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You can use anything with a microphone and a recording medium to create a podcast, since they're essentially sound files like any other. Still, if you're getting serious about podcasting, you need something that's portable and battery powered with good sound and the ability to record from both XLR and 1/4-inch cables. A little speaker wouldn't hurt either, for playing back interview snippets in the field.
With its upcoming Podcast Studio ($100), Belkin appears to have come up with the device described above. The Podcast Studio uses an iPod as its processor and recording medium, cutting costs considerably (the competition, although it may offer audiophile-level sound, also offers audiophile-level pricing). The device does not include a mic, but the 1/4-inch and XLR inputs mean that the mic of your choice will work just fine. A recording meter, gain control, and a compressor/limiter ensure that your recordings won't sound distorted.
The Podcast Studio uses the iPod's voice recording feature, so it records into WAV as opposed to MP3. The upside to this approach is that once the file syncs onto your computer via iTunes, you can edit in WAV
and then compress to MP3. If the Podcast Studio recorded in MP3, you'd need to compress twice before uploading.
Judging from the features and design, I have a hunch this was the brainchild of Belkin's Wannie Park, who designed the Belkin TuneStudio we shot video of at another conference.
The Belkin Podcast Studio works with the 5G (video) iPod, the iPod
Classic, and the 3G iPod Nano. It's slated for a June 2008 release.
(Could our coverage of Belklin's TuneTalk iPod accessory have had something to do with the advent of the Podcast Studio?)
