M-Audio Podcast Factory Podcasting Solution

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Includes USB interface, mic, desktop mic stand, Live Lite 4, and special podcasting software.

Overview

The Podcast Factory combines all the hardware and software you need to easily record, edit and publish professional-sounding podcasts. Create sophisticated radio-style productions that integrate speech, music, and sound effects. The included software even processes your MP3 files and automates web publishing of RSS 2.0 feeds. Designed with the same M-Audio technology used in recording studios around the world, Podcast Factory gives you both the professional sound quality and creative tools to produce stellar podcasts that keep your listeners coming back for more.

Podcast Factory USB Interface
The Podcast Factory professional audio interface brings your computer both microphone and instrument inputs, plus headphone and stereo outputs -- all via a simple USB cable. It can also double as a professional audio interface for most popular music software like Apple GarageBand, Sony Acid, and Magix Music Maker.

Broadcast Microphone Included
Use the included microphone with desktop stand to record broadcast-quality speech for professional-sounding podcasts-instruments too.

Software Included
Podcast Factory includes all the software you need to record and edit your program, add music by dragging and dropping loops, and create and upload MP3 files with RSS feeds.

Ableton Live Lite 4 included
Ableton Live Lite 4 delivers much of the functionality of Ableton Live 4 -- the revolutionary, multi-award winning music production solution that allows you to spontaneously compose, record, remix,… read more improvise and edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment. Live brings your acoustic, electronic and virtual instruments -- as well as your digital audio recordings and MIDI sequences -- together in a single interface with unparalleled ease of use.

Live's multi-award winning elastic audio sequencing lets you record, import, arrange and process multiple audio clips and loops into complete songs regardless of their pitch or tempo -- all in real time while the music continues. You can even change tempo and pitch of audio independently after the fact -- and clip envelopes create endless loop variations. Of course, you can also integrate linear tape-style recording along with your loops.

Ableton's unique approach to music production extends to a new paradigm in MIDI sequencing and manipulation as well, complete with exclusive virtual instruments. There's also VST and Audio Unit support and a host of effects you can't find anywhere else. As simple to use as it is powerful, Live is a completely unique musical tool that blurs the distinction between stage and studio.

Where the full version of Ableton Live gives you all of these capabilities across an unlimited number of audio and MIDI tracks, Ableton Live Lite 4 gives you four audio tracks and four MIDI tracks. Given Live's unique power and efficiency--including resampling -- that's a lot of production capability right out of the box. It's so intuitive and inspiring that you'll be making new music immediately. And if you decide to unleash the full power of Ableton Live, your experience and files are completely transportable. Either way, Live lets you focus on what really matters: your music.

Features
Professional 24-bit/48kHz audio interface with preamp

Dynamic broadcast microphone with desk stand

Microphone input channel with gain control and signal LEDs

Switchable instrument/line input

Stereo headphone output

Stereo output jacks

Level control for headphones and main outputs

USB bus-powered for mobile operation

USB class-compliant (OS X 10.3.5 and higher) for plug-and-play operation

Includes software for recording and editing, adding music and sound effects, and Web posting with RSS feed

Includes music loops from a wide variety of genres

Easy to connect and use

Hardware compatible with most other music software

Specs

General
Sample rates: 44.1kHz and 48kHz

Dimensions: 5.5 in. x 4.25 in. x 1.75 in. (14 x 10.8 x 4.5 cm)

Microphone input
Max input: -2.2dBu (0.6 Vrms), min. gain

Signal-to-noise: -100dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted), min. gain

Dynamic range: 100dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted), min. gain

THD + N: 0.0053%, 1kHz, -1dBFS @ 48kHz, min. gain

Freq response: +0.08 / -0.12dB, 22Hz to 22kHz @ 48kHz, min. gain

Available gain: 45dB

Input impedance: 1K ohm

Input (guitar setting)
Max input: +3.2dBV (1.5 Vrms)

Signal-to-noise: -97dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

Dynamic range: 97dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

THD + N: 0.0049%, 1kHz, -1dBFS @ 48kHz

Freq response: +0.00 / -0.45dB, 22Hz to 22kHz @ 48kHz

Input impedance: 500K ohms

Input (line setting)
Max input: +2.3dBV (1.3 Vrms)

Signal-to-noise: -98dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

Dynamic range: 98dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

THD + N: 0.0045%, 1kHz, -1dBFS @ 48kHz

Freq response: +0.01 / -0.35dB, 22Hz to 22kHz @ 48kHz

Input impedance: 20K ohms (bal.), 10K ohms (unbal.)

Line outputs
Max output: +2dBV (1.2 Vrms)

Signal-to-NOISE: -105dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

Dynamic range: 105dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

THD + N: 0.0039%, 1kHz, -1dBFS @ 48kHz

Freq response: +0.03 / -0.15dB, 22Hz to 22kHz @ 48kHz

Crosstalk: -100dB, 1kHz, channel-to-channel

Output impedance: 240 ohms

Headphone outputs
Max output: (@ 32-ohms) -2dBV (0.8 Vrms)

Signal-to-noise: -102dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

Dynamic range: 102dB @ 48kHz (A-weighted)

THD + N: 0.0395%, 1kHz, -1dBFS @ 48kHz

Freq response: +0.05 / -0.20dB, 22Hz to 22kHz @ 48kHz

Crosstalk: -80dB, 1kHz, channel-to-channel

Output impedance: less than 1 ohm

HP impedance: 32 to 600 ohms recommended

Compatibility
ASIO 2

WDM

Kernel streaming

Mac OS X Core Audio

PC Minimum System Requirements
Windows XP (SP1)

Pentium III 500 w/ 128 MB RAM

Mac Minimum System Requirements
G4* 350MHz or better

OS X 10.2.8 or greater, 128 MB RAM

(* native USB port required; G3/G4 accelerator cards not supported)