I’m working on some screencasts and have had some gear recommended to me that I’m ordering now.  I’ll post back later with an update on how I like these, but if anybody else is interested in what I’ve been told is the best stuff to get, here you go.

Microphone

The microphone of choice is the Rode Podcaster, pictured at right.  It has a built-in pop filter, so no need to pick up one of those.  This is a USB microphone and doesn’t require any additional boxes or cables.  From the product description:

Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio dynamic microphone with unparalleled A/D converters, so that the microphone can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive pre-amps, just a USB cable.

This is currently $229 on Amazon.

Mount

The microphone doesn’t come with anything but, well, the microphone (so I’m told).  So, you need something to stick it to, and that’s where the Rode PSM 1 Shockmount for Podcaster comes in.  This particular model is:

…optimized for use with the Rode Podcaster.  Shockmounts prolong the life of your mic and can remove unwanted low frequency rumble.

We definitely don’t want unwanted rumbles, so we’ll throw this into our cart, too ($39).

Stand

People who know things about this stuff tell me that putting a mic on stand directly on your desk (where you’re probably going to be doing some typing) is a BAD PLAN.  Thus, some kind of boom mic stand is a good way to go.  A friend of mine says he actually went the route of going to a music store, picking up a standard floor mount for a mic, and then mounting it upside down from the ceiling.  That sounds amazingly cool, but I’m looking for something a bit more flexible to my office layout, so something I can attach to my desk far away from where I type seems like a good way to go.  Thus, the Rode PSA 1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm  looks like a good choice.

Assembly

I don’t have any of these yet, but when I do I’ll try and update this post with some pictures and/or comments on how it all comes together.