Mount it on its sturdy, height-adjustable tripod, connect it to a PC, and all that's left to do is fire up your preferred audio-recording software and start podcasting.
Power and audio are supplied via USB, and recordings are fixed at 16-bit, 44.1KHz. Unlike many budget microphones, you can switch the Snowball between "cardioid" and omni-directional polar patterns.
The latter picks up sound from all around and the former captures only what's in front. The omni-directional pattern rewards with crisp, full-bodied audio; in cardioid mode, some of our recordings had a slightly nasal quality.
It isn't cheap, nor is it perfect, but the Snowball's solid performance, retro design and ease of use will be more than ample reward for many.
