Product Reviews

You can record a simple podcast with little more than a basic microphone and Windowsf Sound Recorder, but itfs likely to sound amateurish. If you want to create professional-sounding productions that include high-quality speech, sound effects and music, youfll need better software and hardware.

M-Audiofs Podcast Factory contains a condenser microphone with an XLR connector, a desktop microphone stand and a specialised audio interface that connects via USB to your computer. The audio interface has an XLR socket for the microphone and a 1/4" phono socket for connecting instruments such as a guitar. There are also dual RCA outputs and a 31/2mm headphone socket, but no headphones are supplied.

The package includes a software bundle thatfs tailored to the needs of the aspiring broadcaster. Audacity multi-track audio-editing software lets you record and edit multiple audio tracks, applying a decent range of effects such

M-Audio supplies a 490MB library of percussion and music loops, which you can use to add a soundtrack to your broadcast. However, itfs hard to edit them into a finished song using Audacity alone. If youfre keen on producing your own music and donft have a suitable software package you could do worse than Ableton Live Lite, which is included here. This is version four as opposed to the current version five, but itfs still a powerful tool for producing electronic music.

We found it easy to set up Podcast Factory and use Audacity to begin work on a broadcast, but anyone new to audio production may find it more daunting. The package includes a basic printed user guide covering the essentials of installing the software and hardware, but makes little effort to explain the process of creating a podcast and talk you through it.

We were impressed with the quality of the audio interface and microphone and were quickly able to create our first podcast and convert it to an MP3 file. The included Podifier software made it easy to upload the podcast to a website and create and publish the necessary RSS feed.

Podcast Factory comprises a well-chosen set of hardware and software components for making and publishing quality podcasts. Beginners would undoubtedly benefit from a better manual to help them find their feet. Still, armed with this package and some webspace, all you need are some original ideas.