Wanted to shoot out a quick note about podcast equipment.
You can get into the game cheaply. The Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone
Straight into your computer could include recording directly to hard drive through a program like Audacity (Free) or Adobe Audition (somewhat costly),or it can include recording a podcast via Google Hangouts or Skype. Hangouts will record your audio for download afterwards; Skype has a host of third-party providers (I have used MP3 Skype Recorder) who will record you and your guest.
I have talked in the past about my general aversion to recording directly to hard drive (computers can crash, digital recorders not so much), but to start at a low cost, it is typically the best option.
When purchasing equipment for your podcast (and for most products in general), Amazon typically can't be beat. At the worst, Amazon will at least match the price of any competitors. However, where outside providers can win is in packages. For instance, with a microphone, you are not only buying a microphone. You will need a stand (desk or boom) and XLR cables, and optionally could buy a shock mount and a pop filter.
Let's say you want to buy one of the top podcast mics in the game, such as the Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone
If you were to buy all these pieces on Amazon, you would be looking at a cumulative cost of probably $550-$600. Also, it is key to remember that each of these mics, particularly the Shure, will typically need some kind of gain boost. Something like a Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1
Back to the beauty of packages.
Who knows how long this will last, but the site BSWUSA.COM (Broadcast Supply Wordwide) has had and still has really good packages for these two mics.
For the Heil PR40, they have a package for $369.00 that gets you the microphone, a broadcast boom stand, a shockmount, a pop filter, and the cable. I purchased two of these packages for our podcast setup at the office.
For the Shure SM7B, they have a package for $399.00 that gets you the microphone, boom stand, and cable.
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