II ($595) adds four mic inputs, which helps if you plan to bring in guests.
Option C: two USB mics on one computer
This is the cheapest way to start, with caveats. Most recording software can only record from one audio device at a time, so on a Mac you combine the two mics into a single "aggregate device" in the Audio MIDI Setup utility, and on Windows you'll need software that can record from two devices at once. Each USB mic also runs on its own internal clock, so the two tracks can slowly drift out of sync over a long episode. Rode's free Rode Connect app records up to four Rode USB mics at once, which avoids the problem if both mics are Rode.
Step 6: Set levels and monitor
Record each host to their own mono track, not a single stereo mix.
Ask each host to talk and laugh at their loudest while you set the gain, then back it off slightly. Rode recommends peaks between -12 and -6 dBFS; some engineers aim lower, around -18 to -12, which is also fine.
Record at 24-bit if your gear allows it, which leaves more room to fix quiet passages later.
Both hosts should wear closed-back headphones, so the mics don't pick up sound leaking from them. An interface with one headphone output needs a splitter or small headphone amp for two people.
Step 7: Do a test recording
Before the real session, record a minute of both hosts talking, including talking over each other. Play it back on headphones and listen for:
Clipping, which sounds like harsh distortion on loud moments
Hum, buzz or computer fan noise
Taps, rustling clothes and table bumps
How loud each host sounds in the other's mic
Fix what you can, by moving mics closer, adjusting angles or lowering gain, then record again.
Step 8: Record a backup
A podcast mixer that records to an SD card while also feeding the computer gives you a second copy automatically. Otherwise, start a voice memo on a phone placed between the hosts. It won't sound great, but it saves an episode if the main recording fails and gives you a reference for syncing. Listen back to the first minute of every real session before carrying on.
Step 9: Clean up bleed in editing
Separate tracks are what make this possible.
When one host is listening, lower or mute their track in the gaps, either by cutting the silent sections by hand or with a noise gate. Don't gate so hard that breaths and short replies disappear.
If the voices sound hollow with both tracks playing, try flipping the polarity on one track. That can reduce the comb-filter effect caused by each voice reaching both mics at slightly different times.
Edit out crosstalk before you add EQ and compression, which make bleed louder.
Free tools handle all of this. Audacity is free and open source, and REAPER offers a 60-day evaluation before a discounted $60 license for personal use and small businesses.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to record a two-person podcast in one room?
Give each host a dynamic, cardioid mic within six inches of their mouth, seat them at an angle with each mic's back toward the other person, and record each voice to its own track through a two-input interface or a podcast mixer.
How do I stop the mics picking up each other?
Keep each mic close to its host, point the back of each mic toward the other person, use dynamic rather than condenser mics and put as much space between the mics as you can. Then lower the other host's track in the gaps when you edit.
Can I use two USB mics on one computer?
Yes, but on a Mac you need to combine them into one aggregate device, and on Windows you need software that records from two devices. The tracks can drift out of sync on long recordings, so an interface or mixer is more reliable.
Do I need a podcast mixer?
No. A two-input audio interface records two hosts on separate tracks for less money. A mixer adds hands-on faders, a headphone output for each host and recording to an SD card without a computer.
Should two podcast hosts face each other?
Not directly. Sitting at an angle or at the corner of a table keeps eye contact while pointing each mic away from the other person, which reduces bleed.