Basic approach to podcasting

Hi, all. First post, and since I'm about as new as newbies get, I hope I'm in the right place.



Just for fun, and as a way to learn a little about audio production, I've decided to put together a simple little podcast. I'm a software developer and gadget fanatic, so when I started looking into audio equipment, I just assumed I'd instantly get it all and everything would make sense. Turns out, audio is a very different world from what I'm used to.



I'm trying to strike the right balance between economy (it's just an occasional hobby) and quality (IMO, anything worth doing is worth doing well). So far, I've spent some time/money acoustically treating my office, and I've been experimenting with some pretty basic equipment.



The whole digital/analog debate really has me confused (I come from a purely digital world), and I certainly don't want to rehash it here -- especially since I'm doing a podcast which is obviously going to be fully digital. But I'm curious if the type of setup I have going makes sense to the pros.



I'm using a good mic (tried a few and settled on the Heil PR 40), a good and well insulated cable, and a little Mackie mixer which goes to a very cheap Behringer USB audio interface. From there, I'm using Adobe Audition (I work for Adobe) to record, and that's where I'm planning on editing, adding music, etc. Aside from an annoying hiss I can't seem to track down (but that Audition removes nicely), the quality is pretty good.



I started with nothing but a cheap USB mic, and I've been upgrading various components trying to get the sound/quality that I want. I feel like I'm getting close, so I figured now was a good time for a sanity check. Any thoughts, warnings, or advice?



Thanks in advance.



Christian

Basic approach to podcasting