If you really want to get started in podcasting you should invest in some equipment. I’d say you can probably lay the groundwork for a good, scalable podcast for under $500 (assuming you already have a decent computer).

I say scalable because its possible to launch right into podcasting for around $100 (or maybe even less) but eventually you are going to want to do bigger and better things. If you limit yourself early on, it will be frustrating when you need to revamp your whole situation when you decide you want to add other features. If you want to be cheap I’ll put my recommendation at the end of this post.

So… the starter pack I’d recommend consists of:

 

Behringer XENYX 1202FX Premium 12-Input 2-Bus Mixer

I picked the 12-input because, again, you will want to expand. With this you can have the host mic, up to three guest mics and plenty of room to bring in other sound input like a phone line or sound from your computer. They also have smaller, cheaper mixers like an 8-channel and 5-channel mixer. Keep in mind you slowly lose features that you are going to need in the future if you go smaller (like the FX Send port for a mix-minus). Just get this. It’s only $95.

Behringer HPX2000 Headphones High-Definition DJ Headphones

Get two pairs. One for you and one for a guest. I am sure there are better headphones out there but these get the job done.

Pyle-Pro PHA40 4-Channel Stereo Headphone Amplifier

The mixer only has one headphone output. This will allow you to split and control the volume on the different headphones.

Roland R-05 Studio WAVE/MP3 Recorder

Again, this is spending upfront so that you don’t need to redo everything later on. Get a digital recorder and take the output from the mixer to the Edirol. You can check the levels as you go, no mechanical noise to interfere, and most importantly, no software crashes.

SanDisk 32GB SDHC Flash Memory Card (SDSDB-032G-B35)

For the Edirol. 32GB will let you record a lot in .WAV format. We’ve been doing 45 min podcast and they’ve been coming out to about 7-8GB. If you clear out the memory on the card once you import the recording for editing, you should be fine.

Behringer XM8500 Dynamic Cardioid Microphone

Mics are the one place I have yet to upgrade. These get the job done. When you want to go big, go for these guys.

GLS Audio 25ft Mic Cable Patch Cords – XLR Male to XLR Female Black Microphone Cables – 25′ Balanced Mike Snake Cord – SINGLE

You gotta plug the mics into the mixer.

On Stage DS7200B Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand, Black

These suck but they are cheap. Spend a little dough and feel like you are in a real studio with these or these.

That stuff right there gets you to about $494 if you get the cheap mic stands. If you have any success in podcasting you are probably going to need all of this stuff at some point, so why not get it and learn with it so you don’t need to start over?

No?

Still want to be cheap? Get a USB mic and plug it into you computer and record directly to whatever software you’ve got (Garageband or Audacity are both free depending on it you have a PC or Mac).

Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone – Silver Edition

It’s $110 so just add the onto the $494 that you are eventually going to need to spend to do it the right way, a USB mic can always come in handy.