Going to be helping a friend start podcasting. Any suggestions for equipment and mics? Go right into the line-in on the computer, or amp it first? It needs to sound professional, but as always, the less professional of a price, the better.

She has a computer and knows how to use audacity, unless you can suggest better, free software to use.

Thoughts?

2/21/2011 4:07:13 PM

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Tascam-TrackPack-X1-Bundle-with-US-100?sku=584553

2/21/2011 4:16:09 PM

What kind of pod cast and what will be recorded? Voice? music? large groups?

If it's just going to be a simple podcast with just her voice, any regular mic will do. I use my $80 gaming headset to record voice overs and it doesn't grab any ambient noise crap in the background, even when fans blaring under my desk. The only advice I have for voice recording is to watch the placement of the mic. Don't talk directly into the mic unless you have some sort of wind protector (or whatever they call it), specially when you use a lot of P's or SH's and other syllables of where wind and spit is created. lol

To capture voice, it's simple as hooking up the mic into the mic, input or line in jack and press record. Audacity is a great simple tool for a project like this; you don't need anything else.

This is kinda what I have.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106158&cm_re=sennheiser_headset-_-26-106-158-_-Product

2/21/2011 4:18:33 PM

Blue Microphones:
Yeti
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298322657&sr=8-1

Snowball
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Aluminum/dp/B002OO333Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298322657&sr=8-2

XLR Preamp for your own mic (use a condenser!)
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Icicle-Converter-Preamp/dp/B001EW5YQS/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1298322657&sr=8-12

-or-
Audio Technica
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-USB-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001AS6OYC/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1298322750&sr=1-2

I prefer the blue's, but AT is sold at the local music store - tried it out. It was good, not great. I think it was having issues with 64-bit XP, worked fine in 7 and ubuntu.

-or-
Do the regular mixer and mic setup, and get a digitizer. We use a 24-bit Creative USB and a 1/4" to 3.5mm cable.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sound-Blaster-Audigy-NX/dp/B0000ERWGC/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1298323276&sr=8-12

-or-
Get the behringer all-in-one, and as soon as you find money replace components starting with the mic, then digitizer, then mixer, then software.
http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PODCASTUDIO-USB-PodcasStudio/dp/B000PARIZU/ref=sr_1_16?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1298322832&sr=1-16

[Edited on February 21, 2011 at 4:29 PM. Reason : +1 on Audacity]

2/21/2011 4:22:17 PM

Pop filter! that's what it's called. lol

2/21/2011 4:26:39 PM