Ideal podcasting setup?

[OneSeventeen]

I used to run a podcast and would like to start it back up again.

Here's my episode platform:
Intro music w/different spoken word each episode
Intro to Segment 1 (same each episode)
Segment 1
Intro to Segment 2 (same each episode)
Segment 2
Intro to Segment 3 (same each episode)
Segment 3
Closing music w/different spoken word each episode.

In an ideal world, I would record 3 segments, the intro, and the closing, then run a script to stitch them together and fade things in and out.

I also wouldn't mind getting some higher quality inputs, and possibly multi-track for interviews and whatnot.(so I could tweak each person's level individually)

Is there a recommended external device to use, and what software would be best for recording? (possibly a firewire device with multiple balanced inputs?)

Right now I'm just using Audacity with LAME.

EDIT: I'm installing JACK and Ardour right now, but I'm still interested in what hardware I can use with my laptop to take the burden off the processor while maintaining good quality

[roninchef]

The Linux Outlaws podcast episode 19 outlines their techniques and tactics for podcasting. This includes a full rundown of the hardware they use.

http://www.linuxoutlaws.com/podcast/19

[frame45]

That sounds cool I am fixing to start podcasting for my church. Umm I have a Dell XPS M1330 Ununtu 7.10 I have Audacity Installed and Lame inststalled via sudo apt-get but I still can't get Audacity to export mp3. It will record and export WAV but I can't find where the libmp3lame.so.0 file is. The Audacity Wiki says that's the file that you need to point the preferences to, but I don't know where it is. Can Anyone help show me how? I think Audacity is going to be great for podacsting. I know of other podcasts that are done in Audacity.

HELP!!! I need to get mine to work.

[feverfresh]

That sounds cool I am fixing to start podcasting for my church. Umm I have a Dell XPS M1330 Ununtu 7.10 I have Audacity Installed and Lame inststalled via sudo apt-get but I still can't get Audacity to export mp3

HELP!!! I need to get mine to work.

Look for the file in /usr/lib. I have Audacity 1.3.3 (beta), which I have used for Stereo Radiation for months now with no problem. Installing lame and getting it ready to export to mp3 was a simple operation under the "preferences" menu.

The audio quality will depend in large part on the microphone equipment that you use (condenser mics with a preamp will give the best quality), and the surrounding environment, as in how much ambient noise and echo are in the recording space.

Good luck.