PoducateMe: Practical Solutions for Podcasting in Education
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Printable copies of the guide are available for purchase and immediate download at
OS X 10.3 and Windows 2000 or better is also recommended. As always, it is very
important that you make it a point to review the minimum system requirements of any
hardware or software you’re considering for the production your podcast.
Gear Connection Formats
There are several ways of connecting microphones and other pieces of equipment to
your computer, and some of these methods can become quite elaborate and expensive.
Fortunately, it’s really not necessary to spend a lot of money to produce a quality
podcast.
Before we look at some hardware connection solutions, I want to familiarize you with the
various ports and jacks available to support these options. Of course, not all computers
and audio hardware will feature all of these ports, so you’ll have to confirm compatibility
prior to purchasing any equipment.
1/8” (3.5mm) Minijack
Out of the box, some Macs, such as older Mac minis and iBooks, do not offer an analog
audio input (microphone jack), so your equipment will have to connect to your system via
a USB, FireWire or optical digital audio port. If your Mac does offer a mic jack, it is likely
of the stereo 1/8” (miniplug) variety, usually identified as “line-in”.
1/8” miniplug and the Mac’s Line-in icon and port.
Many Mac users have been frustrated and befuddled by the fact that when they plug a
mic into this jack, the instrument fails to deliver a usable signal to their computer. This is
because the jack is designed to accept a “line-level” signal, which microphones are
generally incapable of delivering on their own.
Line-level describes an audio signal between approximately .5 and 5 volts (usually .5-2
volts). Devices such as CD players, tape decks and audio mixers output line-level
signals. Because a microphone signal generally ranges between .001 and .005 volts (mic
level), the signal must be boosted up to line-level in order to make it suitable for
recording. Unlike Macs, miniplug microphone jacks on PCs will generally amplify a mic
signal to a suitable recording level. So, why don’t Macs do the same thing? Hey, don’t
ask me, I just write here. You can, however, use Marshall Electronics’ iBooster ($39.95)
to bring your microphone up to line-level.
