Podcasting startup

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

Hey Hivemind i am in need of your help. My workplace wants to get into the broadcasting biz and i have been put in charge of making it happen. We are not looking to spend a whole lotta money but still want to get some good equipment. I do have an extensive theatre background how ever its been spent almost entirely behind a Light Board or Stage Managing. I can set up a basic sound system so i am not to worried about getting it going once i get the equipment but i don’t know what equipment to get. so here are my questions

[ul]
[li]Can i use USB cardioid mics?[/li][li]If so can i plug more than one directly into my computer using a USB splitter or do i need a special splitter for mics?[/li][li]If those are not an option what is a decent board (i cant imaging needing more than 4 inputs i imagine) than can interface with a computer?[/li][li]What is a good editing software that i can use to both edit and capture the audio? I have played around with some free ones but again nothing jumped out at me. I do have a copy of Adoobe Soundbooth CS4 which seems like it might work but i am not sure.[/li][li]At some point we will probably need to Skype in calls does, never having used Skype does this require recording via Skype and editing in audio or can you Skype directly into the audio software. Or are there other means of recording a phone interview?[/li][li]Are there any websites or books that ya’ll can recommend. I have checked out a few sites but nothing is totally helpful.[/li][/ul]

I really appreciate any help i could get. As i said i was a pretty damn good lighting guy but was always confused by the sound guys…(i can count higher than 3 after all). Once i get pointed in the right direction i should have no problem picking things up but i just need a nudge in the right direction.

EDIT…

Another thing we would also like to use the Mic’s to do Webinars as well. Thanks!!

#2

hopefully Chuck will see this thread, cause he really is the sound guy. I heard him on either “podcasting underground” or Podcasting411 (although I think they are the same podcast.) He really is your guy for the specs of podcasting.
http://www.podcast411.com/
Software - have you checked out Audacity? its free and multi channel. I have used it at work for some sound editing… and it will definitly fit your buget.

I do know it’s the Mic’s and mixer that you need to be the most concerned about… if you get mic’s that are 'to good" they will pick up a lot of room noise unless you build and actual studio.

I’ll do some digging and come back.

#3

Yea I am hoping The Chuck stops in an helps out some he would be my hero

I have messed around with Audacity a little but i only have the ability to record one channel thus far so i haven’t gotten to explore it to much.

As for a studio i hope to eventually turn my office into a sort of studio…as in i will get foam egg crate and attach them to my wall however living in Florida and being in an office building the AC will always be an issue. But i can rig up my own wind screens using pantyhose and a coat hanger…yay for Ghetto podcasting!!

I should also mention that we use Windows based computers so no Mac stuff for us…

We should be able to spend a couple hundred bucks on equipment.

#4

I started writing a big treatise here, but it’s just taking too long to type. If there’s even a couple of people interested, we could set up a time on TalkShoe and I’d be happy to go over your individual questions and see if we can’t help you figure out which way you want to go.

The short version, though, is that there’s a truism in podcasting: cheap, quality audio, versatility – choose two.

So you could theoretically produce a decent sounding podcast with a couple hundred dollars of equipment if you engineered your recording environment properly, kept it to recording only one person (live), and didn’t try to do a lot of fancy editing. (Cheap/Quality Audio)

You could just grab a cheap recorder and mic and stick it wherever you like and publish the results. (Cheap/Versatility)

Or you can pick up the necessary gear to record just about anything wherever it is and put together a pretty decent 'cast. (Quality Audio/Versatility)

You get the idea… :slight_smile:

Edit: And if you don’t have time to chat sometime, just let me know which of the above you’re trying to accomplish and I’ll help you find some equipment.

#5

There are meta-podcasts, like PodCast411, that might be helpful.