Equipping a Studio on Any Budget

Okay, we've talked about equipment until we're blue in the face. It's time for you to go out and spend some money. We know you want to. We also know you probably want recommendations. We're not going to tell you exactly what to buy, but we'll make some general recommendations, based on a total estimated budget. Remember that audio equipment doesn't go out of style as quickly as cell phones do; if you buy the good stuff, chances are it will last you a lifetime.

The following suggestions below don't include some of the extras that you're going to need with every setup, such as microphone cables, stands, acoustic treatment for your recording environment, and so on. The amount of extra equipment you need is dependent on the equipment you buy and the scale of your podcast. Whatever you do, be sure to buy good cables, and buy a few spares, just in case.

Cheapskate ($0)
Hey, no one is saying you have to spend money. You can do a lot with a little. In fact, you may want to do a few test runs with no investment to make sure you're going to enjoy podcasting and to see where the painful points are before you spend any money. If that's the case, you can make due with the following:

- The crappy mic you found in the empty office next door

- The built-in soundcard on your laptop

- Windows Sound Recorder or Mac Sound Edit 16

- The plastic speakers that come with most desktop computers

- Audacity audio-editing software

Just plug it all in and go. When you realize the quality could be better and it's time to spend some money, step up to the next level.

Novice (<$250)
The most important purchase you can make is a good microphone. The new USB mics offer good quality, or you can buy a standard microphone (so you can use it with portable recording units or for other applications) and an audio interface. The cheaper audio interfaces have a maximum of two mic inputs, so you'll be somewhat limited, but two mic inputs may be all that you'll ever need. You'll also need a decent set of headphones to monitor with, so your shopping list looks something like this:

- A USB mic (Samson CO1U, Blue Snowball), or a decent dynamic mic (Shure SM58, EV635) and a USB or FireWire audio interface (M-Audio Mobile Pre, PreSonus FireBox)

- A decent set of headphones (Sony, AKG, Sennheiser)

- Audacity audio-editing software

With this modest investment, you can create a great-quality podcast easily. The microphone is going to increase your quality exponentially, and Audacity should take care of most of your editing and processing needs.

Enthusiast (~$600)
After you've got the bug, you'll probably want to buy some more equipment to make your life a little easier and to broaden the possibilities for your podcast. A small mixing desk is a must, and a telephone hybrid probably will come in handy. You also should buy a good set of monitors so you can hear the improved quality you'll be producing. You also may consider upgrading your audioediting software.

- A Shure SM58 or EV 635 mic

- A USB mixing desk (Yamaha, Alesis, Mackie)

- A telephone hybrid (JK Audio)

- A decent set of monitors (Tapco, M-Audio)

- Sound Forge LE, Peak editing software

Professional ($1,000 +)
After the sponsorship money starts rolling in, you can really get serious. It's time to spring for a true broadcast-quality microphone and a top-notch digital telephone hybrid. While you're at it, you may want to upgrade your mixing desk, and heck, you may as well grab the flagship audioediting software.

- A top-notch mic (Shure SM7, EV RE20, Neumann TLM49)

- A Telos One digital telephone hybrid

- A Mackie Onyx FireWire mixing desk

- High-quality monitors (Mackie, Genelec, JBL)

- Sound Forge, Audition, or Peak Pro editing software

At this point, you should be in audio nirvana. You've got a fabulous mic, a telephone hybrid, a great desk to mix it all with, and fabulous audio-editing software. There is nothing you can't do. The world awaits the glorious quality of your podcast.