Business Audio Setup

I use Zoom PodTrack P4 as a hub for my work-from-home setup, which allows me to:

• use Rode NTG-1 mic for both computer and regular telephone communication;
• record phone calls made/taken on my iPhone;
• record calls made on my laptop;
• conference phone calls and laptop calls.

PodTrack P4 setup details:

• input 1: not used, muted;
• input 2: Rode NTG1 via XLR cable, phantom power on, level at 5;
• input 3: switch to phone, level at 7 - iPhone connected via lightning to headphone jack adapter and a TRRS male to male cable;
• input 3: switch to USB, level at 5;
• output 2: wired earphones, can be plugged into any output really;
• 2xUSB cables - one to the laptop, another to the power supply;
• laptop sound output and input are set to “Zoom P4 Audio”.

Amazingly this is all plug and play!

Minor CONS:

• a fixed sampling rate of 44kHz can not be justified.
• filters are limited to Low Cut and Limiter. The latter is nice and I use it. Compressor is missing and is badly missed.
• no 1/4-20 mounting, seriously? As a workaround I use Omoton Adjustable Tablet Stand.
• why two USB cables? Surely P4 can be powered from a laptop!
• sound pad and mute LEDs are too bright and are distracting, would be nice to control/disable brightness.
• NO indication of input overload!
• LCD display is from the 20th century. As a workaround I used OBS to set the levels up.
• earphone amps are REALLY noisy.