[JHromadka]

I'm investigating the costs of creating a system for creating podcasts on my PowerBook G4. I tried using a Bluetooth headset and the PowerBook's internal mic but the quality is pretty poor and I had to boost the gain significantly in Audacity. So I figure I need a real microphone+whatever input thingy. I've searched the forums but had trouble finding a consensus for a simple setup. I'd like it to be <$250-300.

Would this work or would it be crap?

Suggestions?

[travisimo]

Easy to use mic system that lets you set up sound quickly anywhere - mic bag, holder, and desk stand included - great for offices, religious facilities, karaoke, classrooms or meeting rooms.

Read that last line and then think back to any of those events you may or may not have attended in the past few years and the relfect on how horrble the sound quality was of only a voice that you heard through thier sound systems. That microphone is for voice tones and where it's more about the message than how it's delivered. Many decent shure mics are around 10 times that amount of money so i'm sceptical.

[JHromadka]

So what would you recommend?

[Dakkon]

just start off with a cheep 10-30$ mic, learn how to produce a podcast, and see if you even want to go though the hassel, then if you like it, and if your podcast becomes popular, then spend some more money mabe 50$ on a mic.. you dont need a killer mic for doing pod casts, actualy the only thing that you will need to buy is a mic, and DONT try to use a blue tooth device, get somthing that plugs into the audio jack in your sound card.. i would not go with a usb mic either.. just a regular audio jack mic, thats all you need.. go to frys, circuit city, micro center, any eletronics place, and look at their mic's..

[Thorin]

I have no experience with mics at all, but I just read this article about the Samson C01U the other day. Sounds like it might be what you're after.

[Randman]

To save bandwidth, I'm trying the iTunes Podcast AAC format. I'm now doing parts of the show using my iMic recording on my iPod. Then I'm adjusting the sound levels in GarageBand. My second Podcast was pretty poor, as far as sound quality, but the others aren't bad.

[JHromadka]

Originally Posted by Thorin

I have no experience with mics at all, but I just read this article about the Samson C01U the other day. Sounds like it might be what you're after.

I've been reading a lot about that mic over the past few days. Seems like it should do the trick, though some people have had some quirks with its drivers.

[Dakkon]

if you record directly into the ipod, apple degrades the sound quality.. i dont know if you know that or not, i think they degrade it to 8bit? ont sure on the exact numbers, but its kinda crappy that they do this, when the device can handel the processing power, and storage..