It's never been easier to start a podcast. Technological barriers to sharing opinions on culture, politics, and hot sauce have never been lower, which is—in theory—a tremendous boon for the so-called “marketplace of ideas.”

Should any idiot with a hot take be allowed to broadcast their brain slop far and wide? That’s an open question society is in the midst of tackling, so we’ll set that aside for now.

From a gear perspective, the more pressing question is whether or not you need access to nepo baby cash to acquire the mics, headphones, cables, and stands to get started. And in that regard, there’s great news for the everyman who thinks the world needs to hear their inner monologue as quickly and clearly as possible: Budget podcasting gear is cheap and plentiful.

A great place to start looking is legacy brands that’ve been in the game for a while, and M-Audio’s new M Track Duo Producer Pack is an all-in-one package with an audio interface, headphones, and a condenser mic, tying a bow around an affordable and approachable point of entry into the digital creator space. It won’t dazzle you with options or features, but it can turn the voice in your head into ones and zeros for a low cost and minimal effort.

The Podcast Industrial Complex is thriving as cheap junk is everywhere, which makes the presence of a reliable and affordable brand like M-Audio that much more valuable for plebs who have plenty of time for pontificating but very little time for gear research.