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Producing a Podcast chapter with Gear You Own Today
have talked to a lot of people about podcasting, and they are surprised when I talk about the basic podcasting hardware requirements. Most in this chapter Ithink they need a studio setup, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. You’re probably asking yourself, what do I need to get started today? A ˛ Computer computer, a microphone, and a website, along with software that can be Requirements downloaded from the Internet. It’s really that simple. In this chapter I will cover the very basic equipment and software that you ˛ Microphone need to start podcasting almost immediately with the gear you own, today. Requirements Remember, I recorded my first podcast in a hotel room using my laptop and a $7.95 headset microphone, along with some software downloaded from ˛ Software the Internet and some that already resided on my computer. Requirements Some of you will want to take your productions to the next level, and in Chapter 6, I will go through what I characterize as the semi- professional studio. But the focus of this chapter is getting started with basic, inexpensive equipment and software.
Computer Requirements If you have purchased a computer within the last two or three years, you probably have a PC that is capable of recording a podcast. This is a general statement; if you have a PC running Windows XP or a Mac running OSX, you should be good to go. Recording audio on PCs has been going on for a long time, and there are many variations in equipment setups in the world today. In the following sections, I cover computer basics for Windows and Mac users. 10_597787 ch05.qxd 5/11/05 6:32 PM Page 88
88 Part II — Joining the Revolution: Your Own Podcast
Windows XP/2000 The majority of the computers in the world are running a Windows operating system. Windows machines today come in many different styles, including laptops, desktops, tablets, mini PCs, and so on. These machines or their components run the gambit in performance. Typically, you would not expect your $399 rebate special to perform at the same level as a $2,000-plus gaming machine. This is not to say the $399 rebate special will not work, but you will have to minimize the number of programs running so as not to interfere with the recording process. Sometimes by simply increasing a computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) and not overtasking, you can record a podcast on an entry-level PC. In recent years most brand-name manufacturers have been selling computers at rock-bottom prices, targeting price-conscious shoppers. I love a good deal just like the next person, and my kids have benefited from these lower-priced PCs, sharing a $399 rebate special between them. I, on the other hand, have always built my own desktop servers, so, being a geek/power user, I typically let performance win over price. If you are concerned your machine may not be up to the task of processing audio efficiently, you will simply have to experiment and see. The only way you will know for certain is by installing the software I recommend here and then seeing how well recording a podcast goes.
I will generalize and say that if you have a Pentium 4 or equivalent processor with 512MB of ram, 3 to 4 GB of available space on your hard drive, and audio ports for line in and line out, you can start podcasting today. Line in and line out refer to where microphone and headphones are con- nected to your computer.
PC and Mac users have found that from time to time, operating systems do weird things. Even those of you with $3,500 super computers can lose a show before you have saved it to the hard drive during recording or postprocessing. I will thoroughly cover this to help mitigate that risk in Chapter 8.
For Windows users, basic requirements are as follows: