Podcasts about blue snowball

In this episode, host Evan Starnes discusses various types of microphones and their configurations for optimal audio quality. He explores external microphones like the Blue Yeti and Blue Snowball, built-in laptop microphones, and headset microphones, highlighting their pros and cons. The episode also covers how to configure microphone settings in Windows for better sound quality, emphasizing the importance of adjusting settings to suit individual needs. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Microphone Configurations 02:55 Exploring Different Microphone Types 06:14 Using Built-in Laptop Microphones 09:02 Headset Microphones: Pros and Cons 11:58 Configuring Microphones in Windows Settings

Andromeda is best known for the Andromeda Galaxy, M31. But that’s not the constellation’s only good “deep-sky” object. One of them is inside our own galaxy: a dying star known as the Blue Snowball Nebula. Even though it’s much closer than the Andromeda Galaxy, the Snowball is still a good jaunt from Earth – about 5500 light-years. It’s a bubble of gas and dust expelled by a star at the end of its life. The star’s nuclear reactor – its hot core – is switching off. Radiation from the core is blowing away the star’s outer layers. That bubble spans close to a light-year, and it’s expanding at about 60,000 miles per hour. The gas is “energized” by ultraviolet light from the core, causing it to glow. Seen through a telescope, it looks like a blue snowball. With the outer layers barreling away from it, the core is exposed to view. It’s tiny – only about 10 percent the diameter of the Sun. But it’s much, much hotter than the surface of the Sun, so it shines thousands of times brighter. Before long, though, the core’s nuclear fire will be extinguished. The core will continue to shine, but at a tiny fraction of the Sun’s brilliance. With no energy source to light it up, the blue snowball will melt away. Andromeda is low in the east and northeast as night falls. The nebula is at the right edge of the constellation, not far to the left of the Great Square of Pegasus. Tomorrow: a faint eclipse. Script by Damond Benningfield

Ready to start a podcast in 2024? I highly recommend it. Not only can your podcast bring in some passive income and reach new ideal clients for your business, but it can also be a great way to service your existing follower base with amazing free content. You might think it's a saturated market, but really most podcasts out there are abandoned. So, give it a shot, and let me know how it goes!! I'm here to cheer you on. My Podcast Gear: Blue Yeti Microphone (currently on sale!) Blue Snowball (cheaper microphone) Foam Pop Filter Pop Filter Shield Boom Arm Microphone Stand Beats Headphones Links Mentioned: Head to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOWNOTES⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find my channel now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Nichole on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Listen to the episode mentioned ⁠060: Blogging is Not Dead! Try my sales cart platform, ⁠⁠⁠Thrivecart ⁠for one low lifetime price. (It's seriously AMAZING!!) Download the FREE resource, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Full-Time Photographer's Playbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Free Resources and Tools ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join my signature course, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wedding Walkthrough⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Shop my attorney-drafted contract templates at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Legally Creative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Shop ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nichole's Amazon Favorites⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (including gear, biz books, and more!). Find Nichole on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LiketoKnowit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (for personal favorites!)

Embark on a sonic journey with Anne and audio expert, Gillian Pelkonen, as they explore the world of microphones. From understanding the difference between dynamic, condenser, and ribbon mics, to unraveling the pricing mystery and debunking the 'quality equals cost' myth, your hosts cover it all. Learn what makes a great microphone, how to choose the best one for your unique voice, and how to navigate the complex pricing landscape. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this episode is your ticket to achieving your dream sound without breaking the bank.   Transcript   Anne Ganguzza (00:01.171) Hey everyone, welcome to the VO Boss podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and I am so excited to bring back once again, very special guest, audio engineer, musician, and all around amazing tech person, Gillian Pelkonen. Hey, Gillian.   Gillian (00:18.462) Hi, so good to be back talking to you and the bosses.   Anne Ganguzza (00:24.311) Yes, I love talking to you because, wait, hang on a second here. I know it's corny, but here. Is this thing on?   Gillian (00:33.543) Oh, it's on. Let me tell you, it is on.   Anne Ganguzza (00:39.433) How do I sound?   Gillian (00:41.738) Honestly, I'm not even saying this because we're on. I think that you sound great and this podcast sounds so great and your audio editor who is listening to this now, you don't need me to tell you, but you're doing a good job. I really like how it sounds because I listen to a lot of stuff and I'm very critical. I'm always like, oh, I don't really like that. But I really like the way VioBoss sounds.   Anne Ganguzza (00:45.727) Ha ha ha!   Anne Ganguzza (00:54.953) Aww.   Anne Ganguzza (01:01.676) Well, I would imagine an audio engineer listening to a podcast. I mean, that's what you do. So I think there's so many contributing factors to what really produces great sound. And I know that we've talked about studios in the past and things that we can do to create great sound. But we haven't really concentrated on   Gillian (01:09.523) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (01:20.43) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (01:25.707) this guy right here because first of all we were always maintaining that you didn't have to have a great mic to sound great. However, I think that it would be really a good topic. Yes, there you go. I think it would be a good time to talk about microphones.   Gillian (01:27.17) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (01:33.697) Mm-hmm. Expensive. Expensive is...   Gillian (01:41.694) It's not really, there's, yeah. Yeah, no, I totally agree. And I always say that great mics come at many different price points and people think, oh, a great mic is the $1,000 mic, is the $1,500 mic, even like the $800 mic. And that's not.   always, you know, it's not always true and there is a lot that goes into microphones and I am learning more and more all the time. Realistically, the price point has a lot to do with like how it's made, where it's made, but if you break down what's inside the mic, which I don't know if any like, I don't even know if audio engineers care about this, but like there's the capsules and the transformers and all of those things that are in the mic that are what produce the sound quality that either makes it more expensive or less expensive or sometimes   Anne Ganguzza (02:03.241) Mm.   Gillian (02:29.928) expensive mic has the same inside design as a more expensive one, but it's just like a brand thing or that might not be 100% correct, but it is true that people will take the shell of one type of mic and they can make the insides and kind of scope it out to be similar electronics to a more expensive mic. So I don't know, it's not all about the price point, it's all about what you what you think.   Anne Ganguzza (02:35.079) Mmm.   Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (02:54.087) So do I dare ask, have you gone inside the capsule? I mean, have you taken, I mean, is that what you do? Do you go into microphones sometimes to check them out, repair them, just be geekily interested?   Gillian (03:08.154) Sometimes you have to fix... I haven't opened up microphones. I mean a lot of the times like if you're looking at... well you have a you have like a pop filter windscreen on yours because I know you use a 416 and I use a KMS 105   Anne Ganguzza (03:22.022) Mm-mm.   I do.   Gillian (03:28.83) which is just my talking mic. I like to use it for vocals. It's one of the only mics I own because I work at so many studios. I can just basically use whatever mics are there. But this one I love for singing, for talking. It's a really good live mic. But it has like an... I wish I could like take it off without disrupting the audio, but I can't. It has like an outer windscreen, like a metal windscreen that a lot of mics have. And if you look, you can actually see the capsule in there.   Gillian (03:58.784) looking at capsules is if you shine a flashlight in you can like really see it. But no, to answer your question in a long-winded way, I haven't taken apart a mic yet. I have been doing a lot of looking at the inside of like outboard gear, like pre-amplifiers and stuff like that, but microphones are on the list for me to look at.   Anne Ganguzza (04:18.235) Well, so because you use so many different types of microphones, I think, in your everyday job being an audio engineer, you're not just working with voiceover artists. You're working with musicians. I'd love to like, can you break it down for the bosses? Like, let's make it easy. Like, what are the different types of microphones? Like, would...   Gillian (04:26.274) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (04:32.718) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (04:40.398) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (04:43.908) a voiceover artist from what I understand that we're not gonna be using the same mics as a musician necessarily. So let's talk about those types of mics, differences in microphones, like from a very bass level.   Gillian (04:48.407) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (04:57.09) Yes, there are basically three different types of microphones and the types are determined a lot by how they work but a lot of what is going on inside of them. So there's dynamic microphones which are never really used for voice, they're used for other things. And then there's condenser mics which are used by voice actors and used a lot for voice and for detailed things. And then there are ribbon mics which are not usually used for speaking voice. So basically as a voice actor all you need to worry about are condenser mics.   microphones, but there are other types of microphones that work for other things that you want to be recording. I could go into more detail about them, but I don't know how necessary it is for voice actors. They always say dynamic mics are durable. That's like, I mean, you use certain ones for voice, like a SM57 or SM58, which is like a   Anne Ganguzza (05:43.945) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (05:50.046) you go to a house party or you go to like a live event, someone's going to be using one of those microphones, the joke is like they're $99 and you can throw them off a building and they'll still work. Like they are so durable. They're, they're so, I don't know. It's   Anne Ganguzza (05:50.047) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (05:56.952) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (06:01.801) Ha ha!   Gillian (06:05.786) I think I don't know how to break one without like submerging it in water. And condenser mics are known for being sensitive, which is why we want to use them with our voice because there's so many intricacies in your voice and in your performance that need to be picked up. And ribbon mics, they're ribbons because they have a little metal ribbon on the inside and it's part of how it works. And those are more sensitive mics and use those a lot either on like, I mean, I know we use them a lot for like guitar amps or like horn instruments because you can be really   Anne Ganguzza (06:15.071) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (06:35.76) loud and it like smooths out the signal from my understanding of how I use them and what I know about them.   Anne Ganguzza (06:41.199) Ah, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And so a voice artist wants to use the condenser mic. And so for our podcast, OK, so I will say in my studio here, I've got a couple of different mics. Now before I purchased my 416, I had a TLM 103, which I also have here in the studio, which I like.   Gillian (06:48.706) condenser microphone. Yeah, TLDR, condenser mic.   Gillian (07:03.83) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (07:08.579) But even before that, I had a Rode NT1 mic. And of course, I went through, I think, the gamut of price ranges. And I think when I started, I mean, goodness, I just admitted the other day on a podcast that when I was streaming live from my living room, my first VO peeps meetups, I used a USB mic that was the Blue Snowball. And from there, I went to a Rode NT. And then I went to an AT2020 too, which I think was...   Gillian (07:16.834) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (07:27.618) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (07:37.127) you know, in terms of expensiveness was not that expensive, but I thought it was a decent mic. And I think at that point, you know, what would you say in terms of the different types of mics? Cause like my TLM 103 was over a thousand dollars, you know, compared to my AT2020, which is like right now, I think you can buy one for $99. What would you say is the biggest difference between those two mics?   Gillian (07:40.61) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (07:51.255) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (07:57.659) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (08:06.047) I mean, without knowing a ton about what goes into either of them, I do kind of, like I said before, I think the price difference does come from parts. And so...   Anne Ganguzza (08:10.419) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (08:17.503) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (08:18.162) I would assume the capsule inside of a Tlm 103 is more expensive than the other one, the electronics. Really upgrading, when we talk about upgrading mics, it does come with a price, but if you think about what the mic is, it's the capsule, everything inside, the electronics working together, higher quality materials will produce a higher quality signal that's recorded into your computer. So, can you get a lower priced mic that sounds good? Yes.   Anne Ganguzza (08:32.838) Mm-hmm   Gillian (08:47.956) of we're degrading the audio quality and listening to it through a phone speaker or out of computer speakers. So having really a really good signal to start with is great but sometimes it's not, basically you can get a signal that sounds good enough to sound professional at those lower price points but I do think it all comes down to.   Anne Ganguzza (08:53.927) Mm.   Anne Ganguzza (09:04.255) Basically you can get a signal that sounds good enough to sound rational.   Gillian (09:10.786) price of materials and sometimes like prestige of brand, at least a little bit, because there are a lot of brands that I know like Warm Audio, Flea Audio, they make remakes of vintage mics, but also they make like remakes of like a U87, which U87s are still sold, which basically all of the remakes is kind of what I was talking about earlier, similar parts to get a similar sound without the brand price point.   Anne Ganguzza (09:14.343) like the Steve Huff brand. Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (09:26.727) Remakes of like a U87, which is still sold. Which basically all of the remakes is kind of what I was talking about earlier.   Anne Ganguzza (09:40.211) So it's not necessarily, and I know we've talked about this before, so it's not necessary for a voice artist to get good sound by paying more for a microphone.   Gillian (09:50.478) Mm-hmm.   Yeah, it's like anything when you're starting out in a business. Like I keep talking about my tech work because it's on my mind. I've been doing it all week. I just bought a soldering iron and I bought a $40 soldering iron and the guy I'm working with has a $200 one, but I don't know how much I'm going to be doing it. I'm just dipping my toes in. I don't have a big budget for something that's not paying me back yet. And so it's kind of like this is my intro thing and it works. We're doing the same work. It works. One day would I want the more expensive one? Maybe. Just to have a higher quality.   Anne Ganguzza (10:10.459) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (10:21.807) Yeah.   Gillian (10:23.013) But you know when you're especially for people who are starting you got to have something to work up to and something to you know get started with because who is starting a voiceover and has a couple thousand dollars to drop on microphones I don't know anybody   Anne Ganguzza (10:30.843) Sure.   Anne Ganguzza (10:38.735) Yeah, that's rare. That's rare. And I do know that it took me, oh gosh, at least 10 years to get my TLM 103, because my Rode NT1, which was a few hundred dollars, did a great job for me for many years, at least six years, in the voiceover industry. And I finally decided, well, you know what? I mean, people talk about the TLM 103, and I   Gillian (10:47.464) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (10:57.774) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (11:05.763) I actually went for that one before I bought my 416, and then I decided that after I got my TLM 103 and I moved to a new studio, I would entertain the 416 because I was also thinking about my 416 for a travel mic. And so I think in terms of microphones, and you were talking about sensitivity before, I know that, you know,   Gillian (11:09.806) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (11:23.445) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (11:29.367) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (11:31.803) I have, you know, sitting outside of the studio, I have a Shure SM7B, which I use because I'm not in my studio, but it's a lot of podcasts, you know, use that mic, podcast hosts use that mic, because it doesn't pick up a lot of external noise and it sounds good kind of no matter what environment you're in. However, the higher the mic price, the higher the sensitivity, it seems. My TLM 103 picks up like, you know, a fly.   Gillian (11:36.526) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Gillian (11:56.162) Mmm.   Anne Ganguzza (12:00.463) you know, or a breath, like super easily. And my 416 does as well, but I have to be in a particular location, right? It picks up more in the front of the mic versus the TLM 103, which picks up all the way around. So I guess maybe it has to do with, you know, it's something, it's called the cardioid pattern, is that correct?   Gillian (12:01.098) Yeah.   Gillian (12:11.104) Yeah.   Gillian (12:22.522) I know, yeah, yes, we're talking about polar patterns. It's so interesting, I hear you talking and I'm like, I know exactly why you think these things. Because it is interesting, the SM7B is a dynamic microphone actually, but it has a cardioid polar pattern and we use those all the time. I personally don't like the way my voice sounds on it for singing purposes, but a ton of people love it. It's a great studio microphone just in the music recording environment. If you wanna be in the control room,   Anne Ganguzza (12:24.819) Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (12:36.638) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (12:50.291) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (12:52.336) singing with stuff playing back on the speakers. It's a great mic because it's dynamic and because of the pickup pattern, because it doesn't feedback the way if you use the TLM 103 with speakers, just the pickup pattern, it would feedback. Anyway, am I losing everybody? I'm sorry. I'm just nerding out. Basically, what we're talking about is TLM 103. It's actually a large...   Anne Ganguzza (12:54.778) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (13:02.419) Right.   Gillian (13:17.154) I'm pretty sure it's a medium or large diaphragm condenser mic. And so the polar pattern is more wide and the capsule is bigger, so it's more precise and it picks up more sound. The issue that I personally have with the 416 that we can talk about is not everyone has good mic technique with it. And because the pickup pattern of that mic is so precise, I don't know...   Anne Ganguzza (13:21.138) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (13:40.999) Mmm.   Gillian (13:46.262) I don't know exactly what the pickup pattern is of it, but it's definitely cardioid if not like super cardioid, which means the pickup pattern area is even smaller. I find people love that mic because they say, oh, I hear a lot of things that like, once I have this mic, then I'll sound great. And people get a 416, they spend a lot of money on it, and then they're outside the range of where the mic picks up. And then it's like, I can't...   Anne Ganguzza (13:52.703) Mm-hmm. It's smaller. Mm-hmm.   Gillian (14:11.282) hear you, you know? So I don't know, technique is a big part of sounding good on a mic too. It's not just about the gear, it's knowing where the mic's picking up and just positioning yourself in that area so that it gets you the best sound.   Anne Ganguzza (14:13.444) Yeah, yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (14:26.803) That makes so much sense. And I know that one of the reasons why I love the 416 for travel is because you end up in environments where it's less than ideal. And so, I mean, you're not like in my studio here, I've got all my acoustic panels, it's built, it's double walled. And so I have a really good environment in which I'm recording. But when I go travel and I'm in a hotel, I don't have this studio. And so...   Gillian (14:28.834) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (14:39.587) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (14:49.846) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (14:56.075) I need something that is not gonna pick up the hum of the air conditioner or the fan that's in the room. And the 416 I found to make a huge difference. And yeah, you're so right about understanding like your mic and how to use it and mic technique because I have to be in a particular place in order to make my voice sound good with the 416, close to the proximity.   Gillian (15:02.058) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (15:23.379) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (15:25.347) versus my TLM 103 where it's not as critical because, but yeah, I couldn't take my TLM 103 to a hotel easily and make it sound as good as I do here in this studio.   Gillian (15:30.725) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (15:35.038) It picks up everything.   Gillian (15:39.614) Yeah, and something interesting about polar patterns when I first learned about them, and you can look it up. There's diagrams that show you basically the shape.   of what they look like. I was always thinking, oh, like the pickup pattern, I need to be thinking about what it's picking up. But another big thing about it is thinking about the rejection. Like if it's picking up in a certain way, it's actually rejecting audio from other spaces, which makes everything you're talking about completely true. It's going to reject a lot of the stuff that you don't want in your recordings, which could be a really helpful choice when picking a mic. Like what's your environment like? If you have a noisy studio or if you have a less than ideal situation, then maybe a   Anne Ganguzza (15:57.927) Mmm.   Anne Ganguzza (16:11.743) Sure.   Gillian (16:16.88) condenser TLM 103 is going to pick up too much unwanted noise. So there's a lot of things that go into making the decision and just things to think about to help you find the best mic for your voice and your situation, I think.   Anne Ganguzza (16:21.467) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (16:31.935) What would be your recommendations for people starting out? I mean, is there a particular mic that you think would be great, or is there a particular, I guess, methodology in terms of picking out a good mic for your voice? Like, what would you recommend? I mean, there's so many people that post on the forums, and they're like, what should I buy? Like, how do you attack that in terms of selecting a mic for your voice?   Gillian (16:51.63) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (16:57.326) Um, well, I think my situation is different than most because I work at a bunch of recording studios so I, um...   When I was picking my favorite mics for my voice, I did what is called a shootout, where you just line up a whole bunch of mics and you record yourself on all of them and then you see which one sounds the best to you. I know you have a bunch of recommendations on your site and on my site I do as well, but I guess without getting into specific, like you should get this mic, you should get that mic. There are a few places I actually, this past weekend I went into New York City, if anyone   Anne Ganguzza (17:12.295) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (17:22.975) Mm-hmm. I do.   Gillian (17:36.016) area, B&H, photo, video, whatever, that technology store has a room and you can go in and there's a technician that sits with you and you can try out all of the microphones. So really like my advice would be to have a chance. I know at music stores too you also have that. If you go to like Sam Ash or Guitar Center, you can totally go and try a few microphones before you buy them and all the ones that we're talking about, the 416, the TLM 103,   Anne Ganguzza (17:39.076) Oh yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (17:47.843) Oh, that's wonderful.   Anne Ganguzza (17:53.986) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (18:03.414) the SM7B, those are all there, because those are very popular microphones. So if you have a chance to try them, great. If you have a friend that has one that you could try it. But also, if you can't do a shootout in person, there's a lot of resources on YouTube of people.   Anne Ganguzza (18:05.907) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (18:12.616) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (18:18.626) testing out different microphones. Sweetwater is one of my favorite resources. They give you so much information and they do recorded mic shootouts so you can hear what they sound like on a voice or on the same voice and maybe just determine what you think sounds good for yourself. And then also be aware of your price range. Sorry, I'm just giving like a bullet point list of advice and maybe look into a company like Warm Audio that has a remake of the U87   Anne Ganguzza (18:22.431) Mm-hmm. Water is one of my favorite resources. Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (18:42.64) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (18:48.64) for most people's voices but is cheaper than a real U87 to get a similar sound without paying the full price. That'd be my advice to do a combo of all those things.   Anne Ganguzza (18:53.053) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (18:59.116) And also I know that certain companies like Sweetwater, you can buy and they have a great return policy. So it's kind of like try before you buy or, you know, and I think it's just wise for anyone who's trying out a mic. I mean, don't, I wouldn't go on blanket advice from anyone really. I think you still have to, you have to get that mic and it has to be in your environment. I remember   Gillian (19:04.246) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (19:15.92) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (19:23.847) Gosh, a long time ago I went into a studio and I loved the way I sounded on this particular mic and I went and I bought it immediately. And when I put it in my studio, it did not sound the same. And of course that makes a lot of sense because the studio I was in versus the studio that I had at home were completely different. I mean, number one, the studio I was in was a huge studio, had different acoustics than what I had in my room and I just didn't like it as much and I ended up returning it.   Gillian (19:47.182) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (19:52.871) And so I feel like, yes, I have lots of recommendations of like, here, I think this would sound good. But I think you should always try first and put it in your environment and see if you like it. And then always have that option to return it.   Gillian (19:59.426) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (20:09.842) Yeah, I think that's a great point. And Sweetwater too, they have representatives that you can talk to and get on with them and be like, this is my situation. This is my pre-empt that I have. This is what I'm using my mic for. This is what my... and they can give you recommendations as well. And I don't... I've never returned with them, but I do know they have a good return policy. And also, I mean, we've said this in previous episodes, like people...   Anne Ganguzza (20:19.827) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (20:32.066) glamorize the microphone, but really, first off, no one ever asks you what microphone you're using. And as an audio engineer, I don't care what microphone you're using, as long as you sound good. If you sound good, I don't care, I'm happy. And there's so many other things within the chain that we've talked about, the computer, the preamp, all of those things that contribute to how high or low quality your final sound is.   Anne Ganguzza (20:34.879) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (20:39.647) Hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (20:55.139) Mm-hmm. I do know that there are some studios or some clients that do request a particular mic, but I have a feeling it's if you're trying. Yeah.   Gillian (21:04.215) Really?   Anne Ganguzza (21:08.687) I think what they're trying to do is they're either matching or trying to match like a sound from the mic from before, but it's very rare. It's not, I don't think it's typical. As a matter of fact, in most of the work that I do, nobody ever said to me, you need to have this type of microphone. It's in very rare instances where they say, and maybe in promo or something like that, you need to have a 416 or... But I also feel like...   Gillian (21:13.029) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (21:18.143) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (21:26.743) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (21:34.239) Yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (21:37.743) I could be just saying that. I know I've read that, that it's very infrequent, but it does happen. But for the most part, I've never been requested to have a particular type of mic. As a matter of fact, nobody's ever asked. And so I've just only heard if my mic, or if I didn't sound good, and that had a lot of different factors to it. Wasn't just the microphone that was at play there.   Gillian (21:51.212) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (22:00.366) Mm-hmm. Yeah. I agree. Facts.   Anne Ganguzza (22:06.455) So any other good tips that you have in terms of, I guess, purchasing a mic or for a person just starting out? I mean, in terms of price point, do you think, like, I mean, if a microphone costs $79, do you, you know, is that something that you think is a good price point to start with or is it, you know, what are your thoughts?   Gillian (22:30.618) Yeah, I guess that's a good question. I never think about it like that, but I think um   Obviously if you can avoid a USB microphone, I would just because I think we might have talked about this previously or I just talk about All the time basically with a USB microphone. You're paying the price which is usually lower than most for all of the you know a to D conversion Your microphone your preamp all of that in one and then the power source is Coming fully just from like that USB a so everything within that mic is usually lower quality   Anne Ganguzza (22:43.067) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (23:04.275) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (23:07.888) afford to have a preamp and mic even if they're not very expensive. And in my head, not very expensive is like $200. I would say like $200 microphone, $150 microphone, even some that are like $100 and then preamps same sit at like $100, $115, $200. Then that's what I consider inexpensive. And then anything in like the $250 range is like mid.   Anne Ganguzza (23:17.467) Yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (23:22.925) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (23:28.818) Yeah.   Gillian (23:37.948) like 300, 400, 500, I would say that's like higher than all of the like super pro super expensive stuff is usually closer to a thousand dollars. So that's what in my brain what the range is.   Anne Ganguzza (23:40.871) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (23:45.81) Yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (23:50.791) Well, I know that when I'm recommending to a student, and I have a studio gear page, and I know you do too, and it really depends on their budget, number one. I think if they aren't sure that this is a career for them or   Gillian (23:59.81) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (24:08.499) They may not get into it more than a few hours a week, or they're just not sure about it. I say don't invest a ton of money right away. I mean, you can get some really reasonable equipment. And I'm not talking USB. I would never recommend a USB as a mic for you to use for creating audio for your client. It's good for webinars. It's good for maybe some quick.   Gillian (24:17.966) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (24:24.366) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (24:31.979) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (24:36.174) here.   Anne Ganguzza (24:37.603) Auditions, even then I say, oh, try not to because you want to put your best foot forward. So, I mean, but there's some really inexpensive mics that I think sound great as long as you've got a good environment. And audio interfaces, like I would recommend, the AT2020 mic I think is a great mic. The Rode NT1 mic is great. It's not more than a few hundred dollars. And audio interface, we've talked about this before. I love the Steinberg.   Gillian (24:44.93) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (24:56.412) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (25:04.392) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (25:05.351) and I think the Steinberg is a great interface and it's $169. So you're not talking about a large investment and it's something that you can probably resell easily if you decide you don't wanna get into the voiceover. Yeah, absolutely.   Gillian (25:09.667) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (25:15.718) And reuse. I mean, everybody is online now. Zoom meetings, it's just.   so much better to have some sort of microphone. And I have, there's one USB mic that I've heard that is actually like, I've been like, oh, what mic is that? Thinking it was, you know, an interface and it was just like a gaming mic, but that was like a $200 USB microphone. So even like, when I was talking about USB microphones, I'm talking about like the $50 ones, the $20 ones that you see on Amazon that it's like, oh, just get this and you'll have a microphone. That's not   Anne Ganguzza (25:23.321) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (25:33.299) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (25:36.883) Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Anne Ganguzza (25:45.631) Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (25:49.905) Yeah.   Gillian (25:51.724) enough quality for professional voiceover, I don't think.   Anne Ganguzza (25:56.111) Agreed, agreed. And I think, you know, going along with, if somebody doesn't have a huge budget and they're just getting into the voiceover industry, I think you have to pay equal attention to your microphone as well as the space that you are recording in because you want that sound, right, that potential audition or that sound to be decent.   Gillian (26:13.486) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (26:21.291) Mm-hmm.   Anne Ganguzza (26:21.979) You know, and to really, again, first impressions are everything. And so I think it's a combination of, you know, a decent mic with a place that's not gonna be, you know, having a ton of echo or, you know, I mean, that's probably the first thing that we do as casting directors is when we get an audition is throw away somebody that has poor quality audio. And the mic is a part of it, you know, the mic is a part of it, so.   Gillian (26:27.722) Mm-hmm.   Gillian (26:45.571) I agree, 100%.   Anne Ganguzza (26:51.131) Absolutely. Well, we could probably talk all day about microphones, but I think this is a great primer on microphones for those bosses that are just starting out. I mean, absolutely. I think, you know, Gillian, I'm sure if you had any other recommendations, can people go to your Studio Gear page? I know VIA Boss has Studio Gear as well. Mm hmm. For for recommendations.   Gillian (26:58.315) Yeah.   Gillian (27:14.558) Yeah, yeah, it's gear recommendations. So you can check it out. And I will say outside of.   gear issues and mic issues. My next biggest gripe, which we can do an episode on with voiceover audio that I am like, I wish this was different, is over or incorrect processing. So that's really that starts to be almost worse. So we will leave it there. But just so you know what's in the near future for you guys, I know we're going to have much, much more to talk about.   Anne Ganguzza (27:36.424) Ah yes, agreed.   Anne Ganguzza (27:47.145) Well, thank you so much. Yes. Thank you so much, Gillian, for those words of wisdom. Absolutely. Bosses, take a moment and imagine a world full of passionate, empowered, diverse individuals giving collectively and intentionally to create the world they want to see. You can make a difference. Visit 100VoicesWhoCare.org to learn more.   Gillian (27:49.467) Oh, thank you for having me.   Anne Ganguzza (28:10.111) And I'm going to give a great big shout out to our sponsor, IPDTL. You too can network and connect like bosses. Find out more at IPDTL.com. You guys have an amazing week and we will see you next week. Thank you. Bye.

Whitney Surane is the Founder and SEO of MadlyWish.com, an online boutique that specializes in children's keepsakes like birthday crowns and tooth fairy pillows.Whitney wants to start a podcast to create meaningful content for her audience and came on the show to find out how we got started.Connect w/ Whitney:IGLinkedInPinterestWhitney and Crystal met through Nicole of Art 2 the Extreme, who specializes in PR.Whitney has learned the importance of user experience and SEO on Shopify, the value of meta-descriptions, targeted keywords, and customer testimonials.She is now starting a podcast to provide customers further support while also supporting other small businesses and women.Crystal & B started their podcast to share conversations with others and ease the loneliness of entrepreneurship. Here's our tips for  your podcast:Basic equipment such as a computer, and cheap microphone (e.g.,  Blue Snowball) and headphones. We do not have a pre-set structure, but keep an idea list for topics.We downloaded our music from Storyblocks.We record our podcasts on Zoom.Post-production editing is done by CrystaSchool of PodcastingYou want to start a podcast, but you're not sure where to start. You need advice on how...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyCoaches & course creators! Launch & manage your podcast seamlessly w/ Leah Bryant CoVirtual studiosVideo + audio packagesSocial media promptsGuest managementStrategy + coaching to grow your audienceGet all the details you needTell her Crystal & B sent you! If you're looking for a unique, handcrafted way to spruce up your home or office, then Collage and Wood is the perfect place for you! We offer a range of beautiful wooden signs that are perfect for any occasion. Our talented team of artists will work with you to create a sign that perfectly suits your needs. So why wait? Visit Collage and Wood today!Support the showBe our (podcast) guest! Apply hereBook your $99 SEO Audit with Crystal!B's SEO Basics Checklistbrittanyherzberg.com / Instagram 10,000 Jasper words FREE!crystalwaddell.comGet the Show merch! Get Ocho: the best retirement info for entrepreneurs!Listen to the private podcast, SEO Shorts, for just $10/mo!

Pues eso: Sea como sea y cuando sea: Noctua es el camino. Volveré a grabar los resultados (aunque ya os digo que están siendo muy buenos). Y si: Me equivoqué y grabé con el Blue Snowball a medio metro....

Happy second anniversary, fellow D&S listeners! It was two years ago this past Monday (February 20, 2021) when we launched into the pod-verse which started as just me and my dad sitting in front of a computer talking into a Blue Snowball microphone babbling BS for 10-15 minutes and then evolved into having 45-120-minute full-length in-depth conversations with people who really interest us and it's been an incredibly awesome on-going ride that's never going to stop. Celebrate with us while we acknowledge what we've accomplished so far with a little D&S one-on-one and an encore with "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen.

John Barrett aka Bass Drum of Death joins us to talk about starting his career as a one man band and recording his first two albums by himself using only a 60 dollar Blue Snowball microphone. In fact, Blue should 100% be sponsoring him in some way, if anyone from this company is listening right now.... not a bad idea.

On episode 323 of the BSP I discuss a youtube handles coming out, distance micing with a behringer XM8500, unplugging from the internet, my desire for a fender stratocaster, Content creation being a fun hobby, the benefit of being a small creator, not eveyone being cutout for fulltime content creation and a whole lot more.   Subscribe to the full audio podcast at http://www.bandrewsays.com   Gear Used This Episode (Affiliate Links): Behringer XM8500: https://geni.us/xm8500 Some Desktop Tripod: N/A Lewitt Connect 6: N/A Sennheiser HD650: https://geni.us/sennhd650   As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.    Ask Questions: https://www.askbandrew.com Merch: https://www.podcastage.com/store Discord: http://www.podcastage.com/discord   00:00 - Intro 01:40 - Using Notecards 05:35 - Distance Micing a Behringer XM8500 06:40 - Unplug From the Internet 08:50 - I Want a Fender Stratocaster 15:15 - WYHTS: YouTube's Experiment was Wrong! 18:30 - WYHTS: Content Creation is a Fun Hobby 20:45 - WYHTS: Being a Small Creator has a MASSIVE Benefit 26:40 - WYHTS: YouTube and TikTok are Completely Different Platforms 29:30 - WYHTS: Not Everyone is Cut Out to be a Fulltime YouTuber 33:10 - WYHTS: Teachers Using a Mic for Class 34:30 - WYHTS: Watch Youtube at 144p! 36:15 - WYHTS: What is a YouTube View? 38:00 - Ask Bandrew 39:00 - Voice Submission 1 40:05 - Is an AT2035 a Good Upgrade from a Blue Snowball? 45:30  - Conclusion

Here's a bit about Up In This Brain! and me, Jason, your host. I recorded this with the Blue Snowball mic plugged into the laptop on 10/4/2022. It's mostly a test episode as I still set this thing up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/upinthisbrainpodcast/message

I decided to use the Blue Snowball mic for this podcast. It was confirmation that I'm a little behind and up to date with my podcast. The angel number is back. This was a bit of a catch-up for a podcast. It's a very mellow show. Check out the content, & I hope you enjoy it. Also, my apologies that the audio isn't the greatest. I am going to stick w/ what I know & not disturb the groove mostly. #podcast #PASSPodcast #PodcastAboutSportsNStuff #thePassBTpod #Sports #Music #Artists #Gaming #Technology #BuzzSprout #rva804 #Spotify #Subscribe #branding #richmond804 #podcastLife #blymibt #plymibt #podsInColor #professionalRecordingEngineer #AirpodsEscape #SonySesh #rvaPod Music for Intro & Outro:Tanya ChinaLinks:Bagby Referral CodeFlow Page Link (All podcast platforms)Blue Yeti XEmail Signature SitePeachie Clean RVA988 Suicide & Crisis Line New Coding NewsletterFeelings WheelAngel Number 351

Guess what, fellow listeners? WE'VE MADE IT TO EPISODE 100!!! Starting almost a year and a half ago with just a Blue Snowball microphone hooked up to a laptop, the format has expanded from me and my dad talking about a certain subject for 5-20 minutes to talking with other people for 45-120 minutes about anything interesting. I've worked my ass off editing the audio and uploading it on the net for the past 18 months and I never would've been able to do it without the support and encouragement from all you wonderful pod fans. To commemorate reaching this milestone, we brought back the very first guest we booked on the podcast: Armando Cabane, my dad's best friend of 40 years. We catch up with each other since our last encounter, reminisce about his appearance as our first guest, and praise him for his contribution to the podcast's success. I thank Armando and I thank YOU, fellow listeners.

Must apologize for the audio glitches the past couple episodes. If you didn't notice - the volume was too high or low for various segments. It was really noticeable on headphones.Spotify and Apple Podcasts pay Teddy a ton of money to be a one man studio who can handle his own mixing.I've been written up twice in July 2022 so far, thanks to moving the Blue Snowball around too much. Moving forward, you will notice a much improved final mix quality, both in tone and volume.Thanks for your patience in bearing with me during the first dozen episodes. Green New Nightmare month continues with yet another Texas-sized danger sign that the USA and our NATO allies are punishing their own citizens with self-inflicted wounds. The Nord Stream pipeline halted natural gas flow on July 11 for scheduled maintenance, and most of Europe (especially Germany) is scared shitless that Putin is planning on 'weaponizing' the pipeline. But just like the sanctions are backfiring and punishing every single ordinary citizen in the Western Hemisphere with brutal inflation, yet again it appears that one of our NATO allies committed an own goal. Canada and Troo-doh! From Zero Hedge:“Russian state energy giant Gazprom announced Wednesday that it "cannot guarantee good functioning of Nord Stream pipeline" to Germany, saying it's still as yet unclear and unknown whether a "critical" turbine engine would be returned from repair in Canada.”Down here in Texas, we got our second conservation warning of the week. Why? Lack of Wind and it was partly cloudy.Look at wind's generation average between Noon and 1 pm: 696 megawatts. That's under 1% of the total system demand. Episode #12 of The Teddy Brosevelt Show was taped on July 13, 2022 in Austin, TX.Now available on:SpotifyTuneIn RadioApple Podcasts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit teddybrosevelt.substack.com

This summer, we want to show tweens how easy it is to make your own podcast for kids! The Middle School Mind is launching a three episode series to guide you step by step to create your own tween podcast. If you enjoy listening to The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and you've wondered how easy it is to make your own kid's podcast by kids for kids, we are here to help. Making your own podcast is easy, fun and does not cost a lot to start. We are here to show you step by step how we make The Middle School Mind podcast in hopes that you will start your very own podcast. And, summer is the perfect time to start! To get started, you will need the help of a parent or responsible adult to help you create your podcast on the podcast app, Anchor and download graphics and create your own podcast title card, you will need to access free sites like Canva and Pexels. To make this process even easier, we recommend you download the attached PDF guide that shows you handy screen shots to walk through the process every step of the way! Here's what we cover in episode three: Editing your audio Claim your podcast on Anchor.fm Are you ready to publish? 6 Truths About Podcasting (from our perspective) Congratulations new podcaster! Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope this summer school series will inspire you to Make Your Own Kid Podcast this summer break. We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast! If you want to be part of the drawing, here's how to enter: Please leave us a 4 or 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or the podcast platform that you listen to. Please go to our website at themiddleschoolmind.com/about us and at the bottom of the page you can Contact Us. Send us your name, contact information and let us know where we can find your review. Once you send us this information, you will be entered into our drawing. We will be pulling out two names at random and will be following up with those winners directly by August 1, 2022. It's that easy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message

This summer, we want to show tweens how easy it is to make your own podcast for kids! The Middle School Mind is launching a three episode series to guide you step by step to create your own tween podcast. If you enjoy listening to The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and you've wondered how easy it is to make your own kid's podcast by kids for kids, we are here to help. Making your own podcast is easy, fun and does not cost a lot to start. We are here to show you step by step how we make The Middle School Mind podcast in hopes that you will start your very own podcast. And, summer is the perfect time to start! To get started, you will need the help of a parent or responsible adult to help you create your podcast on the podcast app, Anchor and download graphics and create your own podcast title card, you will need to access free sites like Canva and Pexels. To make this process even easier, we recommend you download the attached PDF guide that shows you handy screen shots to walk through the process every step of the way! Here's what we cover in episode two: Register your podcast on Anchor.fm Make your first episode Check your microphone inputs This is your time to shine! Start building your first episode Name your episode and other episode options When do you want to publish your episode? Customize this episode Create awesome episode art for your show Upload your new episode art to Anchor Enter to win your own Blue Snowball microphone! Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope this summer school series will inspire you to Make Your Own Kid Podcast this summer break. We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast! If you want to be part of the drawing, here's how to enter: Please leave us a 4 or 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or the podcast platform that you listen to. Please go to our website at themiddleschoolmind.com/about us and at the bottom of the page you can Contact Us. Send us your name, contact information and let us know where we can find your review. Once you send us this information, you will be entered into our drawing. We will be pulling out two names at random and will be following up with those winners directly by August 1, 2022. It's that easy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message

This summer, we want to show tweens how easy it is to make your own podcast for kids! The Middle School Mind is launching a three episode series to guide you step by step to create your own tween podcast. If you enjoy listening to The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and you've wondered how easy it is to make your own kid's podcast by kids for kids, we are here to help. Making your own podcast is easy, fun and does not cost a lot to start. We are here to show you step by step how we make The Middle School Mind podcast in hopes that you will start your very own podcast. And, summer is the perfect time to start! To get started, you will need the help of a parent or responsible adult to help you create your podcast on the podcast app, Anchor and download graphics and create your own podcast title card, you will need to access free sites like Canva and Pexels. To make this process even easier, we recommend you download the attached PDF guide that shows you handy screen shots to walk through the process every step of the way! Here's what we cover in episode one: Podcasting is awesome! What kind of podcast do you want to make? Equipment checklist Name your podcast Plan your first episode Enter to win your own Blue Snowball microphone! Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope this summer school series will inspire you to Make Your Own Kid Podcast this summer break. We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast! If you want to be part of the drawing, here's how to enter: Please leave us a 4 or 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or the podcast platform that you listen to. Please go to our website at themiddleschoolmind.com/about us and at the bottom of the page you can Contact Us. Send us your name, contact information and let us know where we can find your review. Once you send us this information, you will be entered into our drawing. We will be pulling out two names at random and will be following up with those winners directly by August 1, 2022. It's that easy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message

On this episode of The Middle School Mind, Son talks about his perfect summer day and summer vacation ideas. Son is extremely fortunate to spend a lot of time over the summer at his grandparent's lake house. We talk about his perfect summer day and his favorite part of summer vacation is watching the 4th of July Fireworks show on the lake. We also talk about an article from IDtech.com on Summer Vacation Ideas for Tweens. We talk about a few of these suggestions from the list and our ideas to check these off over summer vacation. Son will be taking a break from the podcast as he enjoys his summer vacation for a few months. We will be releasing a summer school series called Make Your Own Kids Podcast in hopes kids can make their own tween podcasts over the summer. Don't worry, Son will be back for Season 2 starting in August! Calling all future kid podcasters! We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast! If you want to be part of the drawing, here's how to enter: Please leave us a 4 or 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or the podcast platform that you listen to. Please go to our website at themiddleschoolmind.com/about us and at the bottom of the page you can Contact Us. Send us your name, contact information and let us know where we can find your review. You will be entered into our drawing and we will be pulling out two names at random and will be following up with those winners by August 1, 2022. It's that easy! The Middle School Mind is now a proud member of Kids Listen. Kids Listen is a grassroots organization of advocates for high-quality audio content for children. Kids Listen is creating platforms for producers to share ideas, and publish data and information relevant to creators, consumers, and supporters of podcasts for kids. You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening! Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope you have a wonderful summer. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message

The gang welcomes Francisco from Tech Summit onto the show to discuss his beginnings, Steam Deck, Odin, OG hardware vs emulation, RG503, Miyoo Mini, and why everyone needs to give the comments section a little less sass!Watch this episode on YTCheck out Tech Summit:youtube.com/techsummittvtwitch.tv/techsummitinstagram.com/techsummit.tvhttp://retro-handhelds.combooking@retro-handhelds.com | contact@retro-handhelds.comPO Box: Retro Handhelds 345 W Carlisle St. # 714 Mooresville, IN, 46158, USASubscribe to a Premium Membership on Discord or Patreon for extra perks and support the cast!https://discord.gg/RetroHandheldshttps://patreon.com/RetroHandheldsRH Theme song by Jim Gray (http://ourghosts.bandcamp.com)

En este desvarío protopodcastero os explico cómo está siendo la experiencia con el brazo nuevo del micrófono Blue Snowball, que uso para grabar. Está saliendo bueno, sino ni hablaría de el.

玄人向けじゃねぇか --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tacast-15706/message

Tras más de un año con este micrófono paso a contaros mis conclusiones con el. No es un podcast, es un pseudopodcast. Link al tutorial del Camionero Geek para quitar ruido en audacity: https://youtu.be/kkKi8xr5HnQ

These are all samples from USB Microphones that I review on my YouTube channel. Don't pay attention to the volume of the microphones as I record them differently (will get better at this I promise). But pay attention to the clarity and quality of the recordings.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I love and appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. I am now level 32! (and I still get people saying aI look 24! compliment received!) I recorded this quick message for you, and tested out my new podcasting mic, the Blue Snowball, Thanks mom and dad! To get the FREE gift, go to https://5sidehustles.com and sign up. You'll be emailed the 5 Side Hustles pdf and the 30 Day Restart Plans music license: LSRBAZGC7PN0KOGD Blue Snowball Ice Microphone: https://amzn.to/3BcpsrV

You might not realize it but live streaming is one of the largest markets out there and podcasters aren't taking advantage of it. On this episode of the Q'd Up Podcast on Podcasting, John Luckenbaugh and Matthew Stevens take a closer look at why live streaming podcasts make too much sense and how you can get started sooner than you think. With more than 16 billion hours of live streaming content watched in 2020, it's clearly a great way to distribute engaging content. While live streaming might not make sense for every podcast and every podcaster, there are plenty of ways businesses and independent podcasters could be leveraging this audience. Show highlights:Introduction New equipment (0:49) Matt upgraded his setup a little bit, moving on from the Blue Snowball microphone and onto a more conventional condenser mic. Matt and John talk about all the equipment Matt is using and their price points. Apple Podcast stats: May 2021 (5:11) With May just wrapping up, John and Matt check in on Apple Podcast stats. As Matt and John note, the insane growth we saw over the pandemic is starting to slow down but should those numbers be fully believed? Apple Podcast subscriptions slow start (8:16) Despite Apple saying they're happy with the results, Apple Podcast subscriptions haven't garnered the type of submissions many would have expected. Matt and John take a look at what that actually means for short- and long-term. Netflix hiring for a podcast director (10:44) Netflix is launching another platform called N+ but with their recent job posting, they appear to be getting into podcasting. Netflix is looking for a director of podcasts, which points to the streaming giant creating a bunch of podcasts to accompany their other content. What is live streaming? (12:41) While the answer will likely differ, live streaming is simply the act of streaming live content online.  Why should you be live streaming? (13:51) Live streaming doesn't make sense for everyone but it can be especially valuable to a few types of content producers. John and Matt look at why podcasters should consider live streaming their shows. The stats behind live streaming (15:41) There's a lot of power behind live streaming that you might not realize. With more than a trillion minutes of content watched in 2020 and a bunch of other impressive stats, live streaming is a market worth looking at a little closer. Who should be live streaming? (18:45) Clearly live streaming is big business but who should be taking advantage of it? Matt and John discuss what type of organizations should be considering live streaming their content Live streaming software (21:28) John breaks down some of the top live streaming software and where you might want to consider streaming to.  Live streaming equipment (23:13) John gives a quick rundown on the basic equipment you'll need to start live streaming. Live streaming graphics (26:00) If you're thinking about starting, you'll need to consider what live streaming graphics you'll need. While that will depend on what type of content you're producing, you'll likely need some type of background. Matt provides a few reminders of things you'll need to do before hitting the broadcast button. Audience engagement when live streaming (27:49) One of the benefits of live streaming is the ability to interact with your audience on the spot. John and Matt talk about the different ways you can improve audience engagement during your live streams and what considerations you should make about monitoring the chat. Choose your live streaming location carefully (29:19) As John points out, the location you're recording at will have a major impact on your quality. The same goes with your internet connection, according to Matt.  Links:https://www.qd-up.com/ (Q'd Up - Website) https://www.instagram.com/qdupaudio/ (Q'd Up - Instagram) John - Email https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-luckenbaugh (John - LinkedIn)...

38 MAC Championship experience - watching live football with no fans (in person); How he’s doing in the first few months of 2021Podcasting Trials & Tribulations Give less Fucks Segment - Be Less Wrong a) What has been the most challenging thing for you as an individual to keep up with? (Looking at numbers; Consistency; Having guests spike your numbers, finding quality content, monetizing, working multiple schedules) b) Have you had the same microphone/headphone setup? -Blue Snowball w/ wind screen, gaming headphones, has upgraded over time(sound quality difference) c) How I was powering my CDJ-1000 versus how I’m powering it now.  d) Tactics For Growth Tracklist for this episode Mix 1 1) Nelly vs Erica Banks - Buss It (Raphiki Edit) 2) Kloud - Humans 3) HVDES - Akuma 4) Still Woozy - Rocky 5) The Dirty Heads - Easy 6) Steve Aoki ft Kiiara & Wiz Khalifa - Used To Be 7) DJ Snake & Selena Gomez - Selfish Love 8) Clozee - Koto (Kotolazy Syrup Orchestra & Waspy Remix) 9) Rico Nasty - Smack a Bitch (Dr. Fresch Remix) 10) Bossfight - Endgame Mix 2 1) Erica Banks ft Beatking - Toot That (Muzik Junkies Break Intro) 2) The Buildzer - Trap Beef 3) Suicideboys ft Tommy Cash & Diplo - Zuccenberg 4) HVDES - Oni 5) A1 & J1 ft Aitch - Latest Trends 6) Jantsen - Get the Funk 7) Brael - Inspiration 8) Doctor P - Get Money 9) DevVv - Less Than 10) Masayoshi limoni - In My Soul The Gang is back next week! Thank you for listening.

38 MAC Championship experience - watching live football with no fans (in person); How he’s doing in the first few months of 2021Podcasting Trials & Tribulations Give less Fucks Segment - Be Less Wrong a) What has been the most challenging thing for you as an individual to keep up with? (Looking at numbers; Consistency; Having guests spike your numbers, finding quality content, monetizing, working multiple schedules) b) Have you had the same microphone/headphone setup? -Blue Snowball w/ wind screen, gaming headphones, has upgraded over time(sound quality difference) c) How I was powering my CDJ-1000 versus how I’m powering it now.  d) Tactics For Growth Tracklist for this episode Mix 1 1) Nelly vs Erica Banks - Buss It (Raphiki Edit) 2) Kloud - Humans 3) HVDES - Akuma 4) Still Woozy - Rocky 5) The Dirty Heads - Easy 6) Steve Aoki ft Kiiara & Wiz Khalifa - Used To Be 7) DJ Snake & Selena Gomez - Selfish Love 8) Clozee - Koto (Kotolazy Syrup Orchestra & Waspy Remix) 9) Rico Nasty - Smack a Bitch (Dr. Fresch Remix) 10) Bossfight - Endgame Mix 2 1) Erica Banks ft Beatking - Toot That (Muzik Junkies Break Intro) 2) The Buildzer - Trap Beef 3) Suicideboys ft Tommy Cash & Diplo - Zuccenberg 4) HVDES - Oni 5) A1 & J1 ft Aitch - Latest Trends 6) Jantsen - Get the Funk 7) Brael - Inspiration 8) Doctor P - Get Money 9) DevVv - Less Than 10) Masayoshi limoni - In My Soul The Gang is back next week! Thank you for listening.

A trailer about Today... In Pop Culture: "Meets Seinfeld," a 2021 spin-off series, but like not. It's the same podcast. I got a Blue Yeti, but it's really a Blue Snowball or something. They are all the same, so it is crisp and clear. Woo! Here's to finishing my thesis lmao.

En casa todos escuchando METADATA. En esta sesión 62, hablamos de las cancelaciones de eventos más recientes por coronavirus. Apple, Huawei y Microsoft han cancelado sus eventos presenciales. Te contamos las mejores estrategias para trabajar en casa, haciendo énfasis en tu postura y tu seguridad informática. Hablamos con Jorge Gonzales, gerente de ventas regional de HMD Nokia, para conversar sobre la marca y su presencia en la región. TikTok y una extraña política de retirar feos, gordos y pobres de la red. Probamos, por fin, el Blue Snowball y grabamos todo este episodio con este dispositivo. Para cerrar por alto, contestamos tus dudas y preguntas. Sopórtanos, así va METADATA.

En casa todos escuchando METADATA. En esta sesión 62, hablamos de las cancelaciones de eventos más recientes por coronavirus. Apple, Huawei y Microsoft han cancelado sus eventos presenciales. Te contamos las mejores estrategias para trabajar en casa, haciendo énfasis en tu postura y tu seguridad informática. Hablamos con Jorge Gonzales, gerente de ventas regional de HMD Nokia, para conversar sobre la marca y su presencia en la región. TikTok y una extraña política de retirar feos, gordos y pobres de la red. Probamos, por fin, el Blue Snowball y grabamos todo este episodio con este dispositivo. Para cerrar por alto, contestamos tus dudas y preguntas. Sopórtanos, así va METADATA.

How does Jared sound so damn good in this podcast? Maybe you're not a podcaster, but we've all been tossed into the world of online meetings in the past year, and having the right audio tools can help you sound your best. Listen in for Jared's top audio tips, with a little wisdom on being camera-ready, too. You know, like taking a shower and stuff. (1:50) Next, Jared welcomes Sarah Schaaf to talk through her thoughts on why the shift toward using a single provider for your legal tech needs is a good move for lawyers. (8:58) And, as always, stick around for the Rump Roast—this time á la shocking (or not?) Correia family history. (26:02) Jared's Audio Tips:  Shure SM58, Blue Snowball, or another high-quality microphone. Krisp - for muting background noise. Audacity - free recording/editing software. Zencastr - a recording platform. Noise-canceling headphones  Sarah's Sparkling Margarita:  Lowball glass full of ice A few fingers of tequila (higher end the better) A splash of fresh lime and agave (or Margarita Mix) ⅓ to ⅔ can (to taste) of sparkling beverage (Sarah recommends Coconut LaCroix) Sarah Schaaf is general manager of the payments division at Paradigm. Because we love Sarah so much, this episode's playlist is inspired by her love of African funk. Listen to it below while you mix up some of Sarah's Sparkling Margarita: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3a14k3zD5LJQ1VMoAhV8Yu?si=gxXIgfcDR-SpmYwvVDsANg Our theme song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest. Our closing song is Sewn To You by The HA. Special thanks to our sponsors Scorpion, TimeSolv, and Alert Communications.

How does Jared sound so damn good in this podcast? Maybe you’re not a podcaster, but we’ve all been tossed into the world of online meetings in the past year, and having the right audio tools can help you sound your best. Listen in for Jared’s top audio tips, with a little wisdom on being camera-ready, too. You know, like taking a shower and stuff. (1:50) Next, Jared welcomes Sarah Schaaf to talk through her thoughts on why the shift toward using a single provider for your legal tech needs is a good move for lawyers. (8:58) And, as always, stick around for the Rump Roast—this time á la shocking (or not?) Correia family history. (26:02) Jared’s Audio Tips: Shure SM58, Blue Snowball, or another high-quality microphone. Krisp - for muting background noise. Audacity - free recording/editing software. Zencastr - a recording platform. Noise-canceling headphones Sarah’s Sparkling Margarita: Lowball glass full of ice A few fingers of tequila (higher end the better) A splash of fresh lime and agave (or Margarita Mix) ⅓ to ⅔ can (to taste) of sparkling beverage (Sarah recommends Coconut LaCroix) Sarah Schaaf is general manager of the payments division at Paradigm. Because we love Sarah so much, this episode’s playlist is inspired by her love of African funk. Listen to it below while you mix up some of Sarah's Sparkling Margarita: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3a14k3zD5LJQ1VMoAhV8Yu?si=gxXIgfcDR-SpmYwvVDsANg Our theme song is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest. Our closing song is Sewn To You by The HA. Special thanks to our sponsors Scorpion, TimeSolv, and Alert Communications.

Time for some 2021 emails! This month we talked about dearly departed Google products, how to fix a broken USB port (or whether you should even try), how we got started doing this, why your TOSLINK cable is keyed, a lab meat topic we should never have read out loud, and the current whereabouts of Maura Labingi.Intel's ARK CPU Fact Sheet SiteAMD's Product Fact Sheet Site Support the Pod! Contribute to the Tech Pod Patreon and get access to our booming Discord, your name in the credits, and other great benefits! You can support the show at: https://patreon.com/techpod

Here's a lightly-edited transcript of the video blog: Hi, I'm Anthony Verna, managing partner, Verna Law, back for another video blog: We have some thoughts on trademark damages. If you are going into federal court and you are going to be a plaintiff, here are a couple of thoughts for you.   Certainly, talking to our clients about getting money – and you're going to get money, you're going to get the lost profits and you're going to be entitled to triple those damages. You have to temper yourself a little bit about it because first off, number one, most cases don't go to trial. Most cases settle. So obviously on some kind of settlement, there's going to be a discount on the damages, but you're going to take the discount damages. Why? Well, you know, it's going to be less time in litigation and less time with legal fees. So that discount is generally taken in order to, uh, make the pain go away. Don't get me wrong, litigation can be painful. So that's one particular thought there as to what, why damages might be less than a trademark infringement matter than you were probably hoping it is the potential plaintiff. Also, many products have multiple trademarks. I'm going to pull this thing right here. It was way back to the old days of podcasting, the Blue Snowball. There it is the snowball, Blue and Snowball: two trademarks on one product. If one of those products were one of those trademarks, excuse me - were to be infringing? What I would say is, is there's a house Mark. And then there's the, the brand Mark. And we do sometimes take into account. Well, how much does one Mark matter from the other? And, and especially in a case like that, you're going to see again, your particular damages as a plaintiff are going to be discounted because there's more than one Mark on the product.A lot of products have more than one trademark as I'm sure you could see a lot of the stuff that's behind me, probably it has more than one trademark, somewhere on the actual product. That's going to be true here as well. So make sure that you go in with your eyes wide open into any particular type of litigation, because you need to make sure that you think about the kinds of damages that you may be entitled to I'm Anthony Verna, managing partner of Verna Law. We are a full-service intellectual property and advertising law firm. You can see us vernalaw.com. Thanks very much. See you soon.

Met een beetje galm op de lijn door de opname via mijn telefoon ipv van mijn vertrouwde Blue Snowball, schieten we 2021 in. Happy new year! En happy wordt het met deze mooie vragen om van jouw jaar precies het jaar te maken dat jij voor ogen hebt. Vragen die je niet alleen helpen om jouw stip op de horizon te zetten, maar die je vooral ook helpen om in actie te komen. In je eigen tempo en op jouw manier. Je kent me. Deze episode is geïnspireerd door de aftrap van de Content Kick-off vandaag, op 1 januari 2021. Heb je je daar al voor aangemeld via www.dignabrand.nl/contentkickoff? Dat kan nog de hele maand, ook nu we al gestart zijn. Dat is absoluut de moeite waard, want er komen nog heel wat fijne mails aan. Om nog maar te zwijgen van de 2 masterclasses, op 18 en 31 januari. Ik zie je heel graag daar. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Few objects in the universe are more beautiful than the final breath of a Sun-like star. The star expels its outer layers, forming a colorful cloud that’s lit up by the star’s hot core. The cloud can be sculpted into amazing shapes — from a butterfly to the heart of an atom. One of those dying stars is the Blue Snowball Nebula. It’s high in the sky at nightfall, in Andromeda. Through a small telescope, it does look blue, and it has the slightly fuzzy outline of a snowball. The system’s details are uncertain. That’s mainly because astronomers have had a hard time figuring out its distance. Measuring the distances to such nebulae is hard because most of them are far away, and they’re spread out — they’re not sharp points like stars are. In recent years, though, astronomers have used several techniques to zero in on the distance. They suggest that the Blue Snowball is about 6,000 light-years away. If so, then the nebula spans the better part of a light-year. The star began casting off its outer layers a few thousand years ago as seen from Earth. The nebula consists of two concentric shells of gas. The outer one is expanding faster than the inner one — more than a hundred thousand miles per hour. The star is in the final stages of life. It’s about 60 percent the mass of the Sun, but about 200,000 degrees hotter. Its ultraviolet energy causes the nebula to glow like a neon bulb — revealing the last breath of a dying star. Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

مواقع استضافة البودكاست: Recommended: PineCast, special discount 40% off. Use Promo code: r-0e0812 Podbean Lybsyn BuzzSprout المايك اللي بستخدمه: Blue Snowball

With everyone trapped indoors, streaming video on the Internet is an especially good way to connect with people right now. This week we did a broad survey of practical streaming tech, from hardware and software setups to codecs and protocols, Brad's latest questionable tech project, and the ever-present danger of streaming Will's inbox live to the world.Support the Pod! Contribute to the Tech Pod Patreon and get access to our booming Discord, your name in the credits, and other great benefits! You can support the show at: https://patreon.com/techpod

Comment lancer son podcast natif en 2020 ? Tout ce que vous désirez savoir pour lancer votre podcast. Plutôt que d'écrire un long article sur un blog ou de tourner une longue vidéo YouTube je vous raconte tout et en détail sur comment et pourquoi lancer un podcast natif. La première question à se poser, c'est pourquoi avez-vous envie de créer un podcast ? Qu'est-ce que vous voulez apporter à votre audience ? De quoi voulez-vous parler ? Qu'est-ce que le podcast va vous apporter ? Et qu'est-ce que vous vous allez apporter aux auditeurs ? En synthèse je vous fais un résumé de tout ce que j'ai découvert par moi-même au fur et à mesure pour vous faire gagner du temps et vous aider à vous poser les bonnes questions. C'est un épisode où je réponds globalement à l'ensemble des questions que se pose le futur podcaster, sur le matériel mais aussi les différents types de podcasts, permettant de vous aider à créer votre podcast. J'ai décidé de lancer 2Goodmedia en juillet 2019 et j'ai enregistré mon premier épisode en janvier 2020. J'ai une quinzaine d'épisodes à mon actif je suis donc une débutante dans le podcast natif, mais j'ai pensé que c'était intéressant de ne pas tarder à documenter les questions que je m'étais posées et les décisions que j'avais prises pour créer le podcast parce qu' on oublie vite une fois que le premier épisode est lancé ! Durant ce podcast je vous raconte toutes les étapes par lesquelles je suis passée lorsque j'ai créé 2Goodmedia, je raconte pourquoi j'ai décidé de lancer un podcast, comment j'ai souhaité l'intégrer à un projet de média plus global. J'explique ce qu'est le podcast natif et à quel métier cela correspond. Je pense que mon expérience peut être intéressante aussi avec 2Goodmedia parce que j'ai une vision plus large du podcast intégré dans un média en lien avec le digital et les social Media. Un point de vue plus actuel du Podcast dont le format est né en 2005 et qui existe depuis de nombreuses années. Mais les usages que l'on en fait aujourd'hui avec l'ajout de vidéo ou de visuels graphiques en fait un instrument qui selon moi peut parfaitement être connecté avec d'autres plateformes comme Instagram et YouTube. La raison aussi pour laquelle j'ai décidé d'enregistrer ce podcast c'est parce qu'en cherchant des informations disponibles sur le web j'ai perdu beaucoup de temps en tombant sur des informations qui étaient soit très techniques soit très tournées vers la publicité pour des matériels à utiliser mais peu de témoignages sincères, indépendants et personnels pour parler de la question de base essentielle : comment et pourquoi lancer un podcast. J'ai pensé aussi que mon témoignage pourrait être intéressant parce que j'ai vraiment mis les "mains dans le cambouis" pour lancer le podcast en faisant tout de A à Z et en prenant toutes les décisions du choix de l'hébergeur jusqu'au développement d'un site web en passant par les différents types d'enregistrements qui existent et j'ai testé plein d'applications satellites qui sont nécessaires à produire un bon podcast.  Je détaille chacune des étapes de lancement d'un podcast et notamment le choix du matériel en fonction du type de podcast que vous souhaitez enregistrer (car cela on ne vous l'explique jamais): Enregistrement d'un podcast interview en mode reportage (ou en studio) Podcast à distance Podcast en solo Studio podcast Je reviens sur les différents choix à effectuer pour l'enregistrement: le choix de l'hébergeur, c'est-à-dire le Host du podcast (j'ai opté pour Podbean et je vous explique pourquoi) le matériel d'enregistrement des podcasts : zoom H2 et zoom H6 le choix de différents micros selon le podcast que l'on veut enregistrer (micro Shure SM 58 et le Blue Snowball) l'enregistrement d'un épisode en solo avec Garageband et audacity les applications Zencaster, FaceTime et Zoom pour l'enregistrement d'un épisode à distance (ce qui fait la différence c'est l'enregistrement sur des pistes audio distinctes pour Zencaster) Mais aussi la création d'une société et le lancement d'un site web (le podcaster peut aussi etre entrepreneur) si vous en faites votre activité comme moi pour 2goodmedia : un media qui intègre l'audio et le visuel avec l'éditorial d'un magazine. Voici les comptes de podcasters qui m'ont aidé à choisir le matériel et l'hébergeur pour le lancement du podcast : Pauline Laigneau et ses vidéos youtube sur son compte : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8riLQvmFFBA&t=472s Ben Leavitt pour le choix de l'hébergeur Podbean (Ben fait des comparatifs bien construits) :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyHCLIvXUBM Pat Flynn pour le montage du podcast en utilisant garageband ou audacity : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcUBZHOljzU  L'objectif de ce podcast c'est de vous faire gagner du temps parce qu'en 2020 il est tout à fait possible de lancer son podcast seul et de façon autonome.L'une des difficultés à laquelle on se trouve confronté ce n'est pas la difficulté technique (il n'y a pas une grande difficulté) mais il y a de multiples étapes pour produire, enregistrer et diffuser un podcast, et aussi de multiples applications à utiliser : il n'existe pas une seule application qui permet de tout faire. L'objectif de ce podcast c'est donc de vous faire gagner du temps dans les recherches de vous expliquer quels ont été mes raisonnements et les choix que j'ai fait pour lancer mon podcast en espérant que cela vous serve d'inspiration. Je reviens aussi sur la communauté de podcasters parce que le podcast natif est une activité bien particulière qui n'est pas un métier de journaliste c'est un métier encore à part, on est peu nombreux en Europe, c'est une communauté qui se serre les coudes qui est indépendante et qui s'entraide. Par ce podcast je souhaite apporter ma pierre à cet édifice et aider de nouveaux potentiels podcasters les personnes qui se posent des questions, leur expliquer et leur donner des clés pour se lancer par eux-mêmes. Si vous souhaitez faire partie de cette communauté écrivez moi en commentaire et inscrivez-vous à 2Goodmedia sur Itunes ou Spotify (ou connectez-vous sur 2Goodmedia ). je n'ai pas voulu me limiter à parler exclusivement du matériel Podcast parce que je pense que c'est important de réfléchir à la valeur que l'on souhaite apporter en créant un podcast ce qui personnellement m'a donné envie de faire un podcast. Si cet épisode vous plaît n'hésitez pas à m'en faire part dans vos commentaires et à m'indiquer si vous souhaitez de nouveaux épisodes sur ce sujet ? Et me dire aussi si cela vous a servi et quelles sont les autres questions que vous vous posez et auquelles je n'ai pas encore répondu ? Je serai ravie de faire de nouveaux épisodes sur ce sujet si cela est utile à l'audience des podcasters !

Beth and Sarah discuss their favorite Broadway musicals! Ironic and pathetically revealing takes on Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeny Todd, Frozen, Hamilton, and Wicked.Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)** future episodes will be published with upgraded equipment - thank you, listeners! Details to follow, stay tuned.Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Photo Credit: Photo by NASA on Unsplash and Photo by The New York Public Library on UnsplashAffiliate links:Rent: Filmed Live On BroadwaySweeney ToddThe Phantom of the Opera (2004)Additional non-affiliate link: Stream online for free - live Phantom of the Opera - April 19th, 2020 ONLY.Audible: http://www.audibletrial.com/sitstillandlistenSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Today’s guest is Omar Gallaga, a technology and culture freelance writer from the Austin, Texas, area. Omar has been writing about technology for years. He has written for NPR, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Hispanic Magazine. He spent 21 years as a reporter and editor for the Austin American-Statesman—where he helped launch the Spanish-language newspaper ¡ahora sí!, as well as a personal tech section called Technopolis and two podcasts, called "Statesman Shots" and “I Love You So Much,” which he co-hosted. Omar helped create NPR’s “All Tech Considered” segments, and he can be heard every week on the radio program Texas Standard talking about technology news. Most of us are used to working from home and have figured out the technology to make it work. But during the coronavirus pandemic, you might have clients that are learning how to use new tech tools or wanting to try new things as they figure out working from home for the first time. And you may suddenly find yourself in a not-so-quiet house if you suddenly have a partner/spouse and/or kids suddenly home all the time. Omar explains video conferencing tools like Zoom, Zoom alternatives, security issues and the need to set a password for your Zoom chat. Discord, which gamers are more familiar with, is an alternative to Zoom and Skye, especially if you only need audio. Omar found Discord video a little “finicky,” especially on Macs. Consider the background and setup of a video conference call, but you don’t need to buy fancy lights. However, make sure you’re not backlit and can be seen clearly on video. Consider investing in an external microphone, which sounds much better than using the computer’s internal microphone, if you’re doing a lot of video chats. Omar’s family has been using Jackbox and Zoom to play games with family members, but without an external mic at each location, the other players have trouble hearing each other. Headphones are also beneficial because they cut down on echo and feedback. Melanie recommends Bose noise-canceling headphones, which she uses for her podcast interviews. Think about the etiquette of video chats, like dressing appropriately, muting your mic, not using the “private chat,” which might not be private. Be aware what’s in your video frame and in the background. Omar goes through some of the options for project management apps like Basecamp and Asana and how you can choose which tool is best for you. Melanie has used Basecamp twice before, but was pulled into it from client/vendor. She didn’t purchase it. Melanie used Asana effectively with her virtual assistant, to keep track of tasks and set deadlines, without the risk of such tasks getting lost in email. Omar also talks about how to use Slack chat effectively. Be aware that some employers may add you to Slack, which can then be filled with non-work Slack channels that can be distracting. You can also consider using Slack for projects you as a freelancer are managing that involves subcontractors. You can use Slack just for the duration of the project and then close that Slack chain down when the project is finished. Most of these tools integrate well with software such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can easily share links. Omar talks about tools and tips for families that are now all together sheltering-in-place and how to find quiet work time. He prioritizes one room in the house and takes advantage of their back patio. He also recommends headphones and external microphones, which cuts out the background noise. Some microphones, like the Blue Yeti, can be set to pick up only the sound from the front of the microphone, not all sides. Melanie’s husband invested in a smartphone tripod so he can create online videos for his own outdoor adventure and team-building business. There are also smartphone stabilizers to steady your camera better. You may also want to look into getting new lenses for your phone to improve video and photos. Be sure to have a backup to your backup. Use something in the cloud, like Google Drive, Carbonite or Dropbox, but then have an external hard drive as well. Let’s talk ergonomics. If you have the means, now is the time to invest in creating a more comfortable, usable office setup. You may want to also consider buying a bigger monitor to decrease your eye strain. If possible, invest in a quality ergonomic office chair to reduce back and neck pain. Omar and Melanie are both fans of Herman Miller Aeron chairs (which is what Melanie has used for the past seven years and had previously as an employee). After neck pain 4–5 years into freelancing, Melanie realized she needed to improve her ergonomics. Just using a laptop means either your eyes are level and your hands are held too high or your hands are at the right height and your eyes are looking down. Instead, Melanie bought a desk riser—which has hydraulics that converts it into an optional standing desk—and a separate keyboard and mouse.   Resources: Omar on Twitter Omar on Instagram Omar’s website: Tech Minute (which includes 200 audio segments on technology) “Zoom: Every security issue uncovered in the video chat app” “Are Zoom Chats Private? Here’s Why You Should Think Before Opening The App” Discord video and audio chat Blue Yeti mic Blue Snowball mic Melanie’s mic: Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Jackbox games Wunderlist to-do list app is now called Microsoft To Do Drobo external backup system Herman Miller Aeron chairs Melanie’s desk riser and standing desk

Beth and Sarah discuss a heavy topic (pre-pandemic recording), with an interesting take on Nationalism vs. Globalism and how we tend to never find the right mix of both to provide an interdependence that allows humanity AND all living beings to thrive on Planet Earth.Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Photo Credit: Photo by NASA on Unsplash and Photo by The New York Public Library on UnsplashAffiliate links: Twitters to folllow: @HumanityForward@GretaThunberg@realDonalTrumphttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/24/trump-says-hes-nationalist-what-means-why-its-controversial/1748521002/@bethcornellThe Venus Project: https://www.thevenusproject.com/The Venus Project is a non-profit organization that presents a new socio-economic model utilizing science and technology toward social betterment to achieve a sustainable civilization of abundance for all, without exception.Audible: http://www.audibletrial.com/sitstillandlistenSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Beth and Sarah give their take on the evolution of technology! Wow, who grew up without a computer? Imagine, only using a corded phone? What was it like to be untethered from technology vs growing up with the digital leash?! All this and way more than you'd ever want to know in this week's episode of Sit Still and Listen: Technology!Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Photo Credit: Photo by Luca Bravo on UnsplashAffiliate links:Sarah's Gaming Channel: ManiQuinn GamingPortfolio: www.sarahanncornell.comBeth's digital art: www.bethcornell.comSpecial promotion new art: https://fineartamerica.com/weeklypromotion.html?promotionid=251596Sony Playstation: https://amzn.to/38A9LfwSony PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console - Black (PS4 Pro)*NEW* Audible: http://www.audibletrial.com/sitstillandlisten--------Full podcast description: A vigorous discussion between two generations. A mother and a daughter. A millennial and a Generation X-er.Topics are randomly chosen by alternate weeks being lead by one host or the other. The person not leading the discussion will have just heard the topic at that moment. Armed with only the knowledge they possess and the discussion will ensue. We hope to not only bridge the gaps in generational understanding but also to laugh and find some common ground to refocus our lense of the world. We invite you to join us!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Beth and Sarah talk about their experiences with dogs (and wolf-dogs), from having a dog family member to working for a small business that specialized in hand-made dog beds for Great Danes! We love dogs!Sarah's debut as a motion graphics designer!Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Photo Credit: Lucky: Oil painting by Beth Cornell 8/2011Affiliate links:Maricopa County Animal Care and Control - https://www.maricopa.gov/5268/Animal-Care-and-Control/Arizona Humane Society - https://www.azhumane.org/iFetch Frenzy - https://amzn.to/2PAWw7EBRAIN GAME: The iFetch Frenzy is not a launcher; it’s a game. Your pup drops the ball into the top and scrambles to find it as it randomly rolls (6-12 feet) out of 1 of 3 chutes at the base.MINI TENNIS BALLS: Comes with 3 non-abrasive miniature tennis balls (1.6” diameter) and a hidden ball storage compartment on the bottom.NO DIETING NECESSARY: The Frenzy is the only brain game that does not use a treat as a reward – the ball is the reward!CLEVER DESIGN: Durable, high quality design and construction – no batteries needed. Note-these are not full sized tennis ballsMENTAL STIMULATION: “Use it or lose it” applies to dogs too. Keep their minds fresh with the portable, fast-paced Frenzy. Great for clever pets, and older pets needing exercise.CUSTOMER CARE: Created, owned, and still operated by the Hamill family in Austin, Texas. Call or email us directly with any questions or issues. We specialize in happy human and canine customers.WORRY-FREE WARRANTY: Our iFetch products are backed by a one-year warranty. Call or email us directly. We know your dog’s tail will wag. We want yours to wag too.JOYELF Orthopedic Dog Bed Memory Foam Pet Bed with Removable Washable Cover HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS: ①Solid Memory Foam base for perfectly to your pet's body for maximum comfort;②Memory Foam using flame retardant material;③The Bottom Material of the dog bed comes with built-in nonslip rubber backing④Inner cover perfect for senior dog with occasional accident;⑤The fabric offers unmatched warmth and comfort;⑥The bolster is big and fluffy which is relax breathable and good resilience.BETTER DESIGN:①The base high-density memory foam can provide the ultimate sleep experience with superior overall comfort and to last;②The bottom is lined with to avoid the bed from ever sliding around;③Soft & Full comfy cotton-padded Bolsters (couch arms) surround a whole circle can protect your pet's neck.④The hidden zipper of this orthopedic dog bed makes the product look better;⑤Internal liner to protect memory foam from liquids.EASY To MAINTAIN:①Removable cover is machine washable,simply remove the cover, zip closed ②Easy to find Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Beth and Sarah talk about their experiences visiting Tokyo Japan during the country's hottest month (July) and some of the fun things you may do or see in Shinjuku.Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Photo Credit: Beth Cornell 7/2017Affiliate links: Japanese Kit Kat 16 pcs https://amzn.to/2HteGnAContains random assortment of 16 miniature kit kat candy bars.Flavors include: Green Tea, Wasabi, Rum Raisin , strawberry cheesecake, pancake etc.Suitable for birthday gift, party present, chocolate present, etc.TONOSAMA loves Japanese sweet candy from about 400 years ago.He loves kit kat bar and joke, everyone's smile especially.Lastly, if your country is in summer season, since the chocolate may melt, please eat after chilled them in the refrigerator.Bokksu - Authentic Japanese Snack & Candy Subscription: Classic Boxhttps://amzn.to/2P1UA8eDiscover Japan through snacks!20-25 premium Japanese snacks, candies, and tea pairing expertly curated around fun cultural themesAuthentic snacks & teas sourced directly from artisanal regional makers in JapanCulture Guide included in every box that details each product's origin story, flavor profile, common allergens, and if it's vegetarian-friendlyYour box is shipped from Japan with free shipping and trackingFor your curiosity:@Home CafeHotel Gracery - Godzilla!! --------Full podcast description: A vigorous discussion between two generations. A mother and a daughter. A millennial and a Generation X-er.Topics are randomly chosen by alternate weeks being lead by one host or the other. The person not leading the discussion will have just heard the topic at that moment. Armed with only the knowledge they possess and the discussion will ensue. We hope to not only bridge the gaps in generational understanding but also to laugh and find some common ground to refocus our lense of the world. We invite you to join us!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Sarah and Beth talk about a favorite subject - DISNEY! This random exploration of the subject goes from land to sea and back again... don't miss it!Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Photo Credit: Farewell, Mickey! Sarah CornellAffiliate links:Air Travel DiscountsExclusive Family Travel Sale! Save up to 50%** + Get Up To $15* Off with Coupon Code "SFFAM15". Hurry, Book Now!Adventure for FUNatics - Walt Disney WorldRecommend:Epcot: Drink Around the World ShowcaseSippin' and Snackin' in the Springs PassportDisneylandRecommend: Party in the Park PassportDavid's Vacation Club Rentals - Walt Disney WorldDavid's Vacation Club Rentals is the largest and most trusted source of Disney Vacation Club Rentals in the world and many have saved THOUSANDS of dollars on their Disney vacations and you can too. No Membership is required. Start saving on a Disney Deluxe Villa rental NOW!https://partner.dvcrequest.com/idevaffiliate/idevads.php?id=252--------Full podcast description: A vigorous discussion between two generations. A mother and a daughter. A millennial and a Generation X-er.Topics are randomly chosen by alternate weeks being lead by one host or the other. The person not leading the discussion will have just heard the topic at that moment. Armed with only the knowledge they possess and the discussion will ensue. We hope to not only bridge the gaps in generational understanding but also to laugh and find some common ground to refocus our lense of the world. We invite you to join us!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Today's topic is one that Sarah and Beth are a little too familiar with, COLLEGE! Learn from their mistakes, are you in college or thinking about it? Well, listen up!Thank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Rocketbook Fusion Smart Reusable Notebook - Calendar, To-Do Lists, and Note Template Pages with 1 Pilot Frixion Pen & 1 Microfiber Cloth Included - Infinity Black Cover, Letter Size (8.5" x 11")https://amzn.to/2uV7o97Ed to GoIntroduction to Microsoft Project 2019/Office 365https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=JMn2aySvHzY&offerid=326153.10000853&type=3&subid=0Drawing for the Absolute Beginnerhttps://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=JMn2aySvHzY&offerid=739114.10000688&type=3&subid=0Introduction to PC Securityhttps://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=JMn2aySvHzY&offerid=739114.10000677&type=3&subid=0Nintendo Selects: Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Nintendo 3DShttps://amzn.to/2uV7o97Photo Credit: Vasily Koloda https://unsplash.com/photos/8CqDvPuo_kIFull podcast description: A vigorous discussion between two generations. A mother and a daughter. A millennial and a Generation X-er.Topics are randomly chosen by alternate weeks being lead by one host or the other. The person not leading the discussion will have just heard the topic at that moment. Armed with only the knowledge they possess and the discussion will ensue. We hope to not only bridge the gaps in generational understanding but also to laugh and find some common ground to refocus our lense of the world. We invite you to join us!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

Welcome! This is our first episode, the topic is climate change. Co-Hosted by Beth and SarahHere are the links to further information and our affiliate links:Space Weather News: http://www.spaceweathernews.com (Beth's link)https://theoceancleanup.com/ (Sarah's link)Hydro Flask Water Bottle - Stainless steel vacuum insulated, wide mouth with leak proof flex cap - 4-oz., many colors.https://amzn.to/371xcOOThank you for listening!Give us a call and let us know YOUR thoughts on this topic. We will follow up in future episodes... (602) 888-4907‬Sit Still and Listen is produced at the Casa Cornell Studio in Surprise, Arizona by Beth Cornell using Blue Snowball mics and Adobe Premiere for production sound and post-production editing. Sarah Cornell does not produce or edit the podcasts. Beth is "learning" and hopefully you will see improvement over time :-)Music credit:"Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Full podcast description: A vigorous discussion between two generations. A mother and a daughter. A millennial and a Generation X-er.Topics are randomly chosen by alternate weeks being lead by one host or the other. The person not leading the discussion will have just heard the topic at that moment. Armed with only the knowledge they possess and the discussion will ensue. We hope to not only bridge the gaps in generational understanding but also to laugh and find some common ground to refocus our lense of the world. We invite you to join us!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bethcornell)

If it's a dream or ambition of yours to start a podcast or launch a podcast in 2020 this podcast episode is for you. In this episode, I answer the many questions that I get asked all the time about launching a podcast. So if you'd love to start a podcast but you're unsure of what equipment you need or how to host it and get it online or even get people to listen to it then this is a must-listen. In this podcast episode, I share my practical actionable tips including how to choose a topic and why you should choose a niche to reach a larger audience. Even if you're not planning a podcast and just a regular piece of consistent content then you'll still find this episode useful. I'd love to know what you think. {Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode} Why do you want to start a podcast? Launching a podcast can be a big investment of your time, energy and money. Which is why it's important to get clear on why you're doing it. A podcast can be a great way to attract leads and sales for your business. For example, many of my clients start listening to my podcast way before they become a client.  However, you may have other aims - such as connecting with other influencers in your industry or raising your profile so you can land more speaking gigs or a book deal. If you're clear on why you want to start a podcast, it will be much easier to measure the potential return on investment for your business. How to choose a topic for your podcast  Regardless of the topic, your podcast should solve a problem for your listeners. Solving a problem for people can simply be about entertaining people and/or making them laugh.  But for most business owners, this is generally about providing valuable information/discussion around a specific topic. For example, my podcast 'The Janet Murray Show' provides actionable tips and business/marketing advice - on topics ranging from Instagram marketing to creating a content calendar for your business to how to start a  podcast for your business.  As with many things in your business, the more ‘niche' and/or specific you can be, the better. Spend some time searching through the podcasts Apple and/or other podcasting platforms and you will be amazed what people have podcasts on.  For example: Pat Flynn - passive income  Steve Folland - parents who freelance Bella Vasta - pet business owners  How to choose a name for your podcast  Once you've decided on a topic, it's time to choose a name for your podcast. I'd suggest picking a title that describes what your podcast is about.  For example, Employment Law Matters, the Smart Passive Income Podcast, the Property Development Podcast.  While it might be tempting to come up with something creative, this will make it easier for new listeners to find you. Ditto for individual episode titles.  Interview or solo show? How to choose a format for your podcast  There are no hard and fast rules about which is best: solo, interview or a mix of both. It really is down to you. It's also something you may need to test over time i.e. do your solo shows perform better than your interview shows. For example, I started off with a weekly interview but found my solo shows often performed better, so I gradually started to do fewer interviews and more solo shows.  How often should you put out a podcast (and how long should it be)?  Again there are no hard and fast rules about how often you should put out your podcast i.e. weekly, daily, monthly. This is really down to you.  If you're new to podcasting, creating a season of 6-8 episodes can be a much less daunting than launching a weekly or daily show. If your first season does well, you can always create another on a related topic and/or move to a regular show.  Your podcast can be as short or as long as you want. But if you're new to podcasting, starting with a 15-20 minute show might be easier. How many episodes should you launch with? If you listen to podcasts, you'll probably know that when you find a podcast you like, you often want to binge listen to other episodes. This is why it's a good idea to launch with more than one episode. But again, this will be dependent on a number of factors e.g. whether you're launching a weekly or daily show or a season. Creating a content plan for your podcast Once you've decided on the topic, frequency and length of your podcast episode, it's a good idea to make a content plan, setting out what you're planning to publish and when with draft titles.   What kind of equipment should you start with If you're new to podcasting, it's best to keep it simple. And, as you don't know whether you're going to enjoy podcasting, I wouldn't recommend investing tons. I would recommend a simple set up. I would recommend a USB microphone like the Blue Snowball or Blue Yeti you can plug straight into your computer and a pop shield. These start at around £65.  If you are recording solo shows, you can use Audacity - free software and Zoom/Skype to record interviews.   Where should I host my podcast?  You will also need to choose a place to host your podcast on the web (most podcast files are too big for websites). You will need to pay for hosting. This can vary depending on how much content you have, but I started off paying around $5 a month. Now it's around $25. Popular choices include: Buzzsprout, Spreaker, Blubrry and Libsyn.  Find out more about how to host your podcast: The Podcast Host  How to edit your podcast You can edit your podcast yourself using free software like Audacity or you can outsource. Expect to pay at least £15-20 an hour for podcasting editing, but if you think about the value of a potential lead/enquiry, getting a professional to do this for you can be a much better ROI  (return on investment) in the long run. You could also use a podcast maker like Alitu which helps you clean you your audio, add your intro and outro, edit out mistakes, edit and publish your podcast.   Depending on the format of your show, you may also need to source a voiceover artist for the intro/outro and/or copyright-free music. I found my voiceover artist on Fiverr. You might also want to try People Per Hour or Upwork. There are tons of sites you can use to source copyright free music but my favourite is Audiojungle. Finding guests for your podcast Introducing your listeners to interesting guests - people who are experts in a specific topic - can be a great way to add value. The mistake many new podcasters make is thinking that having ‘big name' guests is a great way to promote your podcasts. Actually the opposite is often true. Someone who already has a large audience is less likely to have the time or inclination to promote your podcast. A guest with a small but engaged audience may be much more inclined to tell the world about it.  When it comes to inviting guests onto your podcasts, the key thing to remember is that you are asking them to give up their time. So it's important to demonstrate what might be in it for them e.g. the chance to get in front of your listeners, social media followers, email list. If you have a small audience or you haven't started your podcast yet, it's best to be upfront about that but show how you will promote the podcast. Doing interviews for your podcast  As with anything in your business, it's all in the preparation. The more you can prepare your guest for the interview - by sending over detailed instructions on how to prepare or join the call PLUS the questions you are likely to ask - the better the interview is likely to go.  It's generally better to use open questions e.g. ‘can you tell us more about' or ‘what did it feel like when…?'. This will encourage your guests to talk more freely and make your interview feel like a conversation rather than a question and answer session (which is exactly how it should be).  Preparing a list of questions is a good idea, but don't stick slavishly to your question list. If you let the conversation flow naturally, your interviews will sound a lot better. Promoting your podcast  Unfortunately getting your podcast listed on Apple Podcasts (and other podcasting directories like Spotify, Acast, Google Podcasts and Stitcher) is not enough to build an audience for your podcast. You will also need to actively promote your podcasts via social media, your email list, Facebook messenger, Pinterest and any other marketing channels. There are also many things you can do to encourage your guests or listeners to share your podcast (such as creating branded, shareable artwork).  Most people vastly under promote their podcast because they're worried people will get sick of hearing about it. In reality, most people are far too busy getting on with their lives to notice you've already posted multiple times about your podcast - and appreciate the reminder.  Podcast shownotes What you need to ask yourself if you want to start a podcast (7:12) How to choose a podcast topic and why it needs to solve your client/customer's problem (9:16) Why you should niche your podcast to make it focused to reach more people (12:40) How to name your podcast and why you can change the name as you evolve (15:30) How to plan your podcast and decide on the format of your podcast (18:15) How often you should produce your podcast and launch with a good number of episodes (20:15) How to plan out your podcast episodes and create a content plan for your podcast (23:52) What equipment you need for your podcast and why you should keep it simple (24:40) What you can outsource to produce your podcast and why you should look at ROI (28:29) Where to host your podcast and why you actually need to host your podcast (30:30) How to prepare a podcast guest for an interview and why big-name guests can be a red herring (31:35) Why you need to promote your podcast and just having it listed on a platform isn't enough (34:57) Why you might want to join my new course ‘Launch your Podcast in 60 days' (36:47) Resources Want to start your own podcast? Sign up to my podcast course with The Podcast host - Colin Gray How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (blog) [080] Three must-do tips for pitching yourself as a podcast guest (podcast) [094] Seven steps to starting your podcast (podcast) [190] How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (and why you must do) (podcast) [253] How to land guest appearances on podcasts with Nicola Holland (podcast) [263] Why I changed the name of my podcast (podcast) [331] What it really takes to build an audience with John Lee Dumas (podcast) [348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast episode) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a successful online business (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook page from ghost town to garden party with Bella Vasta (podcast) [376] Lessons learned from 1 million downloads of my podcast (podcast) Join the Media Diary Owners Club Order your 2020 Media Diary here #2021Sorted Buy your ticket  How to create a high-converting lead magnet course How to write social media posts that sell (online masterclass)  Content Planning Masterclass Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart Build Your Audience Programme Rev.com* Kapwing Social Media Video Engagement Playbook Social Media Engagement Playbook LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

I know a lot of bloggers do quarterly and monthly recaps of things that they're loving, and I haven't done that in a while so this short episode is all about that. Feel free to hum the tune if you know it. Michael B(ae) Jordan and his Netflix series, iOS 13 and all the new goodies, Blue Snowball mics and the upcoming vote, THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS! Yeah, I know that doesn't rhyme by I never said that I was a poet. You know the drill, grab a mug of coffee or tea and tuck in for this short episode. Feel free to DM me (@lehautepaire or @andallthatjazie) or send me an email if you have any comments or want me to talk about any specific topics!

This episode is brought to you by Stacks Co. the co-working space where both Seth and I work and record this podcast. Stacks is located in historic downtown Doylestown, in the heart of Bucks County. Stacks Co. allows entrepreneurs like ourselves space to not only work, but grow and connect with others. For a free day of co-working to see if the space is right for you, go to StacksCo.Work for more information. Don't forget to mention you heard about Stacks on this show. Okay on to the show... Hey Everyone! Welcome to another episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Shawn Swaim the Chief Rain Maker at Big Head Digital Media and the self-proclaimed king of the Internet. With me as always is Seth Goldstein, the Chief Web Geek at Big Head Digital Media. We have a great episode for you today!  Today we're going meta. We're talking podcasts and podcasting. SS: First, I think we should ask the question if Podcasting is right for small businesses and at what phase should one be started? What's the intent of the podcast? Hosts Anchor Libsyn Blubrry Podbean Tools Audacity Anchor is a tool too Fancy all in one kit like we have with a mixing board, microphones, and headphones we don't use Standalone microphones like Blue Snowball, or Blue Yeti, etc. Your phone… No seriously… your phone. Tips Quality of content matters more than quality of production value Remember we're not going for NPR here. This is podcasting not radio If you drop the F-Bomb you should really use the Explicit tag for that show. It doesn't mean you need to use it from now on, just the shows where curses and sensitive content is used or talked about. This week we're doing our favorite podcast picks. Shawn: How I Built This | Ed Mylett Show Seth: The Morning Stream | Startup by Gimlet Well that was fun. As always please give us a review in the podcast directory of your choice. We're all of the major directories. We also want to hear from you. Email us at digitalmarketingdivepodcast@gmail.com. Leave us questions, comments, critiques, rants, you name it. If you don't want us to read the note on the show, please tell us, because we probably will! So that's it. It's been fun! See you on the flip side! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Stacks Co. the co-working space where both Seth and I work and record this podcast. Stacks is located in historic downtown Doylestown, in the heart of Bucks County. Stacks Co. allows entrepreneurs like ourselves space to not only work, but grow and connect with others. For a free day of co-working to see if the space is right for you, go to StacksCo.Work for more information. Don't forget to mention you heard about Stacks on this show. Okay on to the show... Hey Everyone! Welcome to another episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Shawn Swaim the Chief Rain Maker at Big Head Digital Media and the self-proclaimed king of the Internet. With me as always is Seth Goldstein, the Chief Web Geek at Big Head Digital Media. We have a great episode for you today!  Today we're going meta. We're talking podcasts and podcasting. SS: First, I think we should ask the question if Podcasting is right for small businesses and at what phase should one be started? What's the intent of the podcast? Hosts Anchor Libsyn Blubrry Podbean Tools Audacity Anchor is a tool too Fancy all in one kit like we have with a mixing board, microphones, and headphones we don't use Standalone microphones like Blue Snowball, or Blue Yeti, etc. Your phone… No seriously… your phone. Tips Quality of content matters more than quality of production value Remember we're not going for NPR here. This is podcasting not radio If you drop the F-Bomb you should really use the Explicit tag for that show. It doesn't mean you need to use it from now on, just the shows where curses and sensitive content is used or talked about. This week we're doing our favorite podcast picks. Shawn: How I Built This | Ed Mylett Show Seth: The Morning Stream | Startup by Gimlet Well that was fun. As always please give us a review in the podcast directory of your choice. We're all of the major directories. We also want to hear from you. Email us at digitalmarketingdivepodcast@gmail.com. Leave us questions, comments, critiques, rants, you name it. If you don't want us to read the note on the show, please tell us, because we probably will! So that's it. It's been fun! See you on the flip side! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Stacks Co. the co-working space where both Seth and I work and record this podcast. Stacks is located in historic downtown Doylestown, in the heart of Bucks County. Stacks Co. allows entrepreneurs like ourselves space to not only work, but grow and connect with others. For a free day of co-working to see if the space is right for you, go to StacksCo.Work for more information. Don’t forget to mention you heard about Stacks on this show. Okay on to the show... Hey Everyone! Welcome to another episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Shawn Swaim the Chief Rain Maker at Big Head Digital Media and the self-proclaimed king of the Internet. With me as always is Seth Goldstein, the Chief Web Geek at Big Head Digital Media. We have a great episode for you today! Today we’re going meta. We’re talking podcasts and podcasting. SS: First, I think we should ask the question if Podcasting is right for small businesses and at what phase should one be started? What’s the intent of the podcast? Hosts Anchor Libsyn Blubrry Podbean Tools Audacity Anchor is a tool too Fancy all in one kit like we have with a mixing board, microphones, and headphones we don’t use Standalone microphones like Blue Snowball, or Blue Yeti, etc. Your phone… No seriously… your phone. Tips Quality of content matters more than quality of production value Remember we’re not going for NPR here. This is podcasting not radio If you drop the F-Bomb you should really use the Explicit tag for that show. It doesn’t mean you need to use it from now on, just the shows where curses and sensitive content is used or talked about. This week we’re doing our favorite podcast picks. Shawn: How I Built This | Ed Mylett Show Seth: The Morning Stream | Startup by Gimlet Well that was fun. As always please give us a review in the podcast directory of your choice. We’re all of the major directories. We also want to hear from you. Email us at digitalmarketingdivepodcast@gmail.com. Leave us questions, comments, critiques, rants, you name it. If you don’t want us to read the note on the show, please tell us, because we probably will! So that’s it. It’s been fun! See you on the flip side! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/digital-marketing-dive/support

"If you are sitting on an idea, a dream, a plan, the longer you wait to execute on it, the sooner someone else will. So stop waiting, stop procrastinating. Do as I say, not as I’ve done!" It's solo episode time! On this episode, I'm talking all about what goes on behind the scenes of the Ali on the Run Show, answering listener questions about getting started, choosing guests, recording, editing, working with sponsors, pay days, and more. I also talk about the episodes I've recorded but never aired — and why — and share a few never-before-told stories. Next week it's back to regularly exciting running-related programming. Until then, I hope you enjoy this long-winded peek behind the microphone. Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your Aeropex wireless headphone endurance bundle! What you’ll get on this episode: Getting started (2:10) All about equipment (12:00) How I prep for episodes (15:00) On choosing guests and having conversations (21:50) All about recording and editing (48:00) Sponsor stuff (1:01:40) And more random questions about podcasting and the Ali on the Run Show (1:08:10) What we mention on this episode: Blue Snowball microphone Blue Yeti microphone Audacity Libsyn hosting ShePodcasts Facebook Group Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Twitter @aliontherun1 Facebook Blog Strava Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Overcast Stitcher Google Play SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

¿Sabías que el mes de septiembre lo han declarado como el mes del Podcast? De hecho, el 30 de septiembre es el día internacional del Podcast. Así que en honor a las celebraciones, voy a dedicar todo el contenido de este mes para compartir con ustedes recursos, herramientas, entrevistas – todo relacionado al podcasting. Para el primer episodio pensé que sería propio comenzar con el principio, y una de las preguntas que más me han hecho: ¿Qué necesito para comenzar mi podcast? En este episodio te comparto que es lo MÍNIMO que necesitas para lanzar tu podcast y unos consejos para principiantes. Espero que sea de ayuda para ti. Puntos mencionados Tener buen sonido es clave Comienza con lo que tienes. No necesitas equipo «fancy» ni hacer inversiones costosas para comenzar Graba en el clóset No necesitas invertir en un podcast hosting al principio Recursos: Micrófono Blue Snowball* (es el que yo utilizo) Anchor.fm (plataforma gratuita para subir tu podcast) Garageband (para editar audio en MAC) Audacity (para editar audio en Windows) Escucha el episodio 3 y episodio 4 para que sepas un poco mas de crear tu website/blog y lo que es el hosting y domain. ¡Conecta! Me encantaría saber cuál es su opinión del tema. ¿Has pensado comenzar tu podcast? ¿Ya lanzaste tu podcast? ¿Qué consejos le darías a alguien que esta comenzando su podcast? Escribe en los comentarios. ¿Y ahora? Si estos episodios han sido de beneficio para ti, nos ayudaría el que dejes tu reseña y evaluación en iTunes y Facebook para que más personas se conecten al Podcast y puedan aprender. Si tienes dudas o preguntas, escribe en los comentarios o por Facebook, y quizás sea algo que pueda discutir en un próximo episodio. Igualmente si tienes alguna idea o tema que te gustaría que... Continua leyendo The post Episodio 020: Podcast 101 ¿Qué necesito para comenzar un podcast? appeared first on Influencia Creativa.

Episode Notes Hello friends! Welcome to the first Episode of Off The Beaten Podcast! This week DION (@Dionsmusica) chats with admin assistant and college friend SARAH DIPRIMO (@iowatater), who was visiting the glorious city of Chicago to see New Kids on the Block. The pair intended to talk about the World Naked Bike Ride Chicago edition, and the conversation proceeded on to NKOTB, sexuality, sex, relationships, and ultimately polyamory.  Shout outs to SECONDHAND CURVES (@secondhandcurv1) and it's proprietor RACHEL CADIE (@curvesbossbabe) for selling sexy clothes to sexy women, also to ROBUST COFFFEE (@robustcoffee) for keeping me caffeine fueled.  Support local businesses.  Check out the World Naked Bike Ride: chicagonakedride.org Follow SARAH DIPRIMO on IG: instagram.com/iowataterFollow SARAH DIPRIMO on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/iowatater42 Follow SECONDHAND CURVES on Twitter: twitter.com/secondhandcurv1Follow SECOND HAND CURVES on IG: instagram.com/secondhandcurvesGo to Secondhand Curves' website: secondhandcurves.com Follow RACHEL CADIE on Twitter: twitter.com/curvesbossbabeFollow RACHEL CADIE on IG: instagram.com/bigmamaboo Follow ROBUST COFFEE on Twitter: twitter.com/robustcoffeeFollow ROBUST COFFEE on IG: instagram.com/robustcoffeeloungeCheck out Robust's website: robustcoffeelounge.com Follow OTBP on IG: instagram.com/offthebeatenpodcastFollow us on Facebook:Facebook.com/OffTheBeatenPodcastVisit the Off The Beaten Podcast website: dionmcgill.podbean.com Send Dion A Tweet: twitter.com/DionsmusicaFollow Dion on IG: instagram.com/DionsmusicaSend Dion A snap: Snapchat.com/add/dionsmusicaRead Dion's Blog: Off The Beaten Path Blog SIGN UP for the Off The Beaten Podcast newsletter: Sign Up Here! Got something to say? Give us a call and leave a voicemail: (312) 488-9068Email us: beingsillyinthecity@gmail.com Calling all musicians!!!  Would you like your music featured on an episode of OTBP? E-mail us a streaming link: beingsillyinthecity@gmail.com  Once you're done listening to this episode, please rate, comment, and subscribe. The more ratings and comments we have, the more people who will be exposed to the podcast.   Acknowledgements: This show was recorded on a Blue Snowball microphone.  Intro music courtesy of: https://www.purple-planet.com. The place for royalty free music.   Podcast Artwork courtesy of HEATHER CALVERT (@HCAL23)

Is Podcasting Difficult to Do? Today, I will answer the question, “Is It Difficult to Do?” Quick answer is “No.” But there are some things that you need to pay attention to in order to produce a quality product. If you do not have a quality podcast in this day and time, your listeners will probably only end up being your family and close friends. If you want to expand your reach, you should invest in a few pieces of equipment that will improve your quality. Now, if you are doing a video podcast, you definitely will need a camera. If you are going to use your lap top, you probably have a camera built in. If you are using a desk top computer, you can purchase a cheap camera that will sit on top of the monitor.  The other option is to purchase an actual video camera, but this could also be the most expensive option. For an audio podcast, you can use the microphone built into the computer itself. But it will also sound like you are using the microphone built into the computer. For just a small investment, you can purchase a headset and microphone combination. This will improve the sound quality and help you to stand out from those who just want to use their cell phone or computer microphone. For a bit more, you can purchase a little better Condenser microphone, such as a Blue Yeti or Blue Snowball. These work well as long you stay close to the microphone. I have used a Blue Yeti and you can see it here! If you truly want to go all out and get to the professional sounding quality, you can purchase a Dynamic Microphone. This style of microphone only picks up sounds that are directly in front of it. It’s the type you see in pictures of radio stations where the DJ is speaking directly into the mic.  The condenser mic’s pick up sounds from AROUND the microphone…basically, the room. Which is why it sounds “funny” unless you are directly in front of the microphone, like I am right now. So, there you have a list of some of the equipment you will need. In the next episode, I will go over “Is it complicated?”   Over the course of these episodes and articles, I want to answer any questions you may have concerning podcasting. You can leave your questions in the comments section below. But a better way of communicating with me and making sure I am able to see your questions rapidly is by using the contact form on my website. Go to  https://podcast-training.com/contact (https://podcast-training.com/contact) and click on the contact tab. Fill out the form and be sure to send me your questions.  If your question is used on this podcast, I will be giving you credit for bringing it to our attention and you will receive a FREE download of my book, “The Complete Guide to Podcasting.”  That is a $37 value and you will receive it for FREE if you send along your questions and used on this “ASK BOB” program. If you include your website or podcast information, I will be referencing that as well and putting your information in the show notes of the podcast.  Who knows, you may see some increased traffic to your website, your podcast, etc. just from asking a question.  If I get asked the same question, the first person to ask it will be getting the credit. So IF you have a question, don’t wait!  Ask today. Just go to https://podcast-training.com/contact (https://podcast-training.com/contact) and fill out the contact form. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast in order to be notified when a new episode is being published and a new question is being answered. Download your FREE PODCAST CREATION CHECKLIST today! This is the same checklist I provide my clients and follows along with the training program. I am making...

Dan Axson and Kitty Horne caught up with Dr Maren Deepwell, CEO of ALT, Mary Agnes Krell, Senior Lecturer in Media and Film Studies and Dr Tamsin Hinton-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Higher Education. We talk about all things technology, learning technology, favorite shortcuts and apps we couldn't live without. We also discuss their formative technology experiences, how technology and equality are an embedded aspect of the PGCertHE and how the learning technology landscape has changed over the last 12 years. A note on audio (again...). I couldn't mic everyone, so I thought I had enough coverage with the two table top mics and a Blue Snowball, however I forgot to press record on the iPad (for the Snowball) so apologies to Kitty, who has a very quiet audio as a result. People Kitty Horne Dan Axson Dr Maren Deepwell Mary Agnes Krell Dr Tamsin Hinton-Smith Groups / organisations Association for Learning Technology (ALT) School of Media, Film and Music (MFM) at the University of Sussex School of Education and Social Work (ESW) at the University of Sussex Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) at the University of Sussex Tools Facebook Instagram Twitter IMDb Otter.ai How it was made. Two standard table top mics into Zoom H4n Blue Snowball into iPad Forgot to press go on iPad for the Snowball (Sorry Kitty) Salvage audio in Adobe Audition Record Intro and Outro with Table top mics into Zoom H4n Build show in GarageBand Export to Anchor.fm Run through Otter.ai for Transcript

Hey guys!!! This is our season finale. On this episode, we talk about why we decided to start a podcast, and the longer than expected process it took to get our first episode on the air. Also.....we have our very first guest on the show. Our good friend Nicky joins us to discuss. She's basically our number one fan and helped us along the way. By the way, she has her own YouTube channel, so go give show her some love and check out her videos @ Nickyvette381.

Last week, I did something I never thought I’d do. I started this podcast. “Fantastic. Another random dude who thinks he can do a podcast because he listened to an episode of Serial and bought a Blue Snowball microphone on Amazon Prime Day.” – You, probably I hear ya. I’ve even said the exact same thing in the past. It certainly feels like everyone and their mom is starting a podcast these days. I’ve been closely watching the market over the past year and, after careful research and deliberation, here’s why I’ve decided to jump into the podcasting game with Launchers – Build a successful web design business. Sign up for Launchers here! Read the full blog post here Watch the YouTube video here --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/launchers/message

People are always curious about podcasting and what it takes to get started. So, in this episode, I share three tools you'll need to begin. Two are free, and one costs about $65. But overall, podcasting is very economical to get started. And if nothing else, it's a fun extra to have in your overall marketing plan. Below are links to tools that I mention in this episode: Audacity (Free desktop audio recording and editing tool) https://www.audacityteam.org/ Blue Snowball microphone https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1550422861&sr=8-3&keywords=blue+snowball Podbean (hosting for podcasting - get started with three free forever plan) Podbean.com   Visit my website > WorkCabinCreative.ca

Publish a podcast in four easy steps... from the author of the new eBook SALES FUEL. Access your free copy at https://b2bentrepreneur.org/free-gift -- It has never been easier to expand your personal marketing and personal influence with a podcast. If you're wondering how to get more customers with a podcast, listen up or read below. 1. Start with two Why's... Why to do you want to publish a podcast, and why would your audience listen to your podcast. What value do you gain and what value does your listener gain. (hear my Why's on the podcast) 2. Select your equipment. You can start with a smart phone. However I find my Blue Snowball microphone and hp All In One Computer the most convenient. You can find all my equipment recommendations at DebbieDonaldsonShop.com 3. Plan your content. This is the most exciting part of the process. When you've identified your audience and why they want to hear from you, now deliver. To stay focused, write down your target audience (for me it's entrepreneurs), now write down why they want to hear what you have to say (I'm an entrepreneur like them). Now write down what main topic that everything you deliver fits under (for me it's how to grow your business). Under my head are a lot of topics from how I deal with finances to how I produce a podcast - and why. 4. Record in private. Be sure to find the space and time that gives you the privacy and complete focus without distractions you'll need to deliver a compelling podcast. Now get started ;0) I look forward to hearing your new podcast, drop me a note when it's ready debbie@b2bentrepreneur.org ---- About the Author: Debbie Donaldson published the book Superpowers Activated after realizing her own personal journal contained life balance and growth mindset motivation anyone looking for self improvement would find beneficial. As an entrepreneur and enthusiastic reader of self help books and business books, Donaldson quickly realized that her ideas for how to journal daily improved her own self talk. Although we all have strengths and weaknesses, this new success habit retrained her brain to focus on strengths instead of focusing on weaknesses that lead to self sabotage. As a business motivational speaker her focus is on sharing the ideas that empower her audiences with a plan for how to journal daily and experience power that goes beyond personal willpower to succeed. The change in self talk she inspires in her readers gives them an internal compass for how to be confident in their own unique combination of talents, gifts and blessings combined with their knowledge skills and experience. She even credits the practice of a daily focus on strengths for helping her win her battle with cancer. As her consulting business began to evolve and attract business entrepreneurs, Donaldson began looking for ways to share her business success ideas. Within a year Donaldson completed a second book, SALES FUEL to give business owners new ideas for how to get more customers. Access a free copy here: https://b2bentrepreneur.org/free-gift b2bENTREPRENEUR.org is an international online marketing, sales and leadership training organization for entrepreneurs interested in profitable, enjoyable, accelerated business growth.

¿Por qué tanta gente hace resoluciones de Año Nuevo? ¿Es porque vemos algo en nuestras vidas que queremos mejorar? Todos nos miramos de vez en cuando y vemos cosas que queremos mejorar. Un nuevo año nos da una razón para reflexionar y luchar por un nuevo comienzo. Así que tal vez queremos mejorar nuestra salud. O arreglar nuestras finanzas. O tal vez simplemente tratar de ser una mejor persona. Así que, ¿cuáles serían algunos buenos propósitos para nosotros como cristianos? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Haz una donación: https://www.paypal.me/jorgeostos Patrocíname: https://goo.gl/1pd461 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visita: https://www.jorgeostos.com Sígueme en Facebook https://goo.gl/cfPBsM Twitter @jojotohead Instagram @jojotohead ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Puedes adquirir mis libros: "Más humano, más espiritual" - https://amzn.to/2OByNRy "Mero conocimiento" - https://amzn.to/2JWkjuT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Micrófono Blue Snowball: https://amzn.to/2Dzk2O7

The session in which we interview Elise Gaul, LPC and her son Ryan Micolucci about what it's like to have, or to be, a family member coming out as transgender or gender non-conforming. This session has great content but it's also the session in which we realized we needed to consult with a sound engineer! The audio on this, our first 2-person interview, suffered a bit as the 4 of us huddled around our beloved Blue Snowball mic.

You want to launch a podcast, and in the past, I've talked about how there are 27 steps to launch a podcast (you might want to read that first). Today I want to cover this episode from a new angle and address some of the mistakes I am seeing on episode 636 of the School of Podcasting. If you missed the previous list it was Step 1: Pick Your Topic Step 2: Decide if you're podcasting solo or with cohost(s). Step 3: Pick how you will podcast. Step 4: Pick where will you podcast? Step 5: Pick a name. Step 6. Buy the Hardware Step 7. Buy Software Step 8 is purchasing web hosting Step 9 is installing WordPress Step 10 is to get your WordPress installation ready to podcast Step 11 is making your website look good. 12. Domain Name 13. Graphics 14. Intro Music. (optional) 15.  Media Hosting (for your mp3 files) 16. Organize Your Content 17. Record Your Content 18. Edit Your Content 19.  Assemble Your Episode 20. Add ID3 Tags 21. Upload your media 22. Write Your Show Notes 23. Copy the Media URL and Paste It Into Your Post (optional) 24. Click Publish 25. Set Up Tags for iTunes 26> Make Sure your Feed is Valid 27. Submit Your Podcast to Apple Podcasts What is the Goal of Your Podcast? You need to know this. How will know if it's successful? Is it a certain number of downloads? Is it a certain number of sales? Is it to position you as an expert? Does Your Podcast Move You Toward Your Goal? So if the goal of your show is to help build an email list, did you remember to tell people about your list. If it's to build your consulting clients, did you mention you are available for consulting? Has Someone Who Is Your Target Audience Given You Honest Feedback? Have You Checked to See If You Are Unique? There are at least five shows named "outside the box", and six shows named, "The Feed." If you name your show identical to another show, not only may you be opening the door to legal action, but these people have a head start and you will have a hard time ranking for that phrase. What you NEED to Launch a Podcast Artwork: The artwork is SQUARE with a minimum dimension of 1400X1400 and a maximum dimension of 3000X3000. The FILE SIZE needs to be less than 500 kb. Failure to meet these specifications can get you rejected, and cause your show not to update, and in some cases get removed from Apple. A Valid RSS feed. That feed will have a description of your show. Along with the author/hosts(s) of the show, categories, and an email address. This is typically entered into your media host (more on that later) or whatever tool you are using to create an RSS feed A media host. I was a Libsyn customer for 10 years before being a customer, but I feel Libsyn.com is the best. For other thoughts on podcast media hosting see this post A quick note: Stay away from Anchor or any other free media hosts. I've seen multiple attempts at free media hosting over the years and it always ends badly One published episode. You can't upload a bunch of episodes as drafts, submit your show to Apple and other directories, and the flip a switch.  While many people will tell you to launch with 3, 4, 10, 30 episodes, I'm here to tell you that you can launch with as many as you want (please note they DO NOT automatically download when someone subscribes, your audience needs to manually download them) but you only NEED one. The Podcast Launch Schedule I see so many people picking a launch date and then trying to fit their podcast into it. This is like picking a time for Thanksgiving dinner and you've never cooked a turkey before. You need to have a knowledge of how long it takes to cook the bird, and likewise, you wouldn't call everyone to the table if the meal wasn't done. They would all come running to the table and ask, "Hey, where's the food?" I spent last week with Rob Walch the VP of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn.com (the oldest, largest podcast media hosting company - get a free month using the coupon code sopfree ) and he recommended to start submitting your show to directories ONE MONTH in advance and I agree and here is why: While it may take 3-5 days to be listed in Apple, in some cases it takes a few extra days for the artwork to show up (after you've been approved) and in some cases even more, time before you are shown in the results of a search You want to have your show listed in as many apps as possible. Right now I recommend Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, and if it's still alive Google Play Music. As I write this in September of 2018, Google Play Music is on a respirator and I would worry about it last. The reason for this is people get comfortable with their apps and devices. I use Overcast on my iPhone. If someone wants me to listen to their podcast and it's only available in Stitcher, there is a very strong chance I will never hear their episode. It costs nothing but a few minutes to submit your show to these places. I've got tutorials on how to do all of this at the School of Podcasting Once Your Ready Pick Your Date Once you are listed in the directories, then you can pick your date and start building the buzz (OK, you can start building the buzz when you submit to the directories).  A musician is not going to plan a CD release party (remember those), or an author won't setup a book reading and autograph session until they have their products in their hand. With this in mind, I strongly suggest you do NOT pick your date until you are listed in all the directories. Teach Your Audience How To Subscribe Don't just tell your audience, "I'm in Apple podcasts." SHOW THEM how to subscribe. You can take screenshots on your phone (on an iPhone hold down the button on the right side of the phone and press the home button). If you have an android phone just press the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time, hold them for a second, and your phone will take a screenshot. You want to guide your audience into being subscribers. This is the difference between a clerk at Home Depot answer the question "Where are the plastic tarps?" by saying "Isle 8" or taking me to aisle 8 and putting one in my hand.  In that scenario, the clerk knows I'm walking out of the store with a plastic tarp. You want your audience walking out with a subscription. If you want you can use a video I made that explains how to subscribe to a podcast in Apple podcasts at www.learntosubscribe.com One thing I should mention here, while I'm assuming you have episode(s) recorded is I also assume you have a domain name. Do you have your own website? That's up to you ( I recommend it) but at least have a domain name so your website is Did You Know Siri Can Help You Subscribe to podcasts? Get on Facebook live and ask Siri on your iPhone to subscribe to your podcast. Most of the time she gets it right. Get Your Social Media Ready To Go Make sure you have your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc ready to go with graphics, etc. There is a tool called thunderclap.it which enabled you to work with your friends so you can post a tweet on their account and so your message goes out to a huge group of people at the same time. As I write this thunderclap.it is having issues with their website (and may have gone out of business). With this in mind, supply your group of friends with a pre-written tweet that they can retweet, etc. Get Your Attitude in Check If you want your podcast to be a business eventually, then you better write a business plan on how you're going to be different, better, and more successful than your competition. I will say that it takes YEARS to generate a sizeable income. In the book "beyond powerful radio" by Valerie Geller she points out that it takes three years to build an audience on radio. Wil Schroter is the Founder + CEO @ Startups.co say that it takes at least 4 years just to get pointed toward a real business. According to a post on Quora.com Amazon started in July 1994. They reported their first profit in Jan. 2004 for the last quarter of 2003. With this in mind, get ready for the long haul. This is not a sprint. It is a marathon. How Many Downloads Should My Podcast Get? I have said the equation for downloads is Total Value in the Episode Multiplied by The total amount of intelligent promotion = Total Number of Downloads Also, keep in mind, it's not all downloads. You can see so many benefits of podcasting. I spotlight them in this podcast as a "Because of My Podcast" segment Conclusion Make sure your show is good. Get your target audience to give you feedback You only need one episode to launch, but many people launch with three. Use the right tools, and make sure you are following image guidelines. Don't start promoting your show until you are listed in the top directories Get everyone to SUBSCRIBE to your show when it launches Realize it will take time to grow your audience Common Podcast Launch Mistakes Using the wrong tool for the job. Podcaster who host their media on a web host (instead of a media host), free media hosts, companies that minor in podcast (Squarespace, Soundcloud) Only promoting Apple. In May 2018, 54.4 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers were using a Google Android device. Apple was the second most popular smartphone operating system with a 44.3 percent market share. source Picking a launch date a few days from today (and not knowing the time frame it takes) Horrible titles of episodes ( putting the name of the show in the title along with the episode number) Overthinking everything and Underthinking the process Not checking to see if the podcast name is already in place. Not knowing how to use their equipment (bad mic technique, and bad microphones like the Blue Yeti, Blue Snowball, that are not bad, but you need to know how to use them) Thinking a "Big launch" equals a big success. This is like saying a big wedding will lead to a happy marriage. Worrying about Apple charts, and new and noteworthy. Focus on your audience, and make it easier to interact with you instead. The charts do not deliver much of a boost, and their validity is under suspicion at the moment. Rating and Reviews are nice to have, but SUBSCRIBERS are the better thing to cultivate (which is why you want to lead them) People are spamming their name. So if I had "School of Podcasting" |make money podcasting, Pat Flynn, John Lee Dumas that would be spam. Apple hasn't given any  Mentioned on this show Dave on the Podcasting for Radio Dummies Show Slick Text Podcast Review Show Bond Fire Studio Idea for International Podcast Day (9/30) See Video Want Some Help Launching Your Podcast? I would love to sit down with you and help you plan your launch strategy. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule to schedule some one on one time, or Join the School of Podcasting  

On episode 131 of the BSP, I talk about Discord selling video games, Youtube adding a subscription shelf back to the homepage, YouTube certifying and recommending phones, Youtube deleting Alex Jones’ channel, and the FCC lying about the DDoS attack in 2017. Ask Questions: AskBandrew@gmail.com Merch; https://teespring.com/stores/podcastage-store Discord: https://discord.gg/dXQUc7v 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - Sunshine Summit 2018 * www.sunshineandpowercuts.com 01:18 - This Experiment is Over * youtube.bandrewsays.com * creatorcasestudy.com 04:18 - Discord Selling Games 05:51 - YouTube Adding Subscription Shelf on Homepage 07:38 - YouTube Certifying & Recommending Phones 10:11 - YouTube Deleted Alex Jones Channel * FB Statement: https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/08/enforcing-our-community-standards/ * Hank’s Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3pkkSNRug4 * JRE Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxwmcg7H5DU 23:31 - FCC Lied About the DDOS Attack in 2017 * Office of Inspector Generatl Letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uPl5NsbXowzbXrYf9KHBp-GVilTLQqyW/view 26:11 - Movie of the Week: Dracula (1931) * Buy it on iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/movie/dracula-1931/id322443654?mt=6&at=1001l4W2 (affiliate) 29:40 - WYHTS: What triggers Air Marshalls to follow you on planes? 31:04 - WYHTS: Finding a balance between security & invasion of privacy? 33:26 - WYHTS: Logitech showing off Blue Snowball and Yeti & Ignoring Nice Microphones!!! 35:15 - Ask Bandrew 35:32 - How do I stop saying Uhhh and Umm in my podcast? 41:07 - Should I buy the Zoom H5 Portable Recorder or a USB Audio Interface? Subscribe to the full audio podcast at https://www.bandrewsays.com Twitter: @bandrewsays Ask Questions: AskBandrew@gmail.com Merch; https://teespring.com/stores/podcastage-store Discord: https://discord.gg/dXQUc7v

This week Mary is sharing 5 things she's learned in recording ten episodes of the Aging Youthful Podcast. Here is a brief summaryLesson #1: Do A Little ResearchLesson #2: Enroll in Google University and The College of YouTubeLesson #3: Be Willing To Suck Long Enough To Get GoodLesson #4: “Stuff” Is Going To Happen, Just Roll With ItLesson #5: Commit For The Long HaulFor the full blog post, click here.Links for this week's show For the Love of Money w/Chris Harder Earn Your Happy w/Lori Harder Nick Harder's blog post regarding podcast equipment: shared a blog post Blue Snowball microphone and swing arm and pop filter for the mic.Aging Youthful VIP Patreon supporters See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Podcasting Podcasting lessons from regular weekly podcasters Kevin Appleby & Graham Arrowsmith Kevin and Graham know a thing or two about podcasting. This podcast is episode 117. That's roughly 2 years and 4 months worth of podcasting. We've made plenty of cock-ups and occasionally got it bang on first time. We're not selling a course on podcasting, but we think we have something to share about podcasting. Because, you may be just like we were, before we started podcasting. Unsure. Not really aware of the commitment. No, we don't want to scare you off. Let your voice be heard, but expect to put in a decent amount of effort along the way. Below, you'll see the very first video recording of part of the show being recorded on Saturday, 21st April 2018. https://youtu.be/Vlx4Zq6FGAE     Podcasting Audio Quality For the first time, Kevin and Graham are recording BOTH audio and video. We have chosen to migrate from SKYPE to ZOOM. https://zoom.us This decision to move to a paid license for Zoom was taken because Kevin was spending time overseas. There the broadband signal was not so good. Therefore, if you are a regular listener, you may have noticed poorer audio quality in recent episodes. This could not be allowed to continue. So an investment was made in Zoom. If you are thinking of podcasting as your next step. Then seriously consider Zoom as a way to record great audio quality. What is even better, is you get the video as well. Zoom records your voice from where you are. So Graham's dulcet tones are recorded from his super-fast broadband in West Yorkshire. Kevin's overseas restriction no longer destroys the audio for him, Graham and guest alike. Kevin can also record his own voice on Audacity - a free, open source audio recording software. https://www.audacityteam.org  If Kevin's audio is ruined his end by the local overseas provider, then he can simply dub over his local microphone to computer recording via Audacity. So, thanks for the memories Skype, but we're recording with Zoom from now on. How to Get the Right Podcasting Guests? We decided to source people great at what they do, but not necessarily headline guests on the US circuit. Don't copy what everybody-else is doing. Our advice is be like Bill Glazer suggests in his new book - OUTRAGEOUS Multi-Step Marketing Campaigns That Are Outrageously Successful - http://outrageouscampaigns.com   Be different. Have your own thing. We have a fire-side chat. We don't script, we have a few bullet points. When these things come together, you'll get real quality snippets from your podcasts. Talk about your show. Friends recommend people. But, do your research. Some of your best guests will be referred to you. They might be more well known than yourselves. But everybody benefits from a long-lasting podcast, that people can download at any time. Over-talking each other? Don't worry so much. But by splitting audio tracks, you can blank one track to prevent that. Remember it is natural to over-talk. It happens, don't beat yourself up. Editing can be used to cut SOME of the 'ems, 'errs. More About Podcasting Audio Quality We are after BBC audio quality. That is why we've moved to Zoom. Podcasting is all about producing a radio show on the internet. So it has to be clear. A recent guest, Gary King was the first guest we have had to re-record the episode. Gary was very patient and took it in his stride. Even then the re-record was not good. That made us make the decision to find an alternative. Buy a decent microphone. Graham uses a Blue Snowball and Kevin a Blue Yeti Kevin also uses a pop filter that prevents hissing. If you are travelling - try a clip on lapel mics. We both use Rode Lav Mics  Hosting your podcast Get you recorded MP3 file out to the world. How? Our show is on iTune, Stitcher and TuneIn Radio. You need to host your audio file. On Libsyn.com Upload your audio to Libsyn and publish it.

Breaking in their brand new Blue Snowball microphones Nick, Tristan, and Andrew discuss the rules of the road... trip. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

What's the best microphone under $75 for #livestreaming and #podcasting? I watched popular podcaster Pat Flynn (of Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn) test 3 mics and I thought one was clearly the winner, but at the end he equally endorsed 2 of the 3 mics. I will tell you why the Samson Q2u is the best podcast mic under $75, better than the more well-known ATR 2100 from Audio-Technica and much better than the condenser Blue Snowball (for livestreaming and podcasting). You want to use a dynamic mic for podcast recording and livestream video because it will pick up less room noise. Both the Samson Q2U and ATR 2100 come with XLR and USB cables. Podcast Date: March 5, 2018. The post https://livestreamuniverse.com/update30/ (Best Budget Mic for Livestreaming & Podcasting (Update Ep30)) appeared first on https://livestreamuniverse.com/ (Livestream Universe).

What's the best microphone under $75 for #livestreaming and #podcasting? I watched popular podcaster Pat Flynn (of Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn) test 3 mics and I thought one was clearly the winner, but at the end he equally endorsed 2 of the 3 mics. I will tell you why the Samson Q2u is the best podcast mic under $75, better than the more well-known ATR 2100 from Audio-Technica and much better than the condenser Blue Snowball (for livestreaming and podcasting). You want to use a dynamic mic for podcast recording and livestream video because it will pick up less room noise. Both the Samson Q2U and ATR 2100 come with XLR and USB cables. Podcast Date: March 5, 2018.

In Episode SH061 of Star Hopping… we’ll examine the Cepheus region, and find some “deeper” deep sky objects: IC 1396, the famous “Elephant’s Trunk” nebula, the open cluster Messier 52, and The Blue Snowball Nebula, also catalogued as NGC 7662. Intro So after all the excitement of the Summer with the August Solar Eclipse, we’re Read More ... The post SH061 – Find IC 1396, Messier 52, and The Blue Snowball Nebula appeared first on Star Hopping.

Guests: Greg Olwell, Chris Russell Hosts: Stuart Yoshida, Doug Brown I survived the Great Eclipse of 2017! And now that fall is right around the corner, we’re gonna blow out the summer with a show to take on the Recorder controversy once again, with music technologist and teacher Chris Russell. And after saying “Ukulele Magazine” three times on our show, we finally get Greg Olwell, editor of Ukulele Magazine on the Podcast to join in the conversation. Shoutouts to: Abe Deshotel Podcast #2: http://ukuleleabe.blubrry.net/ Chelsea Spear and “Sister Cities” song: https://twitter.com/travelswbrindle/status/905487021094920193 Musical U in London: https://www.musical-u.com/learn/new-learning-new-songwriting-new-scales-and-a-new-ukulele/ Greg Olwell: Ukulele Magazine with Daniel Ward’s Meditative Ukulele Exercise: http://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/ukulele-lesson-get-more-control-over-your-sound-and-rhythm-daniel-ward email: greg.olwell@stringletter.com Ukulele Magazine subscription: https://store.ukulelemag.com/products/ukulele-subscription Chris Russell: Ukulele Blog: https://ukestuff.wordpress.com/ Music Technology Blog: https://techinmusiced.wordpress.com/ Music Technology in Education Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/music-education-technology-podcast/id1147822243?mt=2 Twin Cities Ukulele Club: http://www.bluegrassfun.com/twin-cities-uke-club.html Links: Ukulele Music Podcast with Chris and Nipper: http://www.ukecast.com/ Podcast mic ATR2100-USB: https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4 Podcast mic Blue Snowball: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-SNOWBALLALUMINUM/dp/B01LQ4YET6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1505676960&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=snowball&psc=1 USB cable to connect a mic to iOS device: https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Connection-Reader-adapter-charging/dp/B071X8C9F7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1505677244&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=ipad+usb+audio+adapter&psc=1 The Jive Aces: https://www.jiveaces.com/ OokTown Podcast with Heide Swedberg and Daniel Ward: https://ooktown.com/2015-shows/ep-37-i-give-good-google American Recorder Society: https://americanrecorder.org/ Kala Plastic Ukulele: https://kalabrand.com/collections/the-waterman Los Angeles Ukulele Festival: http://www.kalakoa.com/ukulele/ Roadie Automatic Tuner: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Roadie-Tuner/Automatic-Guitar-Tuner.gc Peterson Strobe Tuner: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StompClassic iOS ClearTune app: https://itunes.apple.com/dk/app/cleartune-chromatic-tuner/id286799607?mt=8 Ukulele Charts and Tab app: https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/apps Ukulele Karaoke app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ukulele-karaoke-ukeoke/id887760236?mt=8 Ukulele education program in Canadal: http://www.rubysukes.ca/ Colored Ukulele strings for teahcingl: https://www.elderly.com/aquila-kids-educational-ukulele-string-set.htm Ukulele with LEDs: https://popuband.com/ Ukulele Chord Changer: http://www.ukechordchanger.com/store/p1/Ukulele_Chord_Changer_%26_Songbook_Set.html Definition of Millennials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials Obscenely Optimistic Ukulele songs: https://www.jeremymessersmith.com/

I'm going to be honest - we recorded this on Friday, and I'm writing this on Sunday. The whole thing is a blur, and perhaps I should have kept better notes. I do remember that our venerable Blue Snowball died and we had to use a backup mic, and there was food, but it all gets blurry after I poured the Rogue Siracha Stout.  The ratings file indicates we ate some Pickled Bologna, Pickled Quail Eggs, and  boneless “Wyngz” I seem to recall talking about our trip to Anthrocon, and then it gets hazy. But what else do you expect when We Eat It, So You Don’t Have To!

Back for hopefully the last time, Jamie Drama dusts off the Blue Snowball for a triumphant return to the Popped and Cultured Studio. After explaining some reasoning behind the hiatus with a comedic tragedy, we also hear some new music from past guest of the show 10MP with an exclusive song that is only available […]

Episode 005 - Websites, Gift Etiquette & Jake's a Jerk Episode 5 is the first time we use a Blue Yeti Microphone as opposed to our dual Blue Snowball setups. In this episode, we discuss our most visited websites, the etiquette in giving gifts when you're on a budget and learning how much of a scumbag Jake is. We'd like to take a moment and highlight this week's Easy Listening Track. We Rise by Son Holo (grinless bootleg) is a great track that grinless was kind enough to let us use. Please shoot over to his SoundCloud page and give him some love; his work is great! (Link in the credits at the bottom) Check us out in other places: Facebook // Soundcloud // Archive // Youtube Song of the Week tracks Hanging By a Thread by Cowbell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcyee2F7Nbo How Could You Leave Us? by NF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9tqvCYlZSQ Notable Mention Talk Too Much by Eric Axelman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8xBWTFJcxQ Credits Intro/outro Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Transition Tracks 'In A Pensive Mood', ‘Chase That Comic', ‘Into Uncertainty' Music by Jay Man - OurMusicBox http://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox Easy Listening Track We Rise by San Holo (grinless bootleg) https://soundcloud.com/dj-grinless/werise Find out more on the The Jake & Joe Show website.

My guest this week is professional audio engineer Ryan Monette. Ryan graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Production & Engineering. For the last 4.5 years he's been the Post-Production Audio Engineer on staff at Elevation Church, in Charlotte, NC, where he mixes their global TV show, and has many other responsibilities (boom operator, field recorder, sound designer, audio editor, etc.). You may have heard some of his work, as he sound-designed and mixed the opener video for the Circles conference for the past two years. He even had his own podcast for a short while (TheQueuecast.com). I asked Ryan to come on the show to share his journey towards becoming a professional audio engineer (a job that I've always wanted), and to get him to share some tips for anyone interested in working in audio/video professionally. Highlights, Takeaways & Quick Wins: Think long term and dream big. If you want to do anything with audio, start by getting a cheap USB microphone. Take advantage of free online courses to learn more about audio engineering. Get started with whatever you have. Your mix may sound completely different in a different environment, so listen with different headphones/speakers in different locations. Master the basics and keep going back to them. If you're mixing a podcast, make sure your levels are consistent. When mixing, always use a reference track. Show Notes Aaron: You graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in music production and engineering. For the last five years, you've been the post production audio engineer for Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. You have a lot of jobs there: boom operator, field recorder, sound designer, audio editor, and you mix their global TV show. Do you mix that live? Ryan: Not necessarily. We can get into that later. There's a process for that. Aaron: Some of the creative people here might have heard of some of your work. You sound designed and mixed the opening videos for the past two years of Circles Conference, which I was at. Have you been there for the past two years? Ryan: I haven't been personally, no. I have wanted to go. I love it from afar, and I want to go in person. Aaron: I wanted you to come on this show because when I first got started, I had dreams of being a professional audio engineer. I thought, “How cool would it be to work in audio and get paid for it? That'd be awesome!” I fell backwards into it by doing podcast editing as a hobby first, then for money, then I met Sean McCabe and ended up working for him full time. I edit podcasts and help out with a ton of other stuff. I asked you to come on the show to share your advice for anyone who's interested in working in audio/video professionally, and to talk about how you got there yourself. So tell me a little bit about how you got into audio. When did you first realize that this was something you wanted to do? Ryan's Journey to Becoming a Professional Audio Engineer Ryan: I love listening to your podcast, Aaron, and what I love about it is I feel like you and I have a lot of similarities in our backgrounds. You're a musician, a drummer, and I'm also a musician. I play several things. My primary instrument is bass, but along with that, I started on piano. I picked up bass, and with the bass I picked up guitar. I took some drum lessons here and there as well. I sing as well. I dabbled in a little bit of everything. I'm kind of a jack of all trades, master of none. I'm okay at a lot of things, but I'm not superb at one thing. Anyway, right around junior high or high school, I started playing the bass. I started playing in little bands here and there. When it came time for college, I had no clue what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved music. Aaron: Same here! Ryan: I was living in Las Vegas at the time, so I decided, well, everyone has to have that college experience, and I didn't want to go to college in the same city, so I decided that I needed that “being away from home” experience. I went to the University of Nevada, Reno. I took your basic, general classes, not knowing what I wanted to do. At this time, for my high school graduation, I had received a graduation present of a Macbook Pro. With that, of course, you get the wonderful iLife suite, including Garageband. As a musician, a whole new world was opened up to me. When I was in a band in high school, I was the gear head—I loved the PA and putting cables together. I was drawn to that. Once I had this Macbook Pro with Garageband and I had my bass and my guitar in my dorm, I was like, “I can create music!” I figured out how to work it and record myself. I bought a USB microphone, and that world was opened up. When I was there, I had a friend, and her brother went to this school where all they learned about was music. I was like, “Wait, you can do that? You can go to school for just music?” That's how I found out about Berklee School of Music. I applied, and you have to audition as well. I applied and auditioned, and the first time I tried, I actually didn't get into the music school I wanted to go to. Aaron: This sparks something in my mind. I feel like I might have read an article about Berklee or looked into it and thought, “No, they're really strict on who they accept, based on your performance.” That was intimidating to me at the time, because I never felt like I was that good of a drummer. Ryan: It was intimidating for me, too. Clearly, I wasn't up to par. Aaron: Yet you went for it. That's more than a lot of people would do. Ryan: Yeah. After I finished my first year at UNR, I moved back to Vegas and went to UNLV, the University of Nevada Las Vegas. I took all music classes, forgetting the general ed stuff you need to get a degree. I took all music classes—music theory, because I had never had actual music theory classes, so I thought I needed that. With that, there were some audio classes that I took as well. I was like, “Hey, I like this audio thing.” At the University of Nevada Las Vegas, I had my first exposure to a formal audio class, where I learned all the proper techniques. Later on that year, I applied and auditioned again for Berklee. I got accepted, and the next year, I moved to Boston and went to Berklee for about three and a half years. Then I graduated. When I went to Berklee, the only thing that drew me as a major was Music Production and Engineering. I naturally loved the gear side of things. I fell in love with recording. I was like, “This is what I want to do.” Aaron: You got to spend three and a half years there, studying and learning? Ryan: It is non-stop, 24/7, music, audio, and to be honest, I miss being in that environment so much. Aaron: That sounds fantastic. I always love setting aside time to take online classes, read books, and listen to interviews about audio. Think Long-Term Aaron: You were drawn to the audio engineering stuff, and then you graduated. Ryan: I can remember a specific time in my life, and I'm pretty sure it was my last semester at Berklee. They went by semesters instead of years. It was in one of my capstone classes. Our instructor asked us the typical, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question. Aaron: I love that question now. I hated it when I was 22. ** Think long term and dream big** Aaron: Plan out where you want to be, because if you can envision it, then you can figure out how to get there. But you have to start by saying, “I want to do this thing someday.” For me, it was, “I want to do work from a laptop. How do I get there?” Now I'm there. So you were 22 and someone asked you, “Ryan, where do you want to be? Where do you see yourself in five years?” Ryan: At that moment, I was trying to figure that out, naturally, as you do when you're approaching the end of college. While I was at Berklee, I loved music. I loved recording music, but my absolute favorite class—they only had one of them, but it was the class I yearned for, that I wanted to take and put in all these extra hours for—was audio for visual media, audio for video. By far, that was my favorite class. The whole class, we were working toward our final project. You choose a five to seven minute clip from a well known movie, and all the audio is completely stripped. You have to recreate everything. That's all the dialogue, all the foley, all the ambient background, all the hard effects, and so on. You have to connect with a film scoring student there at Berklee, and they have to provide the score. I absolutely loved every aspect of that project and the process. When it came time to decide what I wanted to do with my life, it was between audio engineering at a recording studio, working at Disney as an Imagineer, or doing audio at a church. I have always been involved with church, playing on worship teams and whatnot, so I also saw myself doing audio for a church. Long story short, I was really privileged to dip my feet in all of those things after college. After I graduated, I moved back to Las Vegas. Eventually, I found an incredible recording studio, probably one of the top two recording studios in Las Vegas, and I landed an internship. First Audio Engineering Jobs Ryan: I say “internship” loosely, because your typical studio internship is all the stereotypical grunt work—taking out the trash, doing the coffee, and whatnot. I showed up, and they were like, “You went to Berklee? Berklee guys are cool. Here, hop in this session and help us out.” It was open to me, thrown at me, and next thing I knew, I was assisting on sessions with huge clients, I won't name drop. Aaron: You can drop a couple of names if you want. Ryan: I had a pretty fun time helping out with a session with the famous engineer Eddie Kramer, who is engineering for Carlos Santana. Aaron: Dang, man! That's awesome. Ryan: That was pretty incredible. But while I was there, I had this gut feeling inside of me saying, “This isn't it.” Aaron: It's fine, but it's not quite right? Ryan: I could see myself staying there and working my way up, but it didn't feel right. A few months after I realized that I didn't want to stay at the studio, I applied and was offered a job at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I packed my bags, moved to Orlando, and I was working as a stage technician at the Epcot park. There, they found out that I was an audio guy, so they pushed me toward the live audio side of things. I was mixing shows and bands at Epcot and what was at the time Downtown Disney, now Disney Springs, area. Same thing. Almost as soon as I got there, the same gut feeling came in. I was like, “This isn't it. I'm more of a studio engineer. I definitely don't want to do live stuff.” Although I love Disney, it just wasn't sitting right. I was only there three months before the next great opportunity came up, which is where I am right now. One of my friends told me about a job opening for this church in Charlotte, North Carolina, Elevation Church. I had actually been following them because of their podcast. At the time, I was kind of like, “I've got a job, whatever.” For some reason, I ended up on their website, looking at the job. I was reading, and I was like, “Wait a minute, they're looking for someone to do audio for video. That's what I really want to do!” On a whim, I threw out my resume. Next thing you know, I've been here going on five years. Aaron: Did you mention that you were a podcast listener when you sent in your resume? Ryan: Yeah. Aaron: The connections you can make through podcasting is really incredible. Ryan: It is. And I've been working there for 5 years now. How to Get Into Audio Engineering Aaron: I want to jump into what you do at your job at Elevation, but let's pause and do a section on what advice you would tell someone who's wanting to get started. I wrote a couple of things down here. I think it's hilarious that you got a Macbook and your first microphone was a USB microphone. Ryan: Which was the Blue Snowball, by the way. Aaron: That's the worst microphone! Ryan: I had no idea how to use it, either. If I find some of the earliest recordings I did, there are times I'm clipping to the max, square waves. Aaron: Probably bad mic technique, too. But hey; it got you started! If you want to do anything with audio, start by getting a cheap USB microphone. Any USB mics will work for getting started. I like the Blue Yeti, but it's like $100. The ATR-2100 is fine, too. You just have to get something that can record some audio and start playing with it. Start playing with Garageband. Start playing with the free programs. Learn how to enable recording on a track, how to set your input device to the microphone, how to set your output device to wherever your headphones are plugged into, whether that's your mic or your computer. It took me so long to figure that stuff out. I was like, “Why can't I hear the audio in my headphones? What is going on?” Ryan: Same here. Aaron: You have to set input and output, then you have to record enable or do the input monitoring, all that stuff. But start with the USB microphone. Take some basic classes. There are so many great online classes. If you don't have any money at all, if you're super broke like I was when I started, watch some free YouTube videos. Read a book. Ryan: If you go to Coursera.org, they're a website where you can pay to take online courses and get certifications and whatnot, but they also offer free online courses. They even offer free online courses from Berklee. I've seen a music production class there. I've taken a free online song writing class. Check out free online courses, because they can be a pool of incredible knowledge. I took a photography class on there. Coursera is a great place. They're great if you want to take free online courses. Aaron: There are places where you can learn all this stuff. You just have to invest some time. You really just have to start: Don't wait until you have $500 for an interface and $200 for some professional headphones and microphone. Whether you want to start a podcast, start recording audio for a video, or record and mix a demo for a band, start doing something. Stop spending all your time thinking about how you can't do anything because you don't have certain gear or you're not in the right place. You'll learn as you do, especially in audio. You're going to make a ton of mistakes. Ryan: That's how you learn, though! That's one of the most valuable things I've learned in life. You learn from your mistakes. Aaron: You don't really learn when everything goes well. Just Start Aaron: Any other advice you would give somebody, thinking back on how you got to where you are right now? Ryan: Honestly, you hit the nail on the head with “just start.” It's as simple and cliche as Nike, “Just do it.” There is always going to be the next latest craze, the gear, and we've all been susceptible to that. We say, “Oh, well, I could do this if I had X.” It starts with the drive and determination, wanting to do it. There's knowledge out there everywhere. You just have to dig for it. Chances are, you have at least something you can start with. Record something on your phone. Aaron: I have a friend who makes some awesome music on his iPhone. Ryan: Oh, totally. It's as simple as getting an adapter. You can plug your guitar or whatever into your phone. Aaron: Kids these days have it so easy! Ryan: You have Garageband on your phone. I remember when I was figuring this out in high school, and we actually had a four track tape recorder. That was my first start. Get started with whatever you have. Aaron: What kind of stuff do you do at the church? What's your day to day life like? Are you there every day, or is it just a couple of days a week? Ryan: Oh no, I'm definitely there every day. It has been a whirlwind for sure. In the past five years, I have probably played every audio role that there is to be played here. My main thing now is audio for broadcasts, pretty much anything that leaves the church. Our biggest output is the sermon, which goes to a lot of places. It also goes in the TV episode, which we talked about, which goes locally, nationally, and, I believe, globally as well. That's a lot of what I've done. We also create a lot of films, short films, for our worship experiences, anything you can imagine that's video and audio related. Audio post production, like we talk about. I'm constantly on video shoots using field recorders, the boom op, anything you can think of. Audio for video, I've done it. The Gear Ryan Uses Aaron: Let's talk about your gear a little bit. What kind of stuff are you using most in everyday life? I'll do a quick recap: I have the Shure Beta 87A Mic as my main podcasting microphone. It's attached to a Scarlett 18i20 USB Interface (update: I'm now using my Zoom H6 exclusively), which is plugged into a quadcore iMac that's a couple years old. Nothing super fancy, but I'm really happy with where I am. I remember wanting all this stuff back in 2011, thinking how awesome it would be to have it. I have a Zoom H6 portable recorder and a couple of SM58 microphones. I've been pairing down my gear collection because I'm planning on moving in the spring. What kind of stuff are you working with? I use Logic Pro X for editing, and then Izotope iZotope RX 5 for cleaning up background noise or fixing clipping. What about you? What's your day to day favorite gear? Ryan: We use a lot. There's a bunch of gear for field recording and then in my office, which is where I'm at right now. I'll start with my office. Right now, I'm talking into my personal mic, which is a Rode NT1A. It's very affordable. The Rode NT1A is a nice beginner mic which works and sounds great, and I use it for a lot of voiceover projects. Aaron: I like those mics. Ryan: I'm talking into that right now. We also use the Shure SM7B. We have a nice Neumann that we'll use for bigger projects. We like to use Universal Audio Interfaces, so I've got one of those. They're great. They're rock solid. You really can't beat them. At our main recording/editing audio work station, we use Pro Tools. That's very standard, and I've been using that for years and years. I use a lot of plugins. I use a lot of the Waves Plugins. I do use RX as well, and that's the bulk of it. I do a lot of processing, depending on the project. I have a really huge sound library for if I'm doing narrative pieces that involve sound design, sound effects. I have a great app called Audio Finder, which a lot of electronic musicians use to help them find sounds. I use it to help me find sounds. It's a nice way to catalogue sounds if you're a sound designer or anything like that. You can basically tag all these audio files with meta data, and you can search for sounds by their title. Or, if you type in a word in the search bar, it can pull up things based off the the metadata. If you have notes on something, it can find it. Audio Finder is a great way to find sounds. I have some other things in here. I have the Artist Mix Controller made by Avid. I use those if I'm automating stuff. I use those a lot, actually, when I'm mixing the sermons. I do a lot of automation for that. If I'm mixing a piece with a music bed or something, I like to automate the music by hand. It feels more natural, as opposed to clicking and making little dots. That's the bulk of it here in the office. All of our audio engineers have a nice pair of Focal monitors. I also have another set of monitors I built myself. When I mix TV episodes, I have an output routed to a TV here in my office so I can hear how it translates on TV speakers. Recording Audio for Video Ryan: On the front end of things, if we're doing shoots for videos, we use Sound Devices field recorders. We have three different models: the Sound Devices 788T 8 Channel Recorder, a 702 2 Channel Recorder, and then a 633 6 Channel Recorder. That last one is one of their newer models, which is great. Sound Devices are steep in price, but they are rock solid. One of the most trustworthy, well known field recorder brands on the market. That's what you'll see on pretty much every big budget shoot in some way. I do a lot of freelance on the side, which gives me the opportunity EPK shoots or BTS shoots for, recently, a show on HBO called Outcast. Aaron: Outcast? I've been seeing that (I watch Westworld). Ryan: I'm pretty sure it's the same writers or producers or something. I know it's the same writer as The Walking Dead. They shoot here in North Carolina, so with a local production company, we've done some interviews with some of the cast and crew. It's been really neat to be on set and see what they're using. It's cool to see how similar their world is to what we're doing day to day, just with more money and more resources. It's the same thing. Most of their audio guys have some sort of Sound Devices. A lot of them use the 788 as a backup recording rig, and they've got larger multitrack recorders as well, that are also made by Sound Devices. Sound Devices is a great brand. They're crazy expensive, but when you buy that, you know you've basically got it for life. Aaron: Yeah, I'm looking at the Sound Devices 788T SSD 8 Channel Portable Solid State Audio Recorder. It's almost $7,000. I love that! So fancy. Ryan: That SSD does have an internal hard drive. Ours has a hard drive as well, so it's great, because it has the internal hard drive, but you can also use CF cards. You can record on two different mediums. In case something runs out of space, you have it in two places. Aaron: This is super professional stuff. Ryan: Yeah. It is. It's top of the line. Aaron: Fantastic. For all the rest of you, just go with the Zoom H4N or the H6. Ryan: Hey, we do have a Zoom H4N, and we do use that every now and then. Before I came on staff, our first field recorder was the Zoom H4N. Aaron: If I could start over and go back to before I had any kind of interface at all, I think I would buy myself an H4N or an H6. Not only are they portable field recorders so you can walk around with them—they have little stereo condensor mics on them—but they work as audio interfaces, too. You can plug it into your computer with a USB cable and record straight to your computer if you do any kind of podcasting or stuff like that. It's good for the price. Otherwise, the little two channel interfaces are great. They're about $100 for a good one, but they aren't portable. You can't take them to a show or out to a video shoot the way you can an H4N or an H6 or something. Ryan: Speaking of Zoom, they've recently come into the more professional field recording market. About a year ago, they releases the F8, I believe, which is an 8 channel field recorder with 8 mic pres. It's $999 for something very comparable to a Sound Device. It's not quite as high-fidelity, but for anyone starting out, you're really not going to notice the difference. Mixing On Expensive Headphones or Monitors Aaron: I was going to ask you this earlier. You mentioned that you had Focal monitors. Did you listen to the episode I did a few episodes back where I talked about mixing on headphones (Episode 69: Do You Need Expensive Headphones to Mix a Podcast?)? Ryan: Yes, I did. Aaron: I mix on $10 Panasonics. What do you think about that? You can be totally honest with me. You can tell me that it's a stupid idea or that it's okay. Ryan: I agree to a certain extent. I agree that you should be listening to what you're making on whatever the majority of people are going to be listening to it on. For a lot of audio engineers mixing music, that's iPod earbuds, those standard earbuds you get. Something like that. When I mix TV, I have an output routed to a TV in my office, so I can hear it on TV speakers. I do also believe in mixing on something with some sort of higher fidelity type of monitoring environment, whether that's nicer speakers or nicer headphones. Naturally, you're going to hear things differently. The main thing to take away is how things translate. If you're listening to something on one source and you make it sound good there, that's great, but in a different environment, it may sound completely different. iPhone earbuds may not have the bass that a car stereo has. You want to hear how it translates from one thing to another. That's why it's good to at least listen to it on two different sources and not just narrow yourself down to one cruddy thing. That's good in theory, but again, the key takeaway is translation. Aaron: Maybe it's a little bit different for me and I can get away with it because of the consistency of the microphones and the recording environment set we use. Ryan: Yeah, totally. Aaron: I think if I was doing more stuff like you are, with videos and clients and all that kind of stuff, I would absolutely be using my higher fidelity headphones. Ryan: Very true. The bulk of your work is dialogue, podcasts. Aaron: Yeah, that's really it. Just dudes talking into a microphone. Ryan: Yeah. I have done a lot of work here where I'm working in a small studio, but a lot of my mixes have played in auditoriums and arenas. If you're working on projects like music or film that have different audio frequencies and spectrums, remember that sound will be perceived differently in different places. Aaron: How do you even test for that? Ryan: Here, I at least have a sense of how our auditorium sounds, so I've trained my ear to hear in advance and understand how it's going to translate. For something like when we did a live recording in the biggest arena here in Charlotte, we had a video opener piece. I was on point for mixing that, so basically, I had to work with tech and production to find a time after setup where I can bring my session, copy it onto a laptop, and play it through the PA. Then I can make any final mix tweaks there in the auditorium or the arena. I perfected it in my studio, and any small tweaks I was able to do in that actual environment. Granted, a lot of the times, we may not have that luxury. There are also great plugins you can buy that simulate different monitoring environments, like Sonarworks. If you have certain pairs of headphones, you can tell the program, “I have these headphones, now make my mix sound like it's coming through these headphones or these speakers,” so you can hear how it might translate. In that program, they have a final output like the Beats headphones. You can hear how it might sound on there, super bass heavy. Aaron: I hear they're getting better, but I still have never bought any Beats headphones. I probably should (just for testing purposes). Ryan: There are definitely programs out there to help you see how things translate to different monitors. On Location Gear Ryan: We were talking about the gear we use for on location recording. Sound Devices would be our main recorders. For our mics, we use Schoeps. It's a shotgun microphone, so it's a narrow polar pattern with good off axis rejection. Schoeps is a great brand. Again, you'll see this on professional movie sets. That's the mic we use. We have some Sennheiser shotguns as well, the ME66, we have a couple of those, which is more their entry shotgun mics. Recently, I rented some of the MKH416. Aaron: I would like one of those. The Sennheiser 416 is well known as the classic TV shotgun mic, right? Ryan: Exactly. I rented those out because I wanted to try it out for that reason. The Schoeps is very good and very well known on set as well, but so is the 416. I rented it to try it out. It's a trusted mic that a lot of people use for these professional things, and it doesn't really break the bank for what it is. Aaron: They're like $1,000, I think. Ryan: Yeah, and it sounded great. Aaron: The next mic I get is either going to be that or the Rode NTG 3. Ryan: I've heard a lot of great things about that. I haven't tried one myself. Aaron: That's the shotgun mics we shot my podcasting courses with. Ryan: Yeah, I know that Sean uses that for all of his videos. Aaron: I'm excited about getting to go work with those (I'm moving to San Antonio in March or April). Master the Basics Aaron: That's a pretty good run through of your gear. I'm sure you could keep going and discuss a lot more, but I don't think we need to go into that. It seems like you guys are at a super professional, high quality. You have made big investments in professional gear, which is fantastic. I encourage everyone to strive for that, to aim for that, but like we said earlier, use what you have right now. I don't have anything close to what you guys have, but I'm still doing my podcast. I'm doing the best I can with what I have. Ryan: It still sounds great. Aaron: Thanks! It's mostly just knowing how to set gain levels and not having a noisy room. It's crazy how far the basics will get you— everything else is just icing on the cake. I've been watching this video course called Zen and the Art of Work, which I really recommend to everybody. It's mindfulness training mixed with productivity training, which is such a great combination. In this course, he says, “So many of the masters continually revisit the basics.” Mastery is staying on a path. It's not reaching some final goal, it's more about being with the work and investing in getting better, but also revisiting the basics. He was talking about playing piano. He was like, “A lot of times, I just start by touching the keys, pressing the keys, and then doing basic scales over and over again.” It's true. When you get so good at the basics that you don't have to think about it, that's when you start to expand and get to that level where people say, “Wow, you're so good at that. How did you get so good?” You're like, “That was just doing the basics. It's not anything fancy.” It's so important to master the basics and keep going back to them. Learning More Aaron: What's next for you? How do you invest in yourself and improve? Or are you working so much that you always have more learning opportunities? Do you buy books or courses or follow any websites to learn more about this audio stuff? Ryan: Honestly? We had a shift at work to where my role has shifted to mainly just broadcasts. That has enabled me to have a little bit more flexibility and free time, so I've been doing a lot more freelance work. That's great, because it energizes me and keeps me engaged. It keeps me from routine. Routine is great. I love routine, that's very much my personality, but freelance work keeps things interesting. For me, it's all about where and how I can get inspired and constantly feeding that. It's about feeding my desire for creativity. We're all creatives. We like to create. We were designed to be creators, really. Everything I try to do is about how I can become a better creator and what I can create next. It's about finding things that inspire me, really. We touched lightly on a few of the resources that I like, things I've learned and places I've picked things up. If you're interested in audio for post production, there are a couple of great books by Ric Viers. I have two books by him that are really great. The first one is The Sound Effects Bible, and it's not just sound effects in there. He talks about everything from gear to microphones, basics, setting proper gains, compression, some mixing techniques, etc. He also has The Location Sound Bible. There are a lot of similarities, but there's also a lot of talk about gear, shotgun mics, lop mics, recorders, and then he also dives into some of the basics when it comes to mixing, proper gain staging, and so on. Those are a really great pool of knowledge in book form. There are a lot of other books out there, but I have found those two to be really helpful. Other than that, when it comes to audio for video, it's a very small, niche field. There isn't a crazy amount of stuff out there, like there might be for mixing music. For that, you've got tons. You've got Pensado's Place, all these people on YouTube putting out channels on mixing, mixing from home, mixing on a budget, etc. There's plenty of that. Aaron: Graham Cochrane and Joe Gilder are pretty awesome resources for anyone who wants to start a home studio. Ryan: YouTube can be a pool of knowledge for anything and everything, too. You have to dig a little bit and do some searching. On the inspiration side, for me, since I love audio for video, Sound Works Collection is a great place. They'll do mini videos interviewing the sound people that did sound for X movie. Whether it was the last Harry Potter or anything and everything, big budget films, they'll sit down with the recording people, the sound designers, the mixers… It's really cool, because they'll show footage of them doing stuff on location or the foley artists. It's cool to see their process. For me, that helps me stay inspired. It gives me ideas to do other things. They have a podcast as well, and that's great. The videos can be kind of short, maybe 10 minutes or so, but the podcast will go on at length, talking to the audio guys who have made sound for videos possible. It will also be music composers for movies as well. That's really great. I found that great not only as inspiration, but to know what and how audio professionals for big budget films get inside their minds, how they're thinking, and what their process looks like. It's neat to see stuff about sound engineers for big movies and realize that we're not so different. Dealing With a Broad Loudness Spectrum (Dynamics) Aaron: I have a nerdy question here. This is about normalizing and compression, I think. Aiya had asked, “I'm so torn about normalizing sound clips. If I'm working on a longer project in segments, would it be better to adjust my peaks manually for the sake of consistency? It's for a video project.” I'm hearing that there are differences in video volumes. How do you deal with that? Do you do compression? Do you do automation for the different parts? How do you deal with dynamics? Ryan: It depends on the project. I'll talk about how I would mix a sermon, because that's very dynamic. Our pastor will go from whispering, holding his handheld mic close to his stomach, to screaming, holding the microphone, cupping the capsule. Power and respect to him, because it creates a certain atmosphere, which has a powerful effect. That's what I'm dealing with on a weekly basis. That dynamic range is tremendous. Keep in mind, this is going to TV eventually. TV has very strict restrictions. It's not so much on level, but on perceived level. There's a difference between what you see meter and what you're hearing. I can talk at length about that, too. Aaron: Could you give us a super short version? I'm kind of aware of that, but since I just mix in Logic, I'm not sure how to measure it. Is there a way to measure it in Logic? Do you know? Is there a plugin you use? Ryan: I use a plugin from Waves. It's a loudness meter, and its just that. It has a lot of presets, so I'll use the TV standard preset. I'll use it for ATSE85, and I'll use it for a dialogue bus. They've also got one for a master bus. The standard right there is your average level around -24 dB LUFS, so that's full scale. If you have a classic meters, your peak would be zero, so that would average metering right around -10. At least for TV, I've got a hard limiter at -10 dB, to where nothing can go above that. The difference between levels on a meter vs. perceived loudness is the differences between what we hear and the actual energy. In our TV program, we'll have the sermon, but we'll also have a talking heads segments, which is dialogue and a music bed. We'll also go into segments where they'll go into worship from our live album, which had been mixed and mastered as an album. That thing is slammed. If you look at the wave form, it's a sausage. If I'm setting all that by the meters alone and they're all hitting -10, it may look right, but if I look at my loudness meter, that worship segment is going to be off the charts. There's so much more content in there. There's so much going on with all the different frequency ranges as opposed to a dialogue track, which is a narrow field in the frequency spectrum. That's the gist of it. When it comes to my technique for controlling dynamics, for something like mixing a sermon, if I'm going down my plugin chain, the first thing I naturally have is a high pass filter. I'm rolling off those unnecessary lows that are hogging energy. The next thing I'll do is use a compressor, and I'll set the attack to right in the middle, so not fast or slow, and I'll have the release time at fast. We don't want to hear it pumping, letting go. That's catching my peaks. It's not doing a crazy amount, but it kind of is. That's helping do a lot of the bulk compression. Before anything really hits the compressor, I will go through, and as I work my way through the mix, I will clip gain the wave form, so that, say, if he's whispering somewhere, I might keep that, depending on how I have my compressor set. Then, if we go up to a part where he's screaming and my wave form is huge, I will take that down and create those nodes, those dots in the wave form, and drag the actual clip volume down, that gain down. That way, it's not going into the compressor at this high gain level. It's hitting the compressor evenly as the rest of it would. That way, it's not driving the compressor crazy. Then I'll go through and do some EQ and DSing and whatnot. I might add some more compressors in there, just to grab some of those little things coming through. After that, it's subtle, just smoothing it out. Aaron: It is a little bit of both. If she has access to an audio editing program—I don't know what she's using for editing. If you can put a compressor on the track, do that. It's not exactly the same, but I did a YouTube video about how I process podcast vocals, and it's very similar. For podcast vocals, I start with a Logic noise removal plugin. Ryan: I actually have my noise suppressor, and I'll use that later on down in my signal chain. My way of thinking is that if I've got all this compression going on, the compression is narrowing that dynamic range, so it's bringing up that noise floor. I tend to do my noise suppression after the bulk of that compression, because the noise floor is higher and it's easier to work on a supressor. If that makes sense. Aaron: I've thought a lot about whether you should do the noise removal before or after you add a bunch of gain with a compressor or something, and I can't think of a good reason that it matters. You can take out the noise before you add a bunch of gain, or you can add a bunch of gain and take out the noise afterwards. Which is better? I don't know. Anyways, after the noise removal plugin, I put an EQ with a high pass filter, a peak compressor, an RMS or an average level compressor, and then a limiter. Ryan: Like I mentioned earlier, before I had my long-winded answer, it also depends on what it is you're mixing—whether it's music, or a podcast, or something for film. When it comes to dialogue for film, you want it to sound as natural as possible, but you also want to be able to hear if someone is whispering. When it comes to that, I'll still use a compressor, but it will be very, very light. If there's anything I need to do to meet loudness, that I will automate the volume on my dialogue bus. I'll bring that up. That way, it sounds a little bit more natural, instead of solely relying on a compressor to do all the work for you. Aaron: That makes sense. For podcasts, if I notice that there's a section where someone was talking much quieter, like if a guest backed away and talked like that for four or five minutes and then went back to the normal distance from the microphone, in Logic, I'll turn that into its own clip. I make a cut on either side of the quiet part, and then, in Logic, you can double click on it and change gain by hitting Control G. Then you can add 3, 4, or 5 dB to it. That works out pretty well. If it's every five seconds or I have to do it more than five or six times in an episode, I won't do the clip gain changes, I'll just use a compressor. Look at the overall audio file and see if there are long stretches where you can use automation to change the gain, or change the clip gain. Common Audio Mistakes Podcasters Make Ryan: You asked a question that I think would be good to talk about in regards to podcasting. You had asked, “What do you like about podcasts? What common mistakes do you hear people make?” Initially, I read this and thought, “I don't know,” but I spent some time thinking about it. This is great, because it piggybacks off the loudness thing. A lot of the mistakes that I hear when it comes to podcasts in regards to audio is the levels and loudness aspect. I'll listen to some podcasts that sound great, and I'll put on another podcast where the whole thing is super quiet. Then they start laughing, and it's really loud. There are some, like mine, where they have a music bed underneath the entire thing, and then sometimes the music bed is so quiet that you hardly know it's there. You're like, “What the heck is that noise in the background?” Sometimes, it's the opposite. Sometimes, the music bed is way too loud. That's a few of the things I've noticed. A lot of the fixes relate to what we just talked about. It helps to have knowledge of levels and perceived loudness. If you're mixing a podcast, make sure your levels are consistent. One of the biggest things I can recommend for anyone mixing anything, whether it's music, movies, a podcast, is the importance of having a reference track. Aaron: Yeah, I don't talk about that enough. Ryan: That is huge. Professional audio engineers who mix platinum records still do this. They will pull in a track from a different song that is mixed well and is mixed how they want theirs to sound, and they'll have it muted in their session. When they want to have a reference to listen to or train their ear, they'll un-mute it, and they'll go, “Oh, okay.” I'm sure you've done the same thing as me, where you'll be so involved in a mix, you're in it, and you think it sounds great, and then maybe you go away. You go home, sleep, and maybe you come back, and you open it up and you go, “Woah! What was I thinking!” You can get so involved in it that the blinders go up. You get tunnel vision, and you're not aware to some things. It's good to have a reference track or get an outsider's opinion on a mix. The main takeaway here is the reference track. That would help with anything, whether it's the timbre, how you're EQing, or the loudness. You pull in their track and it's far louder than yours, and you automatically know that you need to do something about it. Aaron: That's a great idea. You can kind of do this before or after. You go through and you edit your whole podcast, get everything set up the way you want, create an extra track, and then find a podcast that sounds really good—This American Life or pretty much anything by NPR—download an episode, drop it into your editing program, and play it, mute it, and see what the difference is. Maybe you need to add some gain with an adaptive limiter or with a compressor, or maybe you can tell that your track sounds way sharper or harsher. Are there are too many high frequencies or too much bass compared to your reference track? You can adjust those things. I'm so glad you mentioned that. I've never thought of that before, and that's such a good idea. Ryan: It's one of those things you don't think of much, but once you do it, you're like, “Oh my gosh!” It's really eye opening and really helpful. You can find Ryan online at ryanmonette.com, and follow him on Twitter @RyanMonette.

My guest this week is professional audio engineer Ryan Monette. Ryan graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Production & Engineering. For the last 4.5 years he's been the Post-Production Audio Engineer on staff at Elevation Church, in Charlotte, NC, where he mixes their global TV show, and has many other responsibilities (boom operator, field recorder, sound designer, audio editor, etc.). You may have heard some of his work, as he sound-designed and mixed the opener video for the Circles conference for the past two years. He even had his own podcast for a short while (TheQueuecast.com). I asked Ryan to come on the show to share his journey towards becoming a professional audio engineer (a job that I've always wanted), and to get him to share some tips for anyone interested in working in audio/video professionally.Highlights, Takeaways & Quick Wins:Think long term and dream big.If you want to do anything with audio, start by getting a cheap USB microphone.Take advantage of free online courses to learn more about audio engineering.Get started with whatever you have.Your mix may sound completely different in a different environment, so listen with different headphones/speakers in different locations.Master the basics and keep going back to them.If you’re mixing a podcast, make sure your levels are consistent.When mixing, always use a reference track.Show NotesAaron: You graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in music production and engineering. For the last five years, you’ve been the post production audio engineer for Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. You have a lot of jobs there: boom operator, field recorder, sound designer, audio editor, and you mix their global TV show. Do you mix that live?Ryan: Not necessarily. We can get into that later. There’s a process for that.Aaron: Some of the creative people here might have heard of some of your work. You sound designed and mixed the opening videos for the past two years of Circles Conference, which I was at. Have you been there for the past two years?Ryan: I haven’t been personally, no. I have wanted to go. I love it from afar, and I want to go in person.Aaron: I wanted you to come on this show because when I first got started, I had dreams of being a professional audio engineer. I thought, “How cool would it be to work in audio and get paid for it? That’d be awesome!”I fell backwards into it by doing podcast editing as a hobby first, then for money, then I met Sean McCabe and ended up working for him full time. I edit podcasts and help out with a ton of other stuff. I asked you to come on the show to share your advice for anyone who’s interested in working in audio/video professionally, and to talk about how you got there yourself. So tell me a little bit about how you got into audio. When did you first realize that this was something you wanted to do?Ryan’s Journey to Becoming a Professional Audio EngineerRyan: I love listening to your podcast, Aaron, and what I love about it is I feel like you and I have a lot of similarities in our backgrounds. You’re a musician, a drummer, and I’m also a musician. I play several things. My primary instrument is bass, but along with that, I started on piano. I picked up bass, and with the bass I picked up guitar. I took some drum lessons here and there as well.I sing as well. I dabbled in a little bit of everything. I’m kind of a jack of all trades, master of none. I’m okay at a lot of things, but I’m not superb at one thing. Anyway, right around junior high or high school, I started playing the bass. I started playing in little bands here and there. When it came time for college, I had no clue what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved music.Aaron: Same here!Ryan: I was living in Las Vegas at the time, so I decided, well, everyone has to have that college experience, and I didn’t want to go to college in the same city, so I decided that I needed that “being away from home” experience. I went to the University of Nevada, Reno. I took your basic, general classes, not knowing what I wanted to do. At this time, for my high school graduation, I had received a graduation present of a Macbook Pro.With that, of course, you get the wonderful iLife suite, including Garageband. As a musician, a whole new world was opened up to me. When I was in a band in high school, I was the gear head—I loved the PA and putting cables together.I was drawn to that. Once I had this Macbook Pro with Garageband and I had my bass and my guitar in my dorm, I was like, “I can create music!” I figured out how to work it and record myself. I bought a USB microphone, and that world was opened up. When I was there, I had a friend, and her brother went to this school where all they learned about was music. I was like, “Wait, you can do that? You can go to school for just music?”That’s how I found out about Berklee School of Music. I applied, and you have to audition as well. I applied and auditioned, and the first time I tried, I actually didn’t get into the music school I wanted to go to.Aaron: This sparks something in my mind. I feel like I might have read an article about Berklee or looked into it and thought, “No, they’re really strict on who they accept, based on your performance.” That was intimidating to me at the time, because I never felt like I was that good of a drummer.Ryan: It was intimidating for me, too. Clearly, I wasn’t up to par.Aaron: Yet you went for it. That’s more than a lot of people would do.Ryan: Yeah. After I finished my first year at UNR, I moved back to Vegas and went to UNLV, the University of Nevada Las Vegas. I took all music classes, forgetting the general ed stuff you need to get a degree. I took all music classes—music theory, because I had never had actual music theory classes, so I thought I needed that. With that, there were some audio classes that I took as well. I was like, “Hey, I like this audio thing.”At the University of Nevada Las Vegas, I had my first exposure to a formal audio class, where I learned all the proper techniques. Later on that year, I applied and auditioned again for Berklee. I got accepted, and the next year, I moved to Boston and went to Berklee for about three and a half years. Then I graduated. When I went to Berklee, the only thing that drew me as a major was Music Production and Engineering. I naturally loved the gear side of things. I fell in love with recording. I was like, “This is what I want to do.”Aaron: You got to spend three and a half years there, studying and learning?Ryan: It is non-stop, 24/7, music, audio, and to be honest, I miss being in that environment so much.Aaron: That sounds fantastic. I always love setting aside time to take online classes, read books, and listen to interviews about audio.Think Long-TermAaron: You were drawn to the audio engineering stuff, and then you graduated.Ryan: I can remember a specific time in my life, and I’m pretty sure it was my last semester at Berklee. They went by semesters instead of years. It was in one of my capstone classes. Our instructor asked us the typical, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question.Aaron: I love that question now. I hated it when I was 22.** Think long term and dream big**Aaron: Plan out where you want to be, because if you can envision it, then you can figure out how to get there. But you have to start by saying, “I want to do this thing someday.” For me, it was, “I want to do work from a laptop. How do I get there?” Now I’m there. So you were 22 and someone asked you, “Ryan, where do you want to be? Where do you see yourself in five years?”Ryan: At that moment, I was trying to figure that out, naturally, as you do when you’re approaching the end of college. While I was at Berklee, I loved music. I loved recording music, but my absolute favorite class—they only had one of them, but it was the class I yearned for, that I wanted to take and put in all these extra hours for—was audio for visual media, audio for video.By far, that was my favorite class. The whole class, we were working toward our final project. You choose a five to seven minute clip from a well known movie, and all the audio is completely stripped. You have to recreate everything. That’s all the dialogue, all the foley, all the ambient background, all the hard effects, and so on. You have to connect with a film scoring student there at Berklee, and they have to provide the score. I absolutely loved every aspect of that project and the process. When it came time to decide what I wanted to do with my life, it was between audio engineering at a recording studio, working at Disney as an Imagineer, or doing audio at a church.I have always been involved with church, playing on worship teams and whatnot, so I also saw myself doing audio for a church. Long story short, I was really privileged to dip my feet in all of those things after college. After I graduated, I moved back to Las Vegas. Eventually, I found an incredible recording studio, probably one of the top two recording studios in Las Vegas, and I landed an internship.First Audio Engineering JobsRyan: I say “internship” loosely, because your typical studio internship is all the stereotypical grunt work—taking out the trash, doing the coffee, and whatnot. I showed up, and they were like, “You went to Berklee? Berklee guys are cool. Here, hop in this session and help us out.” It was open to me, thrown at me, and next thing I knew, I was assisting on sessions with huge clients, I won’t name drop.Aaron: You can drop a couple of names if you want.Ryan: I had a pretty fun time helping out with a session with the famous engineer Eddie Kramer, who is engineering for Carlos Santana.Aaron: Dang, man! That’s awesome.Ryan: That was pretty incredible. But while I was there, I had this gut feeling inside of me saying, “This isn’t it.”Aaron: It’s fine, but it’s not quite right?Ryan: I could see myself staying there and working my way up, but it didn’t feel right. A few months after I realized that I didn’t want to stay at the studio, I applied and was offered a job at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.I packed my bags, moved to Orlando, and I was working as a stage technician at the Epcot park. There, they found out that I was an audio guy, so they pushed me toward the live audio side of things. I was mixing shows and bands at Epcot and what was at the time Downtown Disney, now Disney Springs, area. Same thing. Almost as soon as I got there, the same gut feeling came in.I was like, “This isn’t it. I’m more of a studio engineer. I definitely don’t want to do live stuff.” Although I love Disney, it just wasn’t sitting right. I was only there three months before the next great opportunity came up, which is where I am right now. One of my friends told me about a job opening for this church in Charlotte, North Carolina, Elevation Church. I had actually been following them because of their podcast.At the time, I was kind of like, “I’ve got a job, whatever.” For some reason, I ended up on their website, looking at the job. I was reading, and I was like, “Wait a minute, they’re looking for someone to do audio for video. That’s what I really want to do!” On a whim, I threw out my resume. Next thing you know, I’ve been here going on five years.Aaron: Did you mention that you were a podcast listener when you sent in your resume?Ryan: Yeah.Aaron: The connections you can make through podcasting is really incredible.Ryan: It is. And I’ve been working there for 5 years now.How to Get Into Audio EngineeringAaron: I want to jump into what you do at your job at Elevation, but let’s pause and do a section on what advice you would tell someone who’s wanting to get started. I wrote a couple of things down here. I think it’s hilarious that you got a Macbook and your first microphone was a USB microphone.Ryan: Which was the Blue Snowball, by the way.Aaron: That’s the worst microphone!Ryan: I had no idea how to use it, either. If I find some of the earliest recordings I did, there are times I’m clipping to the max, square waves.Aaron: Probably bad mic technique, too. But hey; it got you started!If you want to do anything with audio, start by getting a cheap USB microphone.Any USB mics will work for getting started. I like the Blue Yeti, but it’s like $100. The ATR-2100 is fine, too. You just have to get something that can record some audio and start playing with it.Start playing with Garageband. Start playing with the free programs. Learn how to enable recording on a track, how to set your input device to the microphone, how to set your output device to wherever your headphones are plugged into, whether that’s your mic or your computer. It took me so long to figure that stuff out. I was like, “Why can’t I hear the audio in my headphones? What is going on?”Ryan: Same here.Aaron: You have to set input and output, then you have to record enable or do the input monitoring, all that stuff. But start with the USB microphone. Take some basic classes. There are so many great online classes. If you don’t have any money at all, if you’re super broke like I was when I started, watch some free YouTube videos. Read a book.Ryan: If you go to Coursera.org, they’re a website where you can pay to take online courses and get certifications and whatnot, but they also offer free online courses. They even offer free online courses from Berklee. I’ve seen a music production class there. I’ve taken a free online song writing class.Check out free online courses, because they can be a pool of incredible knowledge.I took a photography class on there. Coursera is a great place. They’re great if you want to take free online courses.Aaron: There are places where you can learn all this stuff. You just have to invest some time. You really just have to start: Don’t wait until you have $500 for an interface and $200 for some professional headphones and microphone. Whether you want to start a podcast, start recording audio for a video, or record and mix a demo for a band, start doing something.Stop spending all your time thinking about how you can’t do anything because you don’t have certain gear or you’re not in the right place. You’ll learn as you do, especially in audio. You’re going to make a ton of mistakes.Ryan: That’s how you learn, though! That’s one of the most valuable things I’ve learned in life. You learn from your mistakes.Aaron: You don’t really learn when everything goes well.Just StartAaron: Any other advice you would give somebody, thinking back on how you got to where you are right now?Ryan: Honestly, you hit the nail on the head with “just start.” It’s as simple and cliche as Nike, “Just do it.” There is always going to be the next latest craze, the gear, and we’ve all been susceptible to that. We say, “Oh, well, I could do this if I had X.” It starts with the drive and determination, wanting to do it. There’s knowledge out there everywhere. You just have to dig for it.Chances are, you have at least something you can start with. Record something on your phone.Aaron: I have a friend who makes some awesome music on his iPhone.Ryan: Oh, totally. It’s as simple as getting an adapter. You can plug your guitar or whatever into your phone.Aaron: Kids these days have it so easy!Ryan: You have Garageband on your phone. I remember when I was figuring this out in high school, and we actually had a four track tape recorder. That was my first start. Get started with whatever you have.Aaron: What kind of stuff do you do at the church? What’s your day to day life like? Are you there every day, or is it just a couple of days a week?Ryan: Oh no, I’m definitely there every day. It has been a whirlwind for sure. In the past five years, I have probably played every audio role that there is to be played here. My main thing now is audio for broadcasts, pretty much anything that leaves the church. Our biggest output is the sermon, which goes to a lot of places.It also goes in the TV episode, which we talked about, which goes locally, nationally, and, I believe, globally as well. That’s a lot of what I’ve done. We also create a lot of films, short films, for our worship experiences, anything you can imagine that’s video and audio related. Audio post production, like we talk about. I’m constantly on video shoots using field recorders, the boom op, anything you can think of. Audio for video, I’ve done it.The Gear Ryan UsesAaron: Let’s talk about your gear a little bit. What kind of stuff are you using most in everyday life? I’ll do a quick recap: I have the Shure Beta 87A Mic as my main podcasting microphone. It’s attached to a Scarlett 18i20 USB Interface (update: I’m now using my Zoom H6 exclusively), which is plugged into a quadcore iMac that’s a couple years old.Nothing super fancy, but I’m really happy with where I am. I remember wanting all this stuff back in 2011, thinking how awesome it would be to have it. I have a Zoom H6 portable recorder and a couple of SM58 microphones. I’ve been pairing down my gear collection because I’m planning on moving in the spring.What kind of stuff are you working with? I use Logic Pro X for editing, and then Izotope iZotope RX 5 for cleaning up background noise or fixing clipping. What about you? What’s your day to day favorite gear?Ryan: We use a lot. There’s a bunch of gear for field recording and then in my office, which is where I’m at right now. I’ll start with my office. Right now, I’m talking into my personal mic, which is a Rode NT1A. It’s very affordable.The Rode NT1A is a nice beginner mic which works and sounds great, and I use it for a lot of voiceover projects.Aaron: I like those mics.Ryan: I’m talking into that right now. We also use the Shure SM7B. We have a nice Neumann that we’ll use for bigger projects. We like to use Universal Audio Interfaces, so I’ve got one of those. They’re great. They’re rock solid. You really can’t beat them.At our main recording/editing audio work station, we use Pro Tools. That’s very standard, and I’ve been using that for years and years. I use a lot of plugins. I use a lot of the Waves Plugins. I do use RX as well, and that’s the bulk of it. I do a lot of processing, depending on the project.I have a really huge sound library for if I’m doing narrative pieces that involve sound design, sound effects. I have a great app called Audio Finder, which a lot of electronic musicians use to help them find sounds. I use it to help me find sounds. It’s a nice way to catalogue sounds if you’re a sound designer or anything like that.You can basically tag all these audio files with meta data, and you can search for sounds by their title. Or, if you type in a word in the search bar, it can pull up things based off the the metadata. If you have notes on something, it can find it. Audio Finder is a great way to find sounds.I have some other things in here. I have the Artist Mix Controller made by Avid. I use those if I’m automating stuff. I use those a lot, actually, when I’m mixing the sermons. I do a lot of automation for that. If I’m mixing a piece with a music bed or something, I like to automate the music by hand.It feels more natural, as opposed to clicking and making little dots. That’s the bulk of it here in the office. All of our audio engineers have a nice pair of Focal monitors. I also have another set of monitors I built myself. When I mix TV episodes, I have an output routed to a TV here in my office so I can hear how it translates on TV speakers.Recording Audio for VideoRyan: On the front end of things, if we’re doing shoots for videos, we use Sound Devices field recorders. We have three different models: the Sound Devices 788T 8 Channel Recorder, a 702 2 Channel Recorder, and then a 633 6 Channel Recorder. That last one is one of their newer models, which is great.Sound Devices are steep in price, but they are rock solid.One of the most trustworthy, well known field recorder brands on the market. That’s what you’ll see on pretty much every big budget shoot in some way. I do a lot of freelance on the side, which gives me the opportunity EPK shoots or BTS shoots for, recently, a show on HBO called Outcast.Aaron: Outcast? I’ve been seeing that (I watch Westworld).Ryan: I’m pretty sure it’s the same writers or producers or something. I know it’s the same writer as The Walking Dead. They shoot here in North Carolina, so with a local production company, we’ve done some interviews with some of the cast and crew. It’s been really neat to be on set and see what they’re using. It’s cool to see how similar their world is to what we’re doing day to day, just with more money and more resources.It’s the same thing. Most of their audio guys have some sort of Sound Devices. A lot of them use the 788 as a backup recording rig, and they’ve got larger multitrack recorders as well, that are also made by Sound Devices. Sound Devices is a great brand. They’re crazy expensive, but when you buy that, you know you’ve basically got it for life.Aaron: Yeah, I’m looking at the Sound Devices 788T SSD 8 Channel Portable Solid State Audio Recorder. It’s almost $7,000. I love that! So fancy.Ryan: That SSD does have an internal hard drive. Ours has a hard drive as well, so it’s great, because it has the internal hard drive, but you can also use CF cards. You can record on two different mediums. In case something runs out of space, you have it in two places.Aaron: This is super professional stuff.Ryan: Yeah. It is. It’s top of the line.Aaron: Fantastic. For all the rest of you, just go with the Zoom H4N or the H6.Ryan: Hey, we do have a Zoom H4N, and we do use that every now and then. Before I came on staff, our first field recorder was the Zoom H4N.Aaron: If I could start over and go back to before I had any kind of interface at all, I think I would buy myself an H4N or an H6. Not only are they portable field recorders so you can walk around with them—they have little stereo condensor mics on them—but they work as audio interfaces, too. You can plug it into your computer with a USB cable and record straight to your computer if you do any kind of podcasting or stuff like that.It’s good for the price. Otherwise, the little two channel interfaces are great. They’re about $100 for a good one, but they aren’t portable. You can’t take them to a show or out to a video shoot the way you can an H4N or an H6 or something.Ryan: Speaking of Zoom, they’ve recently come into the more professional field recording market. About a year ago, they releases the F8, I believe, which is an 8 channel field recorder with 8 mic pres. It’s $999 for something very comparable to a Sound Device. It’s not quite as high-fidelity, but for anyone starting out, you’re really not going to notice the difference.Mixing On Expensive Headphones or MonitorsAaron: I was going to ask you this earlier. You mentioned that you had Focal monitors. Did you listen to the episode I did a few episodes back where I talked about mixing on headphones (Episode 69: Do You Need Expensive Headphones to Mix a Podcast?)?Ryan: Yes, I did.Aaron: I mix on $10 Panasonics. What do you think about that? You can be totally honest with me. You can tell me that it’s a stupid idea or that it’s okay.Ryan: I agree to a certain extent. I agree that you should be listening to what you’re making on whatever the majority of people are going to be listening to it on. For a lot of audio engineers mixing music, that’s iPod earbuds, those standard earbuds you get. Something like that. When I mix TV, I have an output routed to a TV in my office, so I can hear it on TV speakers.I do also believe in mixing on something with some sort of higher fidelity type of monitoring environment, whether that’s nicer speakers or nicer headphones. Naturally, you’re going to hear things differently. The main thing to take away is how things translate.If you’re listening to something on one source and you make it sound good there, that’s great, but in a different environment, it may sound completely different.iPhone earbuds may not have the bass that a car stereo has. You want to hear how it translates from one thing to another. That’s why it’s good to at least listen to it on two different sources and not just narrow yourself down to one cruddy thing. That’s good in theory, but again, the key takeaway is translation.Aaron: Maybe it’s a little bit different for me and I can get away with it because of the consistency of the microphones and the recording environment set we use.Ryan: Yeah, totally.Aaron: I think if I was doing more stuff like you are, with videos and clients and all that kind of stuff, I would absolutely be using my higher fidelity headphones.Ryan: Very true. The bulk of your work is dialogue, podcasts.Aaron: Yeah, that’s really it. Just dudes talking into a microphone.Ryan: Yeah. I have done a lot of work here where I’m working in a small studio, but a lot of my mixes have played in auditoriums and arenas.If you’re working on projects like music or film that have different audio frequencies and spectrums, remember that sound will be perceived differently in different places.Aaron: How do you even test for that?Ryan: Here, I at least have a sense of how our auditorium sounds, so I’ve trained my ear to hear in advance and understand how it’s going to translate. For something like when we did a live recording in the biggest arena here in Charlotte, we had a video opener piece. I was on point for mixing that, so basically, I had to work with tech and production to find a time after setup where I can bring my session, copy it onto a laptop, and play it through the PA.Then I can make any final mix tweaks there in the auditorium or the arena. I perfected it in my studio, and any small tweaks I was able to do in that actual environment. Granted, a lot of the times, we may not have that luxury. There are also great plugins you can buy that simulate different monitoring environments, like Sonarworks.If you have certain pairs of headphones, you can tell the program, “I have these headphones, now make my mix sound like it’s coming through these headphones or these speakers,” so you can hear how it might translate. In that program, they have a final output like the Beats headphones. You can hear how it might sound on there, super bass heavy.Aaron: I hear they’re getting better, but I still have never bought any Beats headphones. I probably should (just for testing purposes).Ryan: There are definitely programs out there to help you see how things translate to different monitors.On Location GearRyan: We were talking about the gear we use for on location recording. Sound Devices would be our main recorders. For our mics, we use Schoeps. It’s a shotgun microphone, so it’s a narrow polar pattern with good off axis rejection. Schoeps is a great brand. Again, you’ll see this on professional movie sets.That’s the mic we use. We have some Sennheiser shotguns as well, the ME66, we have a couple of those, which is more their entry shotgun mics. Recently, I rented some of the MKH416.Aaron: I would like one of those. The Sennheiser 416 is well known as the classic TV shotgun mic, right?Ryan: Exactly. I rented those out because I wanted to try it out for that reason. The Schoeps is very good and very well known on set as well, but so is the 416. I rented it to try it out. It’s a trusted mic that a lot of people use for these professional things, and it doesn’t really break the bank for what it is.Aaron: They’re like $1,000, I think.Ryan: Yeah, and it sounded great.Aaron: The next mic I get is either going to be that or the Rode NTG 3.Ryan: I’ve heard a lot of great things about that. I haven’t tried one myself.Aaron: That’s the shotgun mics we shot my podcasting courses with.Ryan: Yeah, I know that Sean uses that for all of his videos.Aaron: I’m excited about getting to go work with those (I’m moving to San Antonio in March or April).Master the BasicsAaron: That’s a pretty good run through of your gear. I’m sure you could keep going and discuss a lot more, but I don’t think we need to go into that. It seems like you guys are at a super professional, high quality. You have made big investments in professional gear, which is fantastic. I encourage everyone to strive for that, to aim for that, but like we said earlier, use what you have right now. I don’t have anything close to what you guys have, but I’m still doing my podcast. I’m doing the best I can with what I have.Ryan: It still sounds great.Aaron: Thanks! It’s mostly just knowing how to set gain levels and not having a noisy room. It’s crazy how far the basics will get you— everything else is just icing on the cake.I’ve been watching this video course called Zen and the Art of Work, which I really recommend to everybody. It’s mindfulness training mixed with productivity training, which is such a great combination.In this course, he says, “So many of the masters continually revisit the basics.” Mastery is staying on a path. It’s not reaching some final goal, it’s more about being with the work and investing in getting better, but also revisiting the basics. He was talking about playing piano. He was like, “A lot of times, I just start by touching the keys, pressing the keys, and then doing basic scales over and over again.”It’s true. When you get so good at the basics that you don’t have to think about it, that’s when you start to expand and get to that level where people say, “Wow, you’re so good at that. How did you get so good?” You’re like, “That was just doing the basics. It’s not anything fancy.”It’s so important to master the basics and keep going back to them.Learning MoreAaron: What’s next for you? How do you invest in yourself and improve? Or are you working so much that you always have more learning opportunities? Do you buy books or courses or follow any websites to learn more about this audio stuff?Ryan: Honestly? We had a shift at work to where my role has shifted to mainly just broadcasts. That has enabled me to have a little bit more flexibility and free time, so I’ve been doing a lot more freelance work. That’s great, because it energizes me and keeps me engaged. It keeps me from routine. Routine is great.I love routine, that’s very much my personality, but freelance work keeps things interesting.For me, it’s all about where and how I can get inspired and constantly feeding that. It’s about feeding my desire for creativity. We’re all creatives. We like to create. We were designed to be creators, really. Everything I try to do is about how I can become a better creator and what I can create next. It’s about finding things that inspire me, really. We touched lightly on a few of the resources that I like, things I’ve learned and places I’ve picked things up.If you’re interested in audio for post production, there are a couple of great books by Ric Viers. I have two books by him that are really great. The first one is The Sound Effects Bible, and it’s not just sound effects in there. He talks about everything from gear to microphones, basics, setting proper gains, compression, some mixing techniques, etc. He also has The Location Sound Bible.There are a lot of similarities, but there’s also a lot of talk about gear, shotgun mics, lop mics, recorders, and then he also dives into some of the basics when it comes to mixing, proper gain staging, and so on. Those are a really great pool of knowledge in book form. There are a lot of other books out there, but I have found those two to be really helpful.Other than that, when it comes to audio for video, it’s a very small, niche field. There isn’t a crazy amount of stuff out there, like there might be for mixing music. For that, you’ve got tons. You’ve got Pensado’s Place, all these people on YouTube putting out channels on mixing, mixing from home, mixing on a budget, etc. There’s plenty of that.Aaron: Graham Cochrane and Joe Gilder are pretty awesome resources for anyone who wants to start a home studio.Ryan: YouTube can be a pool of knowledge for anything and everything, too. You have to dig a little bit and do some searching. On the inspiration side, for me, since I love audio for video, Sound Works Collection is a great place. They’ll do mini videos interviewing the sound people that did sound for X movie. Whether it was the last Harry Potter or anything and everything, big budget films, they’ll sit down with the recording people, the sound designers, the mixers…It’s really cool, because they’ll show footage of them doing stuff on location or the foley artists. It’s cool to see their process. For me, that helps me stay inspired. It gives me ideas to do other things. They have a podcast as well, and that’s great. The videos can be kind of short, maybe 10 minutes or so, but the podcast will go on at length, talking to the audio guys who have made sound for videos possible.It will also be music composers for movies as well. That’s really great. I found that great not only as inspiration, but to know what and how audio professionals for big budget films get inside their minds, how they’re thinking, and what their process looks like.It’s neat to see stuff about sound engineers for big movies and realize that we’re not so different.Dealing With a Broad Loudness Spectrum (Dynamics)Aaron: I have a nerdy question here. This is about normalizing and compression, I think. Aiya had asked, “I’m so torn about normalizing sound clips. If I’m working on a longer project in segments, would it be better to adjust my peaks manually for the sake of consistency? It’s for a video project.” I’m hearing that there are differences in video volumes. How do you deal with that? Do you do compression? Do you do automation for the different parts? How do you deal with dynamics?Ryan: It depends on the project. I’ll talk about how I would mix a sermon, because that’s very dynamic. Our pastor will go from whispering, holding his handheld mic close to his stomach, to screaming, holding the microphone, cupping the capsule. Power and respect to him, because it creates a certain atmosphere, which has a powerful effect. That’s what I’m dealing with on a weekly basis.That dynamic range is tremendous. Keep in mind, this is going to TV eventually. TV has very strict restrictions. It’s not so much on level, but on perceived level. There’s a difference between what you see meter and what you’re hearing. I can talk at length about that, too.Aaron: Could you give us a super short version? I’m kind of aware of that, but since I just mix in Logic, I’m not sure how to measure it. Is there a way to measure it in Logic? Do you know? Is there a plugin you use?Ryan: I use a plugin from Waves. It’s a loudness meter, and its just that. It has a lot of presets, so I’ll use the TV standard preset. I’ll use it for ATSE85, and I’ll use it for a dialogue bus. They’ve also got one for a master bus. The standard right there is your average level around -24 dB LUFS, so that’s full scale. If you have a classic meters, your peak would be zero, so that would average metering right around -10. At least for TV, I’ve got a hard limiter at -10 dB, to where nothing can go above that.The difference between levels on a meter vs. perceived loudness is the differences between what we hear and the actual energy.In our TV program, we’ll have the sermon, but we’ll also have a talking heads segments, which is dialogue and a music bed. We’ll also go into segments where they’ll go into worship from our live album, which had been mixed and mastered as an album. That thing is slammed. If you look at the wave form, it’s a sausage. If I’m setting all that by the meters alone and they’re all hitting -10, it may look right, but if I look at my loudness meter, that worship segment is going to be off the charts.There’s so much more content in there. There’s so much going on with all the different frequency ranges as opposed to a dialogue track, which is a narrow field in the frequency spectrum. That’s the gist of it. When it comes to my technique for controlling dynamics, for something like mixing a sermon, if I’m going down my plugin chain, the first thing I naturally have is a high pass filter. I’m rolling off those unnecessary lows that are hogging energy.The next thing I’ll do is use a compressor, and I’ll set the attack to right in the middle, so not fast or slow, and I’ll have the release time at fast. We don’t want to hear it pumping, letting go. That’s catching my peaks. It’s not doing a crazy amount, but it kind of is. That’s helping do a lot of the bulk compression. Before anything really hits the compressor, I will go through, and as I work my way through the mix, I will clip gain the wave form, so that, say, if he’s whispering somewhere, I might keep that, depending on how I have my compressor set.Then, if we go up to a part where he’s screaming and my wave form is huge, I will take that down and create those nodes, those dots in the wave form, and drag the actual clip volume down, that gain down. That way, it’s not going into the compressor at this high gain level. It’s hitting the compressor evenly as the rest of it would. That way, it’s not driving the compressor crazy. Then I’ll go through and do some EQ and DSing and whatnot. I might add some more compressors in there, just to grab some of those little things coming through. After that, it’s subtle, just smoothing it out.Aaron: It is a little bit of both. If she has access to an audio editing program—I don’t know what she’s using for editing. If you can put a compressor on the track, do that. It’s not exactly the same, but I did a YouTube video about how I process podcast vocals, and it’s very similar. For podcast vocals, I start with a Logic noise removal plugin.Ryan: I actually have my noise suppressor, and I’ll use that later on down in my signal chain. My way of thinking is that if I’ve got all this compression going on, the compression is narrowing that dynamic range, so it’s bringing up that noise floor. I tend to do my noise suppression after the bulk of that compression, because the noise floor is higher and it’s easier to work on a supressor. If that makes sense.Aaron: I’ve thought a lot about whether you should do the noise removal before or after you add a bunch of gain with a compressor or something, and I can’t think of a good reason that it matters. You can take out the noise before you add a bunch of gain, or you can add a bunch of gain and take out the noise afterwards. Which is better? I don’t know. Anyways, after the noise removal plugin, I put an EQ with a high pass filter, a peak compressor, an RMS or an average level compressor, and then a limiter.Ryan: Like I mentioned earlier, before I had my long-winded answer, it also depends on what it is you’re mixing—whether it’s music, or a podcast, or something for film.When it comes to dialogue for film, you want it to sound as natural as possible, but you also want to be able to hear if someone is whispering.When it comes to that, I’ll still use a compressor, but it will be very, very light. If there’s anything I need to do to meet loudness, that I will automate the volume on my dialogue bus. I’ll bring that up. That way, it sounds a little bit more natural, instead of solely relying on a compressor to do all the work for you.Aaron: That makes sense. For podcasts, if I notice that there’s a section where someone was talking much quieter, like if a guest backed away and talked like that for four or five minutes and then went back to the normal distance from the microphone, in Logic, I’ll turn that into its own clip. I make a cut on either side of the quiet part, and then, in Logic, you can double click on it and change gain by hitting Control G. Then you can add 3, 4, or 5 dB to it.That works out pretty well. If it’s every five seconds or I have to do it more than five or six times in an episode, I won’t do the clip gain changes, I’ll just use a compressor.Look at the overall audio file and see if there are long stretches where you can use automation to change the gain, or change the clip gain.Common Audio Mistakes Podcasters MakeRyan: You asked a question that I think would be good to talk about in regards to podcasting. You had asked, “What do you like about podcasts? What common mistakes do you hear people make?” Initially, I read this and thought, “I don’t know,” but I spent some time thinking about it. This is great, because it piggybacks off the loudness thing.A lot of the mistakes that I hear when it comes to podcasts in regards to audio is the levels and loudness aspect. I’ll listen to some podcasts that sound great, and I’ll put on another podcast where the whole thing is super quiet. Then they start laughing, and it’s really loud. There are some, like mine, where they have a music bed underneath the entire thing, and then sometimes the music bed is so quiet that you hardly know it’s there.You’re like, “What the heck is that noise in the background?” Sometimes, it’s the opposite. Sometimes, the music bed is way too loud. That’s a few of the things I’ve noticed. A lot of the fixes relate to what we just talked about. It helps to have knowledge of levels and perceived loudness.If you’re mixing a podcast, make sure your levels are consistent.One of the biggest things I can recommend for anyone mixing anything, whether it’s music, movies, a podcast, is the importance of having a reference track.Aaron: Yeah, I don’t talk about that enough.Ryan: That is huge. Professional audio engineers who mix platinum records still do this. They will pull in a track from a different song that is mixed well and is mixed how they want theirs to sound, and they’ll have it muted in their session. When they want to have a reference to listen to or train their ear, they’ll un-mute it, and they’ll go, “Oh, okay.”I’m sure you’ve done the same thing as me, where you’ll be so involved in a mix, you’re in it, and you think it sounds great, and then maybe you go away. You go home, sleep, and maybe you come back, and you open it up and you go, “Woah! What was I thinking!” You can get so involved in it that the blinders go up. You get tunnel vision, and you’re not aware to some things.It’s good to have a reference track or get an outsider’s opinion on a mix.The main takeaway here is the reference track. That would help with anything, whether it’s the timbre, how you’re EQing, or the loudness. You pull in their track and it’s far louder than yours, and you automatically know that you need to do something about it.Aaron: That’s a great idea. You can kind of do this before or after. You go through and you edit your whole podcast, get everything set up the way you want, create an extra track, and then find a podcast that sounds really good—This American Life or pretty much anything by NPR—download an episode, drop it into your editing program, and play it, mute it, and see what the difference is. Maybe you need to add some gain with an adaptive limiter or with a compressor, or maybe you can tell that your track sounds way sharper or harsher.Are there are too many high frequencies or too much bass compared to your reference track? You can adjust those things. I’m so glad you mentioned that. I’ve never thought of that before, and that’s such a good idea.Ryan: It’s one of those things you don’t think of much, but once you do it, you’re like, “Oh my gosh!” It’s really eye opening and really helpful.You can find Ryan online at ryanmonette.com, and follow him on Twitter @RyanMonette.

In Episode 39 I spoke with David Karon of KHDK electronics about their line of effects and especially the Scuzz Box. After the interview (and during a hurricane) I ordered my Scuzz Box from The Guitar Guru Network on Reverb.com and waited with excitement for it to arrive. Well....IT's HERE!!!! So I opened it, put it on the board and recorded my first impressions for the show. My set up for the show was my Epiphone SG and Mexican Start into the Scuzz Box, then my Ghoul Screamer, then my Boss FBM-1, then the TC Electronic Wiretap, and finally my Vox AC4. I recorded everything with one mic, Blue Snowball, plugged into my iPad running Bossjock Studio. Ian torn between micing the amp and doing a "real" recording and the "live recording that i did. I opted for "live" because my ultimate goal is for you to hear the pedal as i hear it. For example, on the "Scuzz" setting you can hear the gate kick in and then hear my strings (acoustically) still vibrating even though the gate had kicked in.Let us know on Twitter and Instagram what you think!

For this very special bonus episode of The Uterus & The Duderus, we celebrate Paige's graduation from college! We sat down with her friends and family to discuss how far she has come in the face of Endomitriosis. Featured on this podcast are her sister Emily, her brother Tucker, and her father Greg. Also featured are Nik's fiancee Brittany, and his sister Caitlin. NOTE: This episode was recorded outside using a Blue Snowball mic, so the quality is a little lessened, and the background noise much more present. Let the madness begin!

‘We own our podcast and are very precious about it, even though there’s a sense of fun and silliness, we are serious about the quality of it and the jokes.’ Episode 13 of Podcast Divas puts, not one but, two ladies in the spotlight – Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn of The Scummy Mummies Podcast – a popular fortnightly chat show for less-than-perfect parents, which regularly tops the kids and family category on iTunes in the UK. ‘We do like a cat suit – preferably gold lame.’ This was such a fun episode to record and I think you can tell that Helen and Ellie are both also stand-up comedians, in fact that’s how they met.  Listen to find out how they came to co-host the Scummy Mummies Podcast and much much more including:  Who’s tried a three way (we’re talking podcasting of course) Who wants to be scrummy, yummy or scummy The full story of how Helen and Ellie met The best way to cope with being a parent Why they started having guests on their show Finding a balance of silliness and seriousness How to deal with serious matters in an entertaining way The progression from trying to be a podcaster to being a natural The difference between podcasting and live shows How to feel like you’re just chatting to friends when recording your show The benefits of a multi platform approach How to get your posts on the Huffington Post The pros and cons of drinking on your show The need for discipline, self-honesty and ruthless editing Turning 2 hours of material into a 40 minute episode Why Ellie needs to keep editing the show The business side of podcasting Why do Ellie and Helen podcast What makes Helen cry at her laptop How using Acast for advertising works The advantage of a podcast subject with longevity  ‘Editing is like reading music.’ Microphones and editing Ellie uses Audacity to edit their show. Scummy Mummies started with a Blue Snowball microphone and recently upgraded to a Blue Yeti. ‘You feel like you’re chatting to friends and forget that the mic is on.’ Advice for Podcast Divas and potential Divas ‘Feel passionate about, and love what you’re doing.  Don’t just think oh there’s a niche or don’t try to predict what there’s a gap in the market for.  Just do what you really love and that will come across in what you say and who you interview.’ Helen ‘Edit it. It takes time and it’s a pain but as a listener, the podcasts I listen to are the ones that are nice and tight and edited. When it’s just people rambling on for two hours I can’t deal with it, I don’t have time for it – so edit. Be good’. Ellie Suggested episodes of Scummy Mummies to start with Episode 60 with Kathy Lette Episode 5 on pelvic floor exercises ‘Some of the best moments of my entire life have been on the podcast.’ Helen and Ellie’s recommended Podcast Divas Sarah Koenig – Serial https://serialpodcast.org Helen Zaltzman – The Allusionist http://www.theallusionist.org and Answer Me This http://answermethispodcast.com - ‘She’s a podspiration’ Where to find Ellie and Helen Scummymummies.com Thanks for listening If you enjoyed this episode please tweet @podcastdivas and @scummymummies and let us know. And if you’re feeling particularly wonderful today it would be fabulous if you would leave a review for Podcast Divas on iTunes – it’s much appreciated!  

  Should I Use Google Drive for Podcast Hosting?[2:36] You don't take your car to your dentist for repairs, so why use a media storage service for media streaming? If you want to see what I look at what I want in a media host, check out www.schoolofpodcasting.com/mediahosting Editing Your RSS Feed / Wordpress Website [6:35] You can always find the show at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/live Fred from Struggling Entrepreneur and cibaustin.org calls in and talks about listening to the show. If you are having issues with your website here are some steps to follow: 1. Turn off your plugins 2. Switch Themes Always make sure to keep your website up to date and have a backup of your website. Fred wanted to know if I still recommend Host Gator (I do). They are now owned by the same people who own Blue Host. While my latest attempt to get support took a little longer, I'm still using them. Podcast Movement is a Go [11:30] Podcast movement tickets are now available. This is a podcast only event for podcasters to meet and share their knowledge and hear remarkable speakers.  Why You Shouldn't Use a Blue Snowball [15:00] The Blue Snowball is a condensor microphone that plugs in via USB. The microphone picks up a lot of background noise (being a condensor). It also won't work with a mixer if you choose to use one inf the future. A better solution is the Audio Technica 2100 which us a dynamic (less background noise) microphone, and it is both USB and it works with a mixer (XLR).  Same Day Music allows you to purchase equipment in two payments and they don't charge tax in most stats.  My Episode Isn't Showing in iTunes [20:00] Do NOT use Feedburner for your podcast. It causes issues (in some cases) and there are much better solutions. Feedburner will occasionally just forget to sync your feed so even if you've published a new episode, feedburner doesn't show it. If you are really worried about controlling your feed, you can purchase a domain just for your feed and redirect your feed through that URL. What is your biggest hurdle or headache in Podcasting? 25:15 If you are having issues with Guest Scheduling, I've used them all I use Schedule Once  Everyone Communicates Few Connect  Book Review [29:20] Dave is looking to understand coaching. Jim talks about the coaching program from Gallop. Any books on coaching that you can recommend? Check out Jim's coaching podcast at http://coaching.gallup.com/ Podcasting is Not One Size Fits All [32:00] If you're not sure about your next step with your podcast, when in doubt just ask your audience. You can use tools like polldaddy.com and surveymonkey.com  Dave just put out episode 400 where he tweaks his format for one show.  What do I do if I quit podasting? How do I come back [37:40] If you unintentionally took a break, I don't think its a big deal to start over. Press record, and don't spend the beginning apologizing for missing the episodes. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL LAW ABIDING BIKER WEBISTE PODCAST-This episode of the Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast is dedicated to our one year anniversary! That's right, just a year ago on March 16, 2013 I recorded and published my first Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast episode in my daughter's closet. I used nothing but an iPad Mini, the Bossjock app, and a Blue Snowball condenser microphone to record it. I was in my daughter's closet, because the condenser microphone picked up too much echo in my office. I did have an iMac already that I utilized to edit and distribute the audio files I created. I had been trying to sell an item for some time and finally did so after some prayers. Because of the that sale, I was able to order and purchase professional podcasting equipment and gear. I pieced my professional podcasting setup together and am still using it to this day. I was very selective about what equipment I bought and did not want to buy a standard package. I got a much better deal piecing it together myself and ordering from all different sources. Every penny counted for me when I was ordering my podcasting gear and I did a ton of research. So, by episode #4 of this new biker motorcycle podcast I had all my new professional podcasting equipment in place; Mixer, dynamic microphones, headphones, recorder etc. Of course I set up all this new podcasting gear in my home office, which over the past year has turned into the official Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media Studio. Also, on podcast episode #4 I brought in a co-host and I have pretty much had one or two co-hosts in the studio per episode every since. I have done a couple special episodes alone along the way. I want to thank the co-hosts that have helped me over the past year and continue to do so. They are Lurch, LawDog (LD), Cuz, Chewy, PopEye, and Oscar. I played with the audio and levels a bit over the next few episodes and got things dialed in. We have had great feedback on our audio quality. I also started to figured out my workflow a bit on getting things edited and published. I built this website prior to ever recording my first biker motorcycle podcast episode, as I wanted it in place. I have been working on it and tweaking it every since. Hopefully in the future I will have a giant overhaul of the website, but we will have to see. The first few podcast episodes I created I did not provide very detailed show notes/blog. At some point I started providing a detailed blog/show notes to go along with the episodes and have stayed true to that. I also started just writing regular blogs about Law Abiding Biker related things. Then I started filming, editing, producing and publishing free review and tutorial videos and putting them on YouTube. Along with each video I wrote a detailed blog. I also began publishing vlogs. In less than a year I have created, edited, and published 27 free videos and 7 Vlogs that can be seen on my YouTube Channel. As of today, those videos have been viewed 236,165 times and the YouTube channel has 1,475 subscribers. When I started I really had no idea that the YouTube channel would take off like it did, as most of my focus was on the motorcycle biker podcast portion of the operation. Here are the top five most viewed free YouTube videos to date: Vance & Hines Dresser Twin Slash Rounds Slip-ons Mufflers Harley Davidson Touring (14,340 views)  Remove install front wheel tire fender from Harley Davidson Motorcycle (17,336 views)  How to remove install rear wheel tire of Haley Davidson Motorcycle (27,796)  2014 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special Amber Whiskey Color Overview (37,419)  How to do routine maintenance oil change Harley Davidson Motorcycle (77,397)  Believe it or not, the maintenance oil change video was the first video I released and it remains the most viewed. Over the past year I have filmed, edited, produced and published six for sale tutorial videos. They have been doing well and after purchase you can immediately download the videos. I thank each and every person that has purchased a video and for some, multiple videos. By purchasing these videos you are helping out Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media to keep moving forward. You help us out and you get something valuable in return. Here are six very popular for sale videos: Click on each one to learn more. TUTORIAL VIDEO-Complete Harley Davidson Ride Planner & GPS Guide TUTORIAL VIDEO-Harley Davidson Boom Box Infotainment Software & Map Update Tutorial TUTORIAL VIDEO-How to do a routine maintenance oil change and safety check on your Harley Davidson TUTORIAL VIDEO-Complete Harley Davidson "Boom Box" Infotainment System GPS Stereo Tutorial TUTORIAL VIDEO-How to Install a Dyno Jet Power Commander V on a Harley Davidson TUTORIAL VIDEO-How to uninstall stock headers/exhaust & install aftermarket headers/exhaust on a Harley Davidson TUTORIAL VIDEO-How to Install a Harley stage-one air intake on a Harley Davidson We have received so many emails here at Law Abiding Biker Podcast and Media that it is hard to keep up, but we love it! Keep them coming folks. We have also received numerous voice messages that made it onto episodes of the motorcycle biker podcast, so keep those coming too. Along with growing, I am now receiving a large and very annoying amount of spam email. If you have a good cost effective solution to spam email, please let me know. Thanks to all the loyal listeners who have been involved via email, voicemail, or via comments left directly on the website. The Law Abiding Biker Facebook Page has grown to over 1,000 likes and we are grateful for that! Thanks to all those that have been involved with the Law Abiding Biker Podcast Facebook page. Don't forget that we are also on Google Plus, Twitter, and Instagram. Hook up with us! Thanks to all those that have left comments and ratings in both iTunes and Stitcher Radio. We are continuing to enjoy a large amount of downloads per episode and it continues to grow. We love hearing from you, so please keep the ratings and comments coming our way! They motivate us to keep going with this biker motorcycle podcast thing. If you search for "biker podcast" or "motorcycle podcast" in iTunes, we rank #1 for both right now! That is due to the loyal listeners that have actually subscribed to the podcast. If you listen, but have not subscribed in iTunes, please do so and you can help us out. Here are a few recent five star comments from iTunes: From: WhyAreAllNicknamesTaken? Great show! One of my must listens. Thanks for putting out a great podcast for the Law Abiding. Stay safe! From: MotoSage Funny banter with some great knowledge! Fun to listen to with some excellent insights into the riding community. From: Fat boy lo Good information and fun to listen to. From: E.mic.b Great podcast, very well produced, great information, well though out. It's entertaining, with fun interaction between hosts and guests. Great resource for tech and services. Thanks guys for all the hard work on this podcast, and for all you to keeping us safe in your daily work too. It's nice to be able to hear the opinions of men we can respect. Thank you.....e From: T bird fan While I would be reticent to subscribe to every opinion passed on every podcast, these dudes do a good job passing on general mc information as well as weighing in with well thought out opinions. The podcast is pretty Harley centric and is based around formally established mc protocol, which may not be everyones bag, but they don't profess it to be either. They do what they do well and for that I say thumbs up. I worked much overtime this year at my regular LEO job and was able to save enough dough to purchase a new MacBook Pro. The proceeds from video sales also helped. I already had my iMac and it is still in use. Additionally, I was able to purchase an extra monitor for the iMac and one for the MacBook pro. I also saved and bought a new "L" desk for the studio and got everything organized by making good use of the limited space. I also painted the studio and it turned out great! I have purchased new software along the way that helps with all the productions. Yes, this is all necessary and has helped me greatly in getting all the content out, especially the videos. While one computer is working over time rendering video as an example, I can move to the other and keep the work flow going. I can alos stay up with things and go mobile with the MacBook Pro. There are many other examples I can give you. Dual monitors is an absolute must for efficient workflow of this type. We have climbed the Google ladder over the past year and now if you search for "biker podcast" we take up the first 9 out of 10 search results on the very first page! If you search for "motorcycle podcast" we are #5 and #10 on the first page of Google results! And all in less than a year. I still can't quite wrap my head around it. About a month and a half ago I got the new FREE LAW ABIDING BIKER EMAIL CLUB up and running. This is truly the hub for getting all the new free and for sale content from Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media. Members get it here first before anyone else. I also give exclusive coupon codes and discount codes to Email Club Members. There is no spam on this list and I only send an email once in a while with relevant content. Please know that I will never give your information away. You can unsubscribe at any time you like. So what are you waiting for, it's free? It is the best way I can stay in touch with the Law Abiding Biker Community. If you are thinking about creating a secure email list and sending quality HTML subscriber based emails, then please consider going with Aweber. I did a ton of research before committing to an HTML email subscriber service and Aweber came out on top. Now that I have actually utilize Aweber, I can tell you that it is a truly amazing service. I highly recommend Aweber's services based on my very own experience with them. Their customer service is unbelievable and they really care like I do here at LAB Media. They also treat their affiliates very well in which I am one. If you are going to sign up for Aweber's subscriber based service, please consider using my affiliate link below to help out. If you sign up through my affiliate link then I get a kickback from Aweber for the life of your subscription to their services. Thanks for your consideration in using my affiliate link. **My Aweber Affiliate Link: http://www.lawabidingbiker.com/Aweber We have had quite a few donations over the past year and we are so very thankful for that! God Bless each one of you that has donated. The donations are great, but far between. The donations do help cover part of the operating costs here at LAB Media and we could not have done it without them. We are looking to more things to help cover our costs. If you do want to donate towards this and other free content please do so ==> DONATE HERE We are very transparent here at Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and moving forward with possible sponsors. We must do this to keep moving forward and taking things to the next level. I explain this in detail in this podcast episode, so have a listen. Just know that as long as I am the owner of Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media, I will never sell out. What I mean by that is that I will only allow sponsors and advertisers that I believe in. I have already had several offers from companies that I did not believe in or I did not believe in their products and I quickly turned them down. I will only take on companies and products I believe in and I will research them heavily. I never want to loose the trust of the Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Community. And if I believe in a company or product and they do something to make me think otherwise, then I will let you know. Your trust is everything to me. If we want to grow then sponsorship will be necessary. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of fast growing Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media then CONTACT US HERE  Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media isn't going anywhere, but we are just making decisions on how to keep moving forward in a positive direction and finding ways to try to bring you more content via podcasts, blogs, and videos. If we get some sponsorship we can really take this biker motorcycle podcast to the next level for you! Rember, that you can really help us out in many super easy ways. Evertime you purchase a motorcycle related item, please tell them that they should be sponsoring Law Abiding Biker Podcast and Media. You can also tell them that you are purchasing an item, because of something you heard or learned on a Law Abiding Biker Media Podcast, Video, or Blog. You can do this verbally over the phone or leave it in the comments at the time of purchase. You can get creative and we appreciate it. You can also continue to tell other law abiding bikers about us via word of mouth. Also, share us on all your social media platforms. Thanks in advance for any help you can give us. Thanks so much for your ongoing support of Law Abiding Biker Motorcycle Podcast and Media! Get ready for another exciting year and great content. -Keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up! ______________________________________________________________________ CHECK US OUT AND SUBSCRIBE:   Website: http://www.LawAbidingBiker.com   Email & Voicemail: http://www.LawAbidingBiker.com/Contact   Phone Hotline: 509-731-3548   Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawAbidingBiker   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawabidingbiker        YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/scrappy587     Google Plus Page: https://plus.google.com/+Lawabidingbiker587   Instagram: http://instagram.com/lawabidingbiker     RSS: feed://www.LawAbidingBiker.com/feed   iTunes Direct Link to Podcast:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-abiding-biker-podcast/id622424087    Stitcher Radio: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/law-abiding-biker-podcast   TuneIn Radio: http://tunein.com/radio/Law-Abiding-Biker-p562288/            

Starting a podcast wouldn't feel right without some technical difficulties right off the bat, and on our second episode in, my co-host Justine Browning and I found out an unfortunate fact - my Blue Snowball microphone doesn't exactly get along with her laptop. Since I hiked across New York City to do the show, we attempted a salvage mission on this week's episode, one that honestly turned out much better than expected. Please show some mercy as we were forced to record using only an internal microphone. Being the troopers that we are though, we powered ahead despite the small obstacle and are now bringing you another episode of I'd Rather Be At The Movies.

In this episode of Worlds of Wayne I am joined once again by the Color Pharmacy. On their way to SXSW they spent 2 days in Omaha and hung out at the house. So we set up the laptop, the handy Blue Snowball mic, and had a lunchtime chat.  Color Pharmacy on facebook Video of Aperature After relentless touring in support of their last full-length record, The Color Pharmacy are back with an explosive new album, to be released March 2013. Building on the sound and success of Texatonka (released February 2011 and added at #2 on the CMJ Radio 200 charts) the Minneapolis-based trio tracked The Color Pharmacy over only four days at The Pearl Studios with producer Mark Schwandt (White Light Riot, Usonia). Recorded to analog tape, the new album boasts tightly-crafted songs, catchy hooks, and soaring vocal harmonies to create a sonic atmosphere entirely unique to this genre-bending band. The Color Pharmacy have appeared with many noteworthy artists, including: Adele, Tom Morello’s Street Sweeper Social Club, Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Ted Leo, Peter Himmelman, and Ben Kweller. In addition to releasing and touring in support of their new album, 2013 will also mark the band’s fifth year performing at the acclaimed South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Hard-working, easy-going, honest, and artistically ground-breaking, The Color Pharmacy are sure to be embraced by an ever-expanding audience of music lovers everywhere.

It is time for episode #2 of The Blog Program. :) First of all, I want to THANK YOU for your support. The response to the first episode was awesome, and your reviews and ratings inside of iTunes help propel the show into the "New & Noteworthy" section of iTunes in the Business category! The show bounces around in there, but at one point it was #2 in that section. THANK YOU. :) So, I'm humbled, excited... and eager to get more shows out there. So eager that I've decided to kick out episode #2 NOW. This show was recorded even before #1 was published... and I recorded it using my Blue Snowball mic just to see how it went. It sounded pretty good, with just a few minor imperfections. However, I've got my new Heil PR40 all set up, and from episode #3 onward, it will all be recorded on that. :) Here's a quick photo of the new setup (to the right). In this episode, I'm talking about 11 of the top blog monetization strategies for your blog. Here's the breakdown of the show: Introduction, and some of what I've been working on over on my tech site, PCMech.com. The problem with "blog monetization". The breakdown of the 11 monetization strategies.

I denne episode snakker vi om den eneste snebold man gerne vil have på sit skrivebord. Nemli Snowballen fra Blue Mic, en mega fed og mega god mikrofon som vi har erhvervet os relativt for nylig, og som gerne skulle have forbedret vores podcast I hvert fald til dels, men vi er selvfølgelig føler vi […]

Graydancer interviews Alpine Subdreams, the organizer of the March 4-6 Vancouver GrUE.You may also want to check out some of these other upcoming GrUEs: Chicago GrUE (Et tu, GrUE-te?) March 11-13 Toronto GrUE 3 (No Foolin'!) April 1-3 the GrUE Pitt April 15-17 in Pittsburgh Also, DoNotGoGently helps answer a question from a listener: what does "Don't Help!" mean? You can see Graydancer and DoNotGoGently in the picture (thanks to WolfPerception) at our performance for the Sex Worker Awareness fundraiser organized by TiedUpEvents. Apologies for the sound quality of this podcast; my venerable Blue Snowball, donated by Mark of Dv8 House, has bitten the dust. Thanks for the years of good quality, Mark, and don't worry - I've got another mike on the way!

Soren LaRue and John Moore compare the Blue Kiwi, Blue Snowball, and AKG c3000b for podcasting. Pros and cons are addressed as well.

How to stop that annoying popping sound on your spoken audio. Links to YouTube videos where I review some mics: Shure SM58 (you can see the pop filter in front of the mic) Samson C01U condenser mic You can get pop filters at many electronics and music outlets - for online options look at Dolphin Music (UK). This pop filter by Rode from Dolphin Music (UK) has a small clamp which should be well suited to the Blue Snowball

It’s time to get started in podcasting. I start off talking about headsets in general - Plantronics do nice ones. DISCLOSURE: Most of the links to purchase are AFFILIATE LINKS. I’ll get a commission if you end up buying the product. This helps me to feed my children. If you don’t want his to happen just use Google. For a good condenser microphone – take a look at the Samson C01U. Get it from Dolphin Music (UK). The Blue Snowball is another condenser microphone worth considering. You can buy this from Apple Store (UK), Dolphin Music (UK). Both these mics plug straight into your computer via USB. I talk about the Shure SM58 - this is a popular, robust dynamic microphone (It’s the one I use on this podcast). Bear in mind with this mic that you’ll need something to plug it into - it has an XLR plug that won’t plug directly into your computer. You’ll need an XLR to USB interface, a mixer or a separate audio recorder with XLR inputs such as the Zoom H4. Purchase the SM58 from Dolphin Music (UK).

Episode One: Three is a Magic Number (Download this episode) In this episode: our recording setup and just how much trouble it is to use three microphones in Garage Band That customizing your software may not be a good thing (we’re looking at you, FireFox) What browsing the web was like in 1995 and how awesome Microsoft Plus! was Jason Johnson’s search for the ideal ear buds to use with his iPhone Kids music and what else you can find on our iPhones and we lay out the vision for the podcast Some links to a few of the items discussed during this episode: We used a Blue Snowball, an MXL 990 & PreSonus Inspire 1394, and an M-Audio Producer USB to record into Garage Band. Microsoft Plus! and the IBM PS/Note, which used Lynx or Telix (Not Planet Telex) or some other browser we couldn’t remember. Jason Johnson’s Klipsch in-ear headphones and Jason Coleman’s off brand headphones. Trey is happy with the Apple ear buds. Though we don’t bother cleaning them, Lifehacker encourages you to do so. You can learn more about Dan Benjamin (The Ruby Show) and Leo Laporte’s (TWiT) podcasts. They seem to know what they’re doing. “Three is a Magic Number” by Bob Dorough from Schoolhouse Rocks We spend a lot of time watching TED talks and Morning Becomes Eclectic

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn I test out the new portable MDW Studios on my kitchen table. I got a Blue Snowball mic and the Macbook running Ubercaster (no, I don't know how to put the little dots over the “U”) Anyway, also got to test out the skype recording with Jim Farley of What's Up With That? Podcast Hope it all sounds ok.. Let me know what you think! -Mike click here to download

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn I test out the new portable MDW Studios on my kitchen table. I got a Blue Snowball mic and the Macbook running Ubercaster (no, I don't know how to put the little dots over the “U”) Anyway, also got to test out the skype recording with Jim Farley of What's Up With That? Podcast Hope it all sounds ok.. Let me know what you think! -Mike click here to download

We love our amazing Blue Snowball microphone so much that it’s turned into a Baby Monster… Baby Monster Snowball Blues. Baby Monster Snowball Blues is a great listener who turns cool sounds into warm stories. Want to talk to Baby Monster Snowball Blues? To share your own story, just print out the My Baby Monsters Storytelling Coloring Page (or load it into your favorite painting program). Then write on the sound waves and color the picture. When you're finished, you can send me a copy and I can put it online. Have fun, -- Josie (and dad)

On this episode, we never really get started, but that also means we never really finish. So say hurrah, because there are no more staticy popping sssssssssounds in the My Baby Monsters storysharing podcast thanks to our new microphone. Actually, this is more of a vocal test then a real episode... but fear not, cause thanks to the incredible power our new Blue Snowball mic with elastic ringer and pop filter, you are treated to the sounds of the entire family. Have fun, -- Josie (and dad)