Some microphone/headset questions

[JM Campbell]

Basically I've been experimenting with recording as to do a podcast, and I got a cheap omindirectional headset/mic combo that is excellent for picking up sound around me. It's excellent and clean and picks up anything while filtering out breath hisses and what not, BUT now I'm looking for a mic that won't pick up all the outside sound.
I'm using an iRiver to record and was hoping to do my recording while on my morning/afternoon drive, and with the mic I have right now, it picks up the engine of the car running beside me and when I gas to accelerate, the slight engine rev.

so, can anyone recommend a good mic to use that I guess would be focused just to where i'm talking?
I know I won't be able to block all the noise but to block some would be nice. I've been reading and see about the cardenoid and codenser mics, but haven't seen any really portable and/or affordable and affordable is something very important for me. Let me know.

[Craig]

I use the Plantronics .audio 70 noise-cancelling headset mic for recording into my iRiver during my commute and it does a great job of filtering out 95% of the background noise:

http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/cat640035/cat1430032/prod440016

Plus it's under $20 at amazon.com!

Craig

[WyethDigital]

:shock:

Holy crap! I'm glad I'm not on the same roads you two guys are on! Driving is for driving! :P

Eric

[docsnavely]

Where then do you suggest I eat my big mac and fries with a chocolate shake while talking on my cell phone and trying to coordinate my schedule on my palm? Surely not somewhere other than I-95 during rush hour? :P

[yaz]

hey doc, what do you know? you're on japan, being an american you prolly wouldn't even fit in a car over there the same time as a big mac and all that other crap, i would rather just go with taking a nap while a drive, does anyone out there still do that?

[JM Campbell]

Only on the really long stretches of highway can you get a good nap in. Otherwise people keep waking you with their horn when you roll through the reds.

[docsnavely]

yaz, where do you think many of the cars back in the states come from nowadays? definitely not detroit? We actually bought a minivan (not my choice), and there's so much friggin head room, ot's like i'm in an ambulance. And I can get a big mac anywhere here! You think I could actually live here without my big macs? We even have a taco bell and a starbucks on base! We're living large over here man! We're even about to get an A&W. Ok, I've derailed enough. **** you getting me off topic!

[percent20]

:shock:

Holy crap! I'm glad I'm not on the same roads you two guys are on! Driving is for driving! :P

Eric

Right on. I can't stand it when people try to do 30 things at once. Besides it is against they law to have a headset that covers both ears at the same time while driving.

[mental-escher]

eh-em... I leave the driving to my chauffeur ! And where do you find time to record your podcast while "driving" when you have so many podcasts to listen to on the commute.

[Craig]

Holy crap! I'm glad I'm not on the same roads you two guys are on! Driving is for driving!
Actually the .audio 70 has open ear headphones so I can hear everything around me. It's just the mic that is noise-cancelling. And I never work off notes when I'm podcasting in the car...it's all off-the-cuff.

Craig

[docsnavely]

I hope you guys didn't miss my sarcasm in all of this! :roll: :P