When Podcasting started, and there were just six channel of Adam Curry, I was hot to get in on the action. Now there are so many Podcasts that it's become the audio version of Usenet — and I never, ever, want to be able to hear the people on Usenet.

Things are going to get a whole lot worse now that M-Audio is releasing Podcast Factory. This product has everything—both hardware and software—that you need to record Podcasts with a Mac or a PC. The 2 x 2 mobile audio interface is coupled with a microphone preamp to give you 24-bit/48kHz audio fidelity and the first of the two audio channels is a dedicated XLR input for the microphone. The second channel is a 1/4-inch that toggles between instrument and line levels. You'll also get dual RCA audio outputs and a 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack. The software looks pretty dummy-proof, allowing you to edit speech, add music and sound effects, and post MP3s with RSS feeds to the Web. And a collection of music loops is also included to make your casts sound even more generic! Goes for $199. So get out there and start casting your crap today!

M-Audio Podcast Factory [biosmagazine]

Prices for M-Audio Podcast Factory [Froogle]

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