Before you begin recording, take some time to think about what the focus is for your podcast. How long do you want the show to last and what types of guests do you want to have, if any at all? What kind of speaking tone is best suited for what you're trying to do? Great microphones and recording equipment won't save poorly thought out ideas.
Pick a Podcasting PlaceIf you're going to be doing recording on a regular basis, try to pick a place where you can set up your equipment and leave it connected. This is a real time saver, and helps you stay focused on your vocal delivery, instead of worrying about setting up wires and equipment. The ideal place would be somewhere quiet, with a minimum of distractions.
If possible, pick a place that has carpet or curtains that absorb and deaden the sound. Reflective rooms with hard floors and hard, parallel walls will bounce your voice off their surfaces and back into the microphone, creating a boxy room ambiance and flutter echoes. If you must record in a bad environment, try to use a directional microphone, and record close to the microphone to minimize the room's ambiance.
If you're recording on the road and can't find a quiet place to record, a parked car with the engine off is a surprisingly good acoustic environment.
Is This Thing On?Before starting to record, do a ten second test, speaking at your normal voice level. This way, if something's not hooked up, or the microphones level is wrong, you'll catch it before you launch into a long performance. When you start your real recording, check to make sure the recorder has started, and give a few seconds of silence at the front, so that your intro words don't accidentally get cut off. Nothing hurts worse than delivering a perfect performance, only to realize that the microphone level was too low, or that the recorder didn't start.