Podcasting has been around for over a decade. During that time, podcasters have had to rely on a plethora of tools that were really designed for other uses. Sure, you can create a podcast with gear that was created for music or live sound production. But it can lead to complex workarounds or other hassles that keep you from the important thing: Creating your podcast. With that in mind, Tascam recently released two new MiNiSTUDIO interfaces made with podcasters in mind.

First up is the Tascam US-32:

Central to the MiNiSTUDIO Personal is an XLR/combo mic/line connector and a professional quality micropone preamp. Built-in phantom power allows you to quickly and easily connect your favorite dynamic or conderser microphone…or not… For the ultimate in plug and play convenience, the MiNiSTUDIO Personal features a built-in microphone, so you’re ready to talk the talk right out of the box. Simply press the ON AIR button and go to town. And to top it all off, the MiNiSTUDIO Personal features a 4-band parametric EQ, adjustable on-board compression and a digital reverb effect with a convenient front panel depth control.

The US-32 also comes with built-in clip playback and sound effects. You can use the stock clips that come with the US-32 or you can customize them with your own sounds. Then there’s the built-in vocal effects:

Di(s)guise your voice, fool your fans! Perhaps the most extreme feature of the MiNiSTUDIO Personal is the Voice Effects option. Simply pressing this innocent little button will instantly transform your voice in any one of a number of amazing and amusing ways. Pitch your voice up into cartoon mouse territory or pitch it down like you’ve joined the Dark Side. Add a spacey Echo, wobbly Chopper or go old school with the Walki-talkie-approved Radio effect. Voice Effects: crazy, wacky and a whole lot of fun.

Next up is the US-42. This model has all of the features of the US-32 as well as an additional microphone input. It also comes with a Creator/Broadcast switch:

Unique to the MiNiSTUDIO Creator is a powerful Creator / Broadcast selector switch on the front panel of the device. When set to Broadcast mode, the audience will hear exactly what you hear as all audio generated my the MiNiSTUDIO and/or your computer will be mixed together in a single stereo stream. Talk, play guitar, play games or play MP3 files. If you hear it, they hear it. But flick the switch to Creator and you’re in full production mode. When set to Creator, the MiNiSTUDIO transforms into a professionally specced two-channel USB Audio Interface. Perfectly suited for any DAW or video editing software, the combination of dual HDDA mic preamps, Hi-z inputs, EQ, compression and reverb deliver a powerful and flexible front end for any media production task.

Both versions of the Tascam MiNiSTUDIO are available for purchase now. The US-32 is expected to retail for $129.00 and the US-32 should sell for $179.00.