The Philocast is produced in my home on a “When I get an idea” based schedule. I would do them more regularly, but I would have to force topics and they might be more boring than they probably are!
I thought for those curious about what I use, I would do a breakdown of the studio gear that I use to produce it now. I have used quite a bit of different equipment and software over the last two years, but after doing two episodes with the current setup, I am not only pleased with the aural results, but also the ease at with I can produce them. Tonight’s 18 minute episode took about 25 minutes to record, edit, upload and post. That’s not too bad.
Besides the hardware mentioned in this article, you will also need a PC, Mac or Linux based computer. Luckily podcasting is not very intensive and requires very little. Any recent off the shelf PC will do assuming it has some basic specs:
- 1Ghz+ CPU
- 1GB Ram (512mb will do but 1GB is much better)
- 10-20GB free space for storing audio
Hardware 
To record a podcast you need a couple things, a Microphone, some sort of audio interface, and software to capture it. There are more things in between that you can add, but those are the basics. You can record one with a simple USB headset and some free software called Audacity, or you can go whiz bang out like I do.
Microphones come in all sorts of sizes and flavors. There are headset mics, handheld mics and lavelier mics. There are dynamic mics and condensor mics. Some mics require external power, some take batteries. I use a reletively inexpensive MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount
The Microphone requires an external power source called Phantom Power to power the mic. I have also seen this same mic available in USB to connect directly to a computer for recording and power.
Optionally, I run my mic through two pieces of hardware before I get to the interface. I say these are optional because they are definitely not as important for voice as this can be done in software, but since I use this same setup for recording vocals, I don’t bother to unplug it.
The first device after the mic is a PreSonus Tubepre Single-Channel Vacuum Tube Mic Pre
The next device is a Behringer MDX2600 2-Ch Expander Gate Compressor Limiter
Next is the audio interface. The interface I use is for recording music and is major overkill for podcasting. It’s the discontinued Yamaha 01x. I have another interface that’s fantastic for podcasting that I use when mobile. That’s the M-Audio Fast Track Pro 4×4 Mobile USB Audio/MIDI Interface with Preamps
Last but definitely not least, to make sure you are capturing great signal, you need a good set of headphones. I use AKG K240 Semi Open Studio Headphones
Software
While I have the full blown Logic Studio for Mac, it’s way too much for podcasting. I like to keep it simple and use Garageband. It’s a fantastic application for podcasting. It has many voice presets and free audio clips for introductions and such. Garageband is included free with OS X.
If you are on PC, unfortunately there is nothing as simple and capable as Garageband, but for free you can get Audacity and do an admirable job. Audacity is available for Mac, PC and Linux.
If you have collected your gear and are interested in tips for podcasting, check out the following sites:
- http://podcastingunderground.com/
- http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2005/08/10/improvingpodcasts.html
- http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7184.asp
- http://www.feedforall.com/podcasting-tips.htm
I hope you have found this informative, happy Podcasting!
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